HIGHLIGHTS: Lara O’Byrne silver in National Senior Heptathlon; Jack Raftery gold in AAI Games 400m with a PB and qualification to the European Under 23 championships. Silver medals for Louis O’Loughlin (800m) and Oran O’Brien (Shot Putt). Aoife Lynch PB & European U23 B standard in Austria; John Travers 5th in BMC Grand Prix Watford 1,500m; 4 gold, a silver, and 2 bronzes in the opening weekend of the Dublin Juvenile T&F Championships. Sorcha Loughnane wins again, this time in the Dublin Mountain 5km Championship. Excellent PB for Gavin Curtin in Belfast steeplechase.
REPORT: Aoife Lynch can add Eisenstadt, the small State capital of the Burgenland province in eastern Austria, to her list of favourites places to visit. She made the trip there to compete in the RAIFFEISEN AUSTRIAN OPEN on Wednesday last (09.06.2021) and ran a personal best of 11.63 in the 3rd race of the women’s 100m to place 2nd behind Magdalena Lindner – who set a new Austrian Under 23 record time of 11.33. Lynch ranked 4th overall of 20 competitors from 7 different countries in the 100m series. This was a significant achievement by Lynch, as she knocked .28 of a second off her previous best time, to jump to 5th in the Irish rankings for 2021. Her new PB time is a B standard in the selection process for the upcoming European Under 23 championships.
In the 200m Lynch ran another fine race to record a time of 23.96, but the wind gauge reading of 2.9 metres per second meant that she could not claim a second PB on the day. She came 3rd behind two Lithuanians and ranked 5th of 11 in the 2-race series.
The first DUBLIN ATHLETICS BOARD OPEN GRADED MEETING of the summer was held at the Tallaght Track on Wednesday evening (09.06.2021) and saw several relatively new club participants toe the start line. Eva McPartlan (13.12) won the women’s 100m ‘B’ race ahead of Dara Carr of Lambay Sports & Athletics. First season athlete Margaret O’Brien (5.41.30), competing on the track for the first time, won the women’s 1,500m ‘D’ race in a close finish with Tanja Narancic (5.41.90) of Crusaders AC. Master athlete Treasa Boylan (5.50.90) placed 5th.
In the men’s 1,500m ‘A’ race Kane Collins (4.16.20), running in club colours for only the 2nd time, came 9th. The race was won by Mitchell Byrne (3.56.8) of Rathfarnham AC. In the ‘C’ race club stalwart Donal Iremonger (4.35.28) came 5th, with debutant Evan Hurley-O’Dwyer next in 4.36.31.
On DAY 1 of the DUBLIN JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS at Tallaght on Friday evening (11.06.2021) there was double gold glory for Donore Harriers athletes in the 1,500m. Emily Bolton (4.53) romped to victory in the Under 14 Girls, and Liam Morris (4.39) won a close contest to emerge the winner in the U14 Boys. There was a fine run by new boy Jack Reilly (4.49), who was just outside the medals in the U14 Boys 1.500m. Liam Blair (5.14) and Rian Kavanagh (5.32) gaining PBs in the same category.
Lorraine O’Connor took a fall at the start of her Under 15 Girls 1,500m race, but bravely recovered to win a silver medal in 4.53. Eva Crowe (5.04) came 6th, with Julie Cleary (5.15) Eleanor Hopkins (5.39) setting personal bests.
Alex Leonard took bronze in the final of the Under 15 Boys 100m, with Ciaran O’Farrell placing 7th. The other Donore Harriers contestants were James Dunne and Paddy Nolan.
The Omozee brothers took home a gold medal each on Day 2 of the DUBLIN JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS on Sunday (13.06.2021) at Tallaght. Mario Omozee took the honours in the Under 14 Boys 100m sprint, with older brother Romeo winning the Under 16 Boys High Jump. Newcomer Zion Osawe impressed with 3rd place and a bronze medal in the Under 13 Girls 80m sprint. Melody Omozee (U13), and debutantes Lily Clarke (U13) and Aoife Jackson (U14) contested the heats and will benefit from the experience.
In the Under 16 Girls 1,500m Laura Nunan (5.31) got a season’s best time and Katie Delaney (5.54) a PB, but both were outside the medals. In the Under 16 Boys 1,500m Thomas Bolton (4.45) and Dylan McKenna (4.46) came 9th and 10th respectively.
Multi-Eventer Lara O’Byrne came away happy with her performances in the NATIONAL COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS at Santry on the weekend (12&13.06.2021). She began Day 1 of the senior women’s heptathlon with an excellent personal best in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 14.60. She then high jumped 1.61m, before getting her second PB of the day in the Shot Putt with a best throw of 10.09m. Lara then ran yet another personal best time with a 26.11 sprint in the 200m to close out the day in 2nd place overall.
On Day 2, she long jumped 5.16m, threw the javelin 25.50m, and then produced another PB in the 800m with a superb 2.23.96 effort. O’Byrne amassed a personal record total of 4731 points, to finish 2nd behind the more experienced Elizabeth Morland (5178pts) of Cushinstown AC, and well ahead of 3rd placed Louise King (3738) of St. Colman’s South Mayo AC. The Trinity College student, who is now coached by Gerry Ronan, was pleased to get through the competition without a recurrence of an injury had has hampered her training in recent months.
In the ATHLETICS IRELAND GAMES (DAY 1) at Santry (12.06.2021) Louis O’Loughlin was hoping to achieve the 800m standard (1.49.00) for the European Under 23 championships. With the some of the stronger entrants opting to compete at the BMC Grand Prix Meet at Watford, the race came down to a duel between Cillian Kirwan of Raheny Shamrocks AC and the Donore Harriers man. O’Loughlin took the pace for the first 200m, before Kirwan edged in front. The two leaders passed the 400m mark in 54 seconds, with the Raheny athlete (1.48.83) holding off a late challenge from O’Loughlin (1.49.04). O’Loughlin, therefore, was just 4-hundredths of a second outside gaining the second B standard.
The other competing Donore athletes on Day 1 were: – Kane Collins, who came 9th in the 3,000m B race in a PB of 8.49.83; master athlete Barbara Cleary 8th in the women’s 3,000m A race in 9.50.05; and Claudia Sofia Andre (25.30) who came 2nd in the women’s 200m C race.
There was one field competitor, with Oran O’Brien throwing a 4th round best of 12.37m to place 2nd in the Men’s Shot Putt.
Jack Raftery was the club’s star athlete in DAY 2 of the ATHLETICS IRELAND GAMES at Santry (13.06.2021). He romped to victory in the men’s 400m A race in a new personal best time of 47.02, thus gaining the 2nd B standard that qualifies him to compete in the European Under 23 championships.
Zak Higgins (50.15) showed good early season form to place 2nd in the 400m B race, whilst Alex Clarkin (57.18) and Daragh McAuley (1.00.74) had fine performances to finish 1st and 4th in the 400m Hurdles B race.
In the women’s 100m sprint races Claudia Sofia Andre (12.52 & 12.35) and Eva McPartlan (12.83 & 12.58) placed 3rd and 4th respectively in both series 1 and 2. Caoimhe Mackey also made a welcome return to competition by winning the women’s 400m hurdles B race in 1.04.55.
John Travers came 5th in the Men’s 1,500m A race in the BRITISH MILERS CLUB GRAND PRIX at Watford on Saturday (12.06.2021). Travers made a brave move to the front with a little less than a lap to run, but he was unable to hold form in the home strait and fell back in the sprint to the line. Hoping to run 3.37/3.38 or faster the Donore Harriers star admitted: “I didn’t go out hard enough, so was way too far back at 200. I left myself with too much to do and found myself out in lane 2 for a lot of the race. I actually felt great when I put the hammer down, but my legs went to jelly with 60 to 70 metres to go. It was not my worst run, but I’m disappointed that I didn’t execute it better”.
Sorcha Loughnane was back to winning ways following her recent 50km success in the Ulster 50km championships. This time she took the winners prize in the DUBLIN MOUNTAIN R.C. 5km CHAMPIONSHIP (12.06.2021) at the Hellfire Club’s venue at Montpelier Hill. Sorcha recorded a very fine time of 22.44 for a tough course over hilly terrain.
An ever-improving Gavin Curtin took around 20 seconds of his previous best time for the 3km steeplechase in the ARMAGH A.C. STEEPLECHASE & HURDLES MEET at Belfast (13.06.2021). Curtin contested for the lead early on, before placing 3rd in 9.56.
Next weekend sees the National Junior & Under 23 championships take place at Santry. There will be strong Donore Harriers interest as Aoife Lynch and Louis O’Loughlin close in on European Under 23 standards.
RESULTS IN BRIEF:
RAIFFEISEN AUSTRIAN OPEN at Eisenstadt, Austria (09.06.2021)
Women’s 100m Race 3: 2nd Aoife Lynch (11.63 PB) rank 4/20
Women’s 200m Race 1: 3rd Aoife Lynch (23.96 wind reading 2.9) rank 5/11
DUBLIN OPEN GRADED SERIES NO. 1 at Tallaght Track (09.06.2021)
Women’s 100m B Race: 1st Eva McPartlan (13.12)
Women’s 1,500m D Race: 1st Margaret O’Brien (5.41.30); 5th Treasa Boylan (5.59.90)
Men’s 1,500m A Race: 9th Kane Collins (4.16.20)
Men’s 1,500m C Race: 5th Donal Iremonger M50 (4.35.28); 6th Evan Hurley-O’Dwyer (4.36.31)
DUBLIN JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 at Tallaght Track (11.06.2021)
U14 Girls 1,500m: 1st Emily Bolton (4.53), also Ellie O’Connell & Claire O’Hanlon
U15 Girls 1,500m: 2nd Lorraine O’Connor (4.53), 6th Eva Crowe (5.04), also Julie Cleary (5.15 PB) & Eleanor Hopkins (5.39 PB)
U14 Boys 1,500m: 1st Liam Morris (4.39 PB), also Jack Reilly (4.49 PB), Liam Blair (5.14 PB) & Rian Kavanagh (5.32 PB)
U15 Boys 100m: 3rd Alex Leonard, 7th Ciaran O’Farrell, also Paddy Nolan and James Dunne
BRITISH MILERS CLUB GRAND PRIX at Watford (12.06.2021)
Men’s 1,500m A race: 5th John Travers (3.40.50)
AAI GAMES DAY ONE at Morton Stadium, Santry (12.06.2021)
Men’s 800m A race: 2nd Louis O’Loughlin U23 (1.49.04)
Men’s 3,000m B race: 9th Kane Collins (8.49.83 PB)
Women’s 3,000m A race: 8th Barbara Cleary W45 (9.50.05)
Women’s 200m C race: 2nd Claudia Sofia Andre (25.30)
Men’s Shot Putt: 2nd Oran O’Brien (12.37m)
NATIONAL COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS at Morton Stadium, Santry (12+13.06.2021)
Senior Women’s Heptathlon: Lara O’Byrne – DAY ONE – 2nd in 100mH (14.60 PB = 895pts), 2nd in High Jump (1.61m = 747), 2nd in Shot Putt (10.09m PB = 535), 2nd in 200m (26.11 PB = 969); DAY TWO – 2nd Long Jump (5.16m = 603), Javelin (25.50 = 392), 1st 800m (2.23.96 PB = 771)
Result: 1st Elizabeth Morland (Cushinstown AC) 5178pts, 2nd Lara O’Byrne (Donore Harriers) 4731pts PB, 3rd Louise King (St. Colman’s Mayo) 3738pts.
AAI GAMES DAY TWO at Morton Stadium, Santry (12.06.2021)
Men’s 400m A race: 1st Jack Raftery U23 (47.02 PB)
Men’s 400m B race: 2nd Zak Higgins U23 (50.15)
Men’s 400mH B race: 1st Alex Clarkin (57.18), 4th Daragh McAuley (1.00.74)
Women’s 100m B race Series 1: 3rd Claudia Sofia Andre U23 (12.52), 4th Eva McPartlan U23 (12.83)
Women’s 100m B race Series 2: 3rd Claudia Sofia Andre U23 (12.35), 4th Eva McPartlan U23 (12.58)
Women’s 400mH B Race: 1st Caoimhe Mackey U23 (1.04.55)
DUBLIN JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2 at Tallaght Track (13.06.2021)
U13 Girls 80m Final: 3rd Zion Osawe (debutant, progressed thru heats and semi-final), also Melody Omozee 3rd in her heat and Lily Clarke (debutant) who also contested in the heats.
U14 Girls 100m: Aoife Jackson (debutant, 4th in her heat)
U14 Boys 100m: 1st Mario Omozee
U16 Girls 1,500m: Laura Nunan (5.31 SB); Kate Delaney (5.54 PB)
U16 Boys 1,500m: 9th Thomas Bolton (4.45), then Dylan McKenna (4.46?)
U16 Boys High Jump: 1st Romeo Omozee
DUBLIN MOUNTAIN RUNNING CLUB 5KM CHAMPIONSHIP at Montpelier Hill (12.06.2021)
Women’s Category: 1st Sorcha Loughnane (22.44)
ARMAGH AC STEEPLECHASE & HURDLES MEET at Mary Peters Track, Belfast (13.06.2021)
3,000m SC: 3rd Gavin Curtin JNR (9.56.0 PB)