Youth Athletes Gain Huge Medal Haul At National Championships

It was an excellent weekend of athletics for the NI & Ulster athletes with a total of 43 individuals making it to the podium. 8 of the young athletes came home with multiple medals across both track and field events, with an additional 20 track medals and 15 field medals for the province.

Youth Academy athlete, Anna McCauley (City of Lisburn AC) had an impressive medal haul, winning gold in the U19 Girls Long Jump for her 5.53m jump; gold in the U19 Girls 60m Hurdles in a PB time of 8.83 and a Bronze in the U19 Girls 60m Sprints, in a PB time of 7.66.

City of Lisburn AC’s Victoria Lightbody gained an impressive Championship Best with her gold medal in the U16 Girls 800m with her time of 2:13.01. Her club teammate, Katie Monteith took home two gold medals and two impressive new PBs, by winning the U17 Girls 60m Sprint in a PB time of 7.65 and the U17 Girls 200m- in a new PB of 24.75. Victoria and Katie are now ranked 5^th and 3^rd (both events) respectively on the Power of 10 rankings.

Rising Stars Coleraine Athlete Oliver Swinney is continuing his rapid improvement in the short sprints. Swinney narrowly missed the CBP when breaking the seven second barrier in the U17 60m event in 6.99, a time that ranks him 6^th in the Power of 10 UK rankings.

Also taking home a number of medals was the multi-eventer Finn O’Neill (City of Derry Spartans) who won gold in the U15 Boys 800m in a time of 2:09.29 and Silver in the U15 Boys High Jump after clearing a PB height of 1.65m.

Spartan teammate, Cara Laverty won 2^nd in the U17 Girls 1500m in 4:50.65 and 2^nd in the U17 Girls 800m in a PB time of 2:15.03. Cranford AC’s Oisin Kelly won 1^st in the U16 Boys 1500m in a time of 4:21.70 and 2^nd in the U16 Boys 800m in a time of 2:07.19.

Erin Friel (Olympian Youth AC) also picked up double medals, when she gained Silver in the U12 Girls 600m in 1:51.58 and a Bronze in the U12 Girls 60m Sprint in 8.80secs. Lucy McGlynn (Tir Chonaill AC) won two Bronze medals in her events, finishing the U16 Girls 60m sprint in a time of 7.95 and the U16 Girls 200m in a time of 26.21.

On the track it was the girls who shone brightest, with a total of 13 girls winning medals and 7 boys:

Track

Renee Crotty (Annalee AC)                         1^st U15 Girls U15 800m- 2:19.99

Murphy Miller (North Down AC)               1^st U18 Girls 800m- 2:14.10 PB

Niamh Moohan (Tir Chonaill AC)               1^st U16 Girls 60m Hurdles- 8.92

Veronica O’Neill (City of Derry Spartans)  2^nd U14 Girls 60m Hurdles- 9.37 PB

Holly Mulholland (City of Lisburn AC)       2^nd U18 Girls 60m Hurdles- 8.92 PB & Heat time of 8.87 PB

Daniella Jansen (Finn Valley AC)                 2^nd U18 Girls 400m- 59.33

Rachel McCann (North Down AC)              2^nd U19 Girls 400m- 56.47 PB

Riona Doherty (Finn Valley AC)                  2^nd U13 Girls 60m Sprint- 8.26

Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn AC)               2^nd U16 Girls 200m- 25.52 PB

Aela Stewart (City of Derry Spartans)      3^rd U18 Girls 800m- 2:18.60

Aine Kerr (Finn Valley AC)                            3^rd U19 Girls Long Jump- 5.23m

Eimear Kelly (City of Derry Spartans)       3^rd U18 Girls 60m Hurdles- 8.96

Mai McCalmont (Tir Chonaill AC)               3^rd U19 Girls 1500m- 4:47.53

Sean McGinley (Olympian Youth AC)          1^st U17 Boys 1500m- 4:07.51 PB

Oliver Swinney (Rising Stars)                        1^st U17 Boys 60m Sprint- 6.99 PB

Ben Campbell (Tir Chonaill AC)                    2^nd U16 Boys 60m Hurdles- 8.46

Odhran Hamilton (Armagh AC)                    2^nd U17 Boys 800m- 1:59.59 PB

Diarmaid O’Donnell (Lifford Strabane)       2^nd U15 Boys 60m Hurdles- 9.17

Gearoid Lynch (Shercock AC)                       2^nd U15 Boys 800m- 2:09.71

Christopher Kearns (Finn Valley Ac)            3^rd U19 Boys 60m Hurdles- 9.62

It was also an exciting couple of days for the field events, which saw 8 girls and 6 boys taking home medals along with a number of PBs:

Field

Kate Fenlon (North Down AC)                    1^st U13 Girls Shot Put- 12.38m PB

Erin Fisher (City of Lisburn AC)                   1^st U19 Girls Pole Vault- 3.30m PB 

Emma McDaid (Olympian Youth AC)        1^st U12 Girls Shot Put- 9.10m PB

Beth Hammond (North Down AC)             2^nd U15 Girls Shot Put- 11.47m PB

Ava Anderson (Tir Chonaill AC)                  2^nd U13 Girls Shot Put- 11.48m

Niamh McCorry (Annalee AC)                     2^nd U17 Girls High Jump- 1.55m

Lauren Callaghan (Finn Valley AC)             2^nd U18 Girls Long Jump- 5.38m

Aoife Giles (Cranford AC)                             2nd U16 Girls Shot Put- 11.59m

Adrienne Gallen (Lifford Strabane AC)     3^rd Girls U16 Shot- 11.48m

Tom Poulter (Ballymena & Antrim AC)     2^nd U17 Boys High Jump- 1.75m

Joshua Knox (City of Lisburn AC)               2^nd U18 Boys High Jump- 1.85m =PB

Daniel Scott (City of Lisburn AC)               2^nd U16 Boys High Jump- 1.83m =PB

Kurt Wright (Rising Stars Coleraine)         3^rd U15 Boys High Jump 1.65m

Kasper Adamski (Tir Chonaill AC)               3^rd U15 Boys Shot- 14.21m

Jack Murphy (Glaslough Harriers)             3^rd U19 Boys Pole Vault- 3.20m

For the full results, please see here. Day 3 of the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships will take place this weekend, 6^th April 2019, which will include the Team Relay Championships.

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