NI Athletes Breaking Records & Smashing PBs

In amongst the numerous records set at Day 1 of the Irish National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore at the weekend, there was a new championship best performance in the U17 Boys 100m Hurdles for Cameron McCracken (North Down AC) coached by (Roger Sexton). Cameron set a wind legal personal best in the heat with a time of 13.50 seconds before improving this in the final with a 2.4 m/s wind assisted 13.44.

Heptathlete Ashleigh McCardle (Lifford Strabane) finished second in the U19 Girls 100m Hurdles with a time of 15.16 and Aida Zukauskaite (Lagan Valley AC) took silver in the U18 Girls Hammer with 48.63m. In the throws, North Down AC athlete Emma Reid took Bronze in the U15 Girls Discus with 25.70m.

The distance events saw wins for Ava Diver (Beechmount Harriers) and Frank Buchanen (St Michaels College) in the U17 Girls and U19 Boys 800m respectively. Finn Diver (Beechmount Harriers) was also amongst the medals finishing 3^rd in the U19 Boys 800m.

Elsewhere, Conor Kelly set a new Northern Irish and Irish U18 400m record, running 47.23 seconds in at the Newham & Essex Beagles Summer Open Meeting in Stratford. The Derry Track Club athlete took 0.04 off Curtis Woods’ record set at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India 16 years ago.

Annadale Striders held their annual Afternoon of 3000m at the Mary Peters Track. Despite some heavy rain there were some good performances. The Men’s A race was won by Conall McClean (CNDR Track Club) in a meeting record of 8.12 and the Women’s A race was won by Amy Greene (Finn Valley) in 8.52.

In the BMC Grand Prix in Birmingham Jack O’Farrell (Newry AC) had a strong run in the 3000m A race finishing 4^th in a new PB of 8.03.94. Chris Fielding (City of Derry Spartans) finished 2^nd in the 1500m D race running 3.50.85. Frank McGrath (Lagan Valley AC) ran a PB of 3.53.09 to finish 4^th in the F 1500m and Oisin McGloin (Lagan Valley AC) finished 4^th in the G 1500m in 4.01.33. In the Women’s 1500m B race, Rebecca Osbourne (Dromore AC) finished 9^th in 4.29.00.

In the Paris Diamond League Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC) back racing again after her European Championships victory produced a 3.58.69 clocking in the women’s 1500m.

Elsewhere in Europe, Hannah Irwin (Cambridge and Coleridge) was in France at the Fast 5000 meeting in Maisons-Laffitte. She finished 22^nd in the Women’s 5000m in 15.53.29.