Rising Stars Action

The past couple of months have been filled with incredible performances and personal bests as our squad shone at District and Ulster Schools. A big thank you to the Ulster Schools Athletics Association and all the schools for organising such fantastic competitions for our juniors. Having had the opportunity to help at a few events, it was truly inspiring to see so many young athletes giving their all, with many taking on new challenges for the first time.

Districts Highlights

In District A, Nyla achieved a huge personal best (PB) in the Long Jump, recording 4.31m and securing 1st place. This marks a significant improvement, having recently surpassed the 4m barrier. In the 100m final, Nyla was unfortunate as the race was called back for a re-run after she initially won, leaving her without enough recovery time for the second attempt.

Both David and Harley qualified for Ulster’s in their District's 3000m races, with David finishing 2nd and Harley 3rd.

Maisie competed in the Minor Girls' 100m, finishing 4th overall.

Lauren delivered a stellar performance in Meadowbank, claiming first in her district with a best throw of 9.69m.

Fionn made his debut in Steeplechase, qualifying for Ulster’s with a 2nd place finish over the 1500m distance.

Ollie achieved a new PB in the 800m with a time of 2:11, winning the race. Fiachna also recorded a PB in the same 800m race, finishing 2nd with a time of 2:16. Fiachna also took 2nd place in the Minor Boys hurdles.

Maisie and Eve competed side by side in the 75m hurdles, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Ulster Championships Highlights

Nyla continued her impressive form at Ulster’s, setting another PB of 4.38m to claim gold.

Eve secured 2nd place with a new PB of 12.26, Rebekah came 3rd, and Maisie finished 4th, all in the 75m hurdles Minor Girls.

Ollie took 3rd place in the 800m.

Competed in the 3000m, David making it to the podium and Harley enjoying the race.

Isabella achieved second in the Minor Girls High Jump.  Setting a new PB, clearing 1.54m.

Achievements Beyond the Track

David moved up an age category in triathlons, competing in the Sprint Distance at Lough Cutra Castle, Galway. He recorded a stunning overall time of 1:28:47, finishing 7th in his age category and 10th overall. He also helped his relay team secure 7th place overall (4th in juniors).

Ollie won the 2km race at Run the Runways in Newtownards with a new PB of 6:29.

Maisie was called up to the Under 13 Down Development Squad for Gaelic Football this season after being selected following trials in early May.

It's fantastic to see our squad excelling not only on the track but also in various other sports. We encourage our athletes to pursue multiple disciplines in track and field as well as engage in multi-sports to develop their skills and versatility.

Keep up the great work, everyone! Stay tuned for more updates and achievements in the next edition of the Rising Stars Newsletter.