ATHLETICS REPORT – for week ending 7th July 2019

This week’s highlights: NATIONAL JUNIOR GOLD FOR JACK RAFTERY and LOUIS O’LOUGHLIN in the 400m and 800m – and an excellent bronze medal for Aoife Lynch in the Irish Under 23 Women’s 200m.

NATIONAL JUNIOR & UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS at TULLAMORE (06.07.2019)

There was high drama at the Irish Junior and Under 23 track and field championships at Tullamore on Saturday (06.07.2019). As if in a high stakes poker game the Donore Harriers duo of Jack Raftery and Louis O’Loughlin each played their winning hand at the final showdown.

In the 400 metres junior men’s final Raftery was languished back in 7th place at the 200m mark. His chances of a medal seemed remote. Round the top bend the affable Donore Harriers athlete drove forward in pursuit of the leaders. Entering the home strait ’Big Jack’ played his ace and used his superior strength to put himself back in contention. He sliced his way through the field and hit the front with just 5 metres remaining. A final forward lunge to the line secured the gold medal and a new personal best time of 48.40. David Ryan (48.45) of Moycarkey Coolcroo AC was 2nd and Adam Hughes (48.79) of City of Lisburn AC was 3rd . Raftery qualified for the final by finishing 2nd in Heat 1 in a time of 49.75.

O’Loughlin (1.54.00) had earlier won the most dramatic race of the day, when he edged out Mark Milner (1.54.01) of Tullamore Harriers and Daragh McIlhenny (1.54.02) of Bantry AC in a tense, tactical race. The 3 pre-race favourites had broke clear of their pursuers at 300 metres and reached the bell in a moderate 60 seconds. The race did not reach high-tension until the 600 metres mark when Milner made his move gaining 3 metres on O’Loughlin and McIlhenny as they rounded the top bend. McIlhenny, who recently set new Irish junior records for the 5,000m and the 3,000m, began chasing down Milner in the sprint to the line in what seemed like an ultimate duel between the two. O’Loughlin was two strides back and looked out of contention. But Louis wanted to be the King and holding the inside line he sprinted to a remarkable win, with just two-hundredths of a second separating the three athletes.

Donore Harriers other medal on the day was a bronze to Aoife Lynch (24.37) in the final of the Under 23 Women’s 200m. Newport AC athlete Sharlene Mawdsley (23.74) came 1st with Sophie Becker (24.05) of St. Joseph’s AC the runner-up. Donore’s Sarah Lahiff (27.83) came 5th.

Aoife Lynch has been selected to represent the Ireland 4 x 100m team in the European Under 23 championships at Gavle in Sweden between the 11th and 14th of July, with Jack Raftery (4 x 400m team) and Louis O’Loughlin (800m) selected on the Irish team going to the European Under 20 championships at Borsa in Sweden (18th to 21stJuly).

U.23 athlete Eva McPartlan came 4th in the 100m Hurdles final in a time of 16.52 and 5th in the second Heat of the Women’s 100m in a time of 13.47, thus failing to reach the final. McPartlan, a former St. Coca’s AC athlete, continues to make steady progress after a long lay-off due to injury.

Ailbhe Healy (2.85m) is another athlete trying to regain form after injury. With only limited preparation Healy came 4th in the final of the U.23 Women’s Pole Vault, losing out on the bronze medal on count-back.

Sprint star Paul McDermott had a busy day, qualifying from the heats to finals in the Under 23 Men’s 100m and 200m. McDermott (11.02 & 22.18) came 5th in both finals.

NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 at TULLAMORE (07.07.2019)
Day 1 of the National Juvenile Track & Field Championships for 2019, also at Tullamore, on Sunday (07.07.2019) saw Louis O’Loughlin win the club’s only medal. In the Under 19 Boys 800m final the outstanding O’Loughlin front ran the race from gun to tape winning in a new championship best time of 1.52.58. Jake Bagge (1.56.22) of Ferrybank AC was 2nd with Conor Matthews (2.01.34) of Dunleer AC in 3rd.

First season athlete Rory O’Farrell (10.21) showed plenty of potential when placing 4th in the final of the Under 13 Boys 60m Hurdles. He quailed to the final by placing 3rd in the first heat in a time of 10.19.

Ruby Kelly (8.38.15) ran a very creditable 5th in the final of the Under 17 Girls 2,000m steeplechase – an event that she only recently adopted. Gavin Curtin (10.38.17) also came 5th in the Under 18 Boys 3,000m steeplechase – and although disappointed not to make the podium his yearly progression in the event suggests that national medals will come. He has already improved his time by more than half-a-minute since last year.

Abdel Laadjel (2.03.08) could not stay with the pace of the lead group on the 2nd lap and faded to 6th place in the final of the Under 17 Boys 800m. He progressed to the final by coming 2nd in the first qualifying heat in a time of 2.03.37.

NORTHERN IRELAND & ULSTER TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS at BELFAST (30.06.2019)

Master athlete Orlaith Read (25.88m) won a gold medal in the Northern Ireland & Ulster Masters Championships at Belfast last weekend in the 4kg Hammer competition.

ROSCOMMON 10 MILE ROAD RACE (06.07.2019)
In the Roscommon 10-mile road race Chris Muldoon M40 placed 38th from 557 finishers in a time of 1.04.02; with Grace Kennedy-Clarke (1.05.52) the 6th woman home when placing 54th overall.

ALANNA RUSSELL MEMORIAL RUN at NAVAN (07.07.2019)
Elsewhere, Brian Gaffney (26.17) placed 174th of 470 finishers in the second running of the Alanna Russell Memorial Race at Navan on Sunday.

PARKRUNS
Sam Allen (16.19) was first home in the Naas Parkrun (06.07.2019) and 13 years-old Katie Delaney (23.52) 4th overall and 1st woman in the Waterstown Parkrun.

RESULTS IN BRIEF:

IRELAND JUNIOR AND UNDER 23 TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 at TULLAMORE
(06.07.2019)
Junior Men’s 400m Final: 1st Jack Raftery (48.40 PB) qualified 2nd from Heat 1 in 49.75
Junior Men’s 800m Final: 1st Louis O’Loughlin (1.54.00)
U.23 Women’s 200m Final: 3rd Aoife Lynch (24.37), 5th Sarah Lahiff (27.83)
U.23 Women’s 100m Heat 2: 5th Eva McPartlan (13.47)
U.23 Women’s 400mH Final: 4th Eva McPartlan (16.52)
U.23 Men’s 100m Final: 5th Paul McDermott (11.02) qualified 2nd from Heat 2 in 11.06
U.23 Men’s 200m Final: 5th Paul McDermott (22.18) qualified 3rd from Heat 2 in 22.12
U.23 Women’s Pole Vault Final: 4th Ailbhe Healy (2.85m SB)

IRISH JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 at TULLAMORE (07.07.2019)
U.19 Boys 800m Final: 1st Louis O’Loughlin (1.52.58 championship record)
U.13 Boys 60m H Final: 4th Rory O’Farrell (10.21) qualified 3rd from Heat 1 in 10.19
U.17 Girls 2,000m Steeplechase Final: 5th Ruby Kelly (8.38.15)
U.17 Boys 800m Final: 6th Abdel Laadjel (2.03.08) qualified 2nd from Heat 1 in 2.03.37
U.18 Boys 3,000m Steeplechase Final: 5th Gavin Curtin (10.38.17)

ROSCOMMON 10 MILE ROAD RACE (06.07.2019)
38th Chris Muldoon M40 (1.04.02)
54th & 6th woman Grace Kennedy-Clarke (1.05.52)
557 finishers

ALANNA RUSSELL MEMORIAL RUN at NAVAN (07.07.2019)
174th & 33rd MS: Brian Gaffney (26.17)
470 finishers

NORTHERN IRELAND & ULSTER MASTER CHAMPIONSHIPS at BELFAST (30.06.2019)
Women’s W45 4kg Hammer: 1st Orlaith Read (25.88m)

GUEST RACES held with NATIONAL LEAGUE Q. MATCH at SANTRY (30.06.2017)
Men’s 400m: Adam Halpin (55.79)
Men’s Javelin: Jaco Oosthuysen (51.59m)
Men’s 200m: Farrell Ebisin (26.02 debut)

PARKRUNS
Waterstown: 4th & 1stWoman: Katie Delaney U.14 (23.52)
Naas: 1st Sam Allen (16.19)
Porterstown: 10th Tom Fagan M50 (22.34)
Brickfields: 56th Ray Holmes M60 (35.13)
Corkagh: 137th Nicola Dowdall W45 (50.25)