Event Preview- NI & Ulster U18-U20 and Senior Track & Field Championships 2019
07 June 2019
A plethora of athletic talent will take to the Mary Peters Track on Saturday 8th June 2019 for the Northern Ireland & Ulster U18-U20 & Senior Track and Field Championships. The event will also incorporate the Age Group 1500m and Pole Vault events.
In what should be one of the highlights of the day, recent double Irish Schools Champion and Top European U20 200m athlete, Aaron Sexton (North Down AC) will compete in the Senior Men’s 100m and 200m. Giving him some competition, will be Israel Olatunde (Dundealgan AC) who was last year’s U18 winner; Ballymena & Antrim team mates Michael McCauley and Dean Adams and Clonliffe Harriers’ Keith Marks.
Fresh from winning Gold in the Men’s Long Jump at the Valence EAP Meet, Keith will also be hoping to replicate his success in the Senior Men’s Long Jump against Ben Fisher (City of LIsburn AC) who finished 3rd in last year’s competition and recently jumped a Season’s Best of 7.18m in Valence.
The Men’s 1500m and 5000m both have the biggest fields of the day. Commonwealth Games athlete, Adam Kirk-Smith (Derry Track Club) will toe the line in the Men’s 3k Steeplechase as well as in the 1500m, along with last year’s winner Conor Bradley (City of Derry Spartans); Conall Kirk (Annadale Striders), Craig McMeechan (North Down AC); Tony McCambridge (St Malachy’s AC); Conan McCaughey (North Belfast Harriers); Neil Johnston (Springwell Running Club); Neil McCartan (East Down Ac); Jonathan Whan (City of Lisburn AC); Luke Dinsmore (Springwell Running Club) and Danny Mooney (Letterkenny AC), to name just a few.
Many of these men will then return to compete in the Men’s 5000m with last year’s winner Conor Bradley (City of Derry Spartans AC) and previous runner-up Conor Duffy (Glaslough Harriers). Also joining the field will be 2018’s NI & Ulster Senior Cross Country Champion, Declan Reed (City of Derry Spartans); Acorns AC’s pair, Eoin Hughes and Vincent McKenna; Neil Johnston (Springwell Running Club); Chris Madden (City of Lisburn Ac); Danny Mooney (Letterkenny AC); Adam Kirk-Smith (Derry Track Club) and John Black (North Belfast Harriers).
Olympic athlete Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle & District AC) will battle against returning 5000m Champion, Jessica Craig (North Down AC). Recent Irish Schools 3000m Champion, Mia McCalmont (Tir Chonaill AC) will take her place on the start line, joined by Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC); Sarah Lavery (Beechmount Harriers) and Edel Monaghan (Dublin City Runners AC) among others.
In the 1500m and 100m Wheelchair event it will be a show of friendly rivalry between Torque Racing Club’s Andrew Greer and Jack Agnew.
Commonwealth Games Athlete, Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley AC) will be looking for the top spot in the Senior Women’s High Jump against, North Down Ac’s Sarah Connolly and City of Lisburn AC’s Anna McIlmoyle.
After seizing 2nd place in the Irish Schools 200m final, City of Lisburn AC’s Katie Monteith will be competing in the Women’s 200m and the 100m. Katie will compete against North Belfast Harriers’ Caitlin Maguire.
Masters World Champion, Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn AC) will take part in the Women’s 1500m against North Down AC’s Rachel Gibson; Beechmount Harrier’s Catherine Diver and Dromore AC’s Laura Bickerstaff. In the U19 Girls, Irish Schools Champion Niamh Carr (Springwell Running Club) will compete with Finn Valley AC’s Cassie Lagan and Karen Gallagher. Ballymena & Antrim AC’s Katie Agnew will be in the U18 Girls, with Rebecca Wallace (Lagan Valley Ac); Bryanna Catney (North Down AC) and Aoife McGreevy (Lagan Valley AC).
Irish Schools Triple Jump Champion, Jai Benson (Lagan Valley AC) will compete in the U20 Boys Triple Jump and the Long Jump.
It is expected to be a great day of competition with many exciting events across the field and track.
The Provisional timetable and starts lists for the event are available here.