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16th
June 2011
Weather The Winner As Declan Reid Claims NI/Ulster 5000m Title
The weather argueably was the real winner
over the weekend as athletes both home and abroad found the
unseasonal conditions just as difficult as their opposition.
Jason Smyth,s Diamond League debut in New York was a far cry
from the balmy conditions he experienced in the Bahamas last
month when setting his new Ni 100m record of 10.22s, a strong
New York headwind on Saturday afternoon saw the Eglinton man
labour to a 10.60s clocking in a race won in 10.50s!Very disappointing
indeed for the Spartan and indeed all the sprinters in New
York but he now flys to Turkey for this weekends European
League meeting where hopefully as part of the Irish team,he
can enjoy more sprint friendly conditions.
The weather was no less difficult back home in both Antrim
on Saturday and Sligo on Sunday when local athletes saw action
in the NI/Ulster track and field championships at the Northern
venue and then in the National League in Sligo on Sunday.
Antrim produced three Senior championship medals for local
athletes, the highlight perhaps Declan Reeds terrific mens
5000m individual gold with a impressive and intelligent PB
run for his first ever senior Provincial track title.
The vastly improved Spartan defied the tough conditions and
a quality field to come through strongly to overhaul early
pacemaker and race favourite Paul Pollock and go on for a
well deserved 15m 00.84s victory.Pollock ran 15m 02.58s for
silver and the in form Patrick Brennan of Letterkenny took
bronze on 15m 02.79s. Aaron Doherty also had an excellent
run for sixth spot with 15m 12.96s and the City of Derry club
track captain then travelled to wet and windySligo on Sunday
to wear the red vest again for an invaluable 5000m second
place and crucial points in the first round of the National
League.
Connor Bradley and Pajo Hamilton were the Spartans track silver
medallists in Antrim, the former surprisingly run out of the
1500m gold medal in a photo finish with Dan Mooney of Letterkenny
AC. The red vest started as favourite for the metric mile
title following his 3m 47s effort in Tullamore a ek earlier
but an inspired Mooney denied him in a thrilling finish,clocking
3m 51.72s to the Spartans 3m 51.95s with the bronze medallist
some eight seconds back.
Pajo Hamilton qualified comfortably for the 800m final after
a morning heat clocking of 1m 58s and improved to a seasons
best of 1m 56.22s in the afternoon to claim an unexpected
silver behind winner and favourite Niall Robinson of North
Down who posted 1m 54.12s to claim gold. Like Aaron Doherty
he too travelled west the following day and in horrible conditions
battled to a 800m third place for the Spartans in the National
League Premier Division match on the Sligo track.
Javelin thrower Caitlin Ketelar returned to competition and
her 28m 72cm effort on Saturday gave her a very welcome silver
medal and should spur her to significant improvement as the
esason unfolds. At under age level there were also a clutch
of championship medals led by the busy Mark McGarvey who claimed
U18 gold in the 100m,110Hurdles and Long Jump. Emma Gee won
U19 100 Hurdles gold, AnnA Barr and Jamie Herron both won
their respective U18 and U20 Triple Jump age group gold while
Olympians John Coyle took double silver in the U20 !00m and
Long Jump.
National League
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A wet and windy Sligo greeted the Olympian and City of Derry
squads on Sunday as the 2011 National Track and Field League
swung into action. Unrelenting rain and strong winds were
the order of the day as the clubs battled for six hours across
the whole range of track and field events in the first round
match.
At the end of the day the Spartans womens squad has amassed
a creditible 98 points tally in Division 1,second behind leaders
Raheny and fourth overall when the results from the Castleisland,Kerrymatch
came to hand. With Olympian, the female Spartans were involved
in a very competitive contest and a series of spirited contributions
from a youthful team saw them edge out --by a single point--rivals
Clonliffe and Sligo for second spot,ten points behind pace
setters Raheny. Olympian battled hard for their 43points on
the day and will now find it hard to jockey for a place in
the League Final in August.
The combined Sligo and Castleisland womens Division! results
suggest a tough battle for the top eight qualifying spots.
There are only eight points seperating fourth placed City
of Derry with 98 from the 90 of Limerick County in eight place,
so the second round performances will be crucial as the red
vests seek to make their second successive League final.The
Spartans are hoping the injured Mary Devlin will be available
for the Sunday July 17th trip to either Dublin or Athlone
and a competion free Saturday on the 16th should also be of
major benefit then.
The Olympian Mens squad did well in their Division 1 match,fifth
on the day and overall in eight spot on 93points,the same
as Sligo,two off Duneer and Galway County. Clare Athletics,
Sligo winners Tallaght , Riocht AC and Tipperary Athletics
head the standings all with 100 plus points and the Olympians
will have to work hard to hold on to the qualifying spot for
the final with West Waterford and Kildare not far behind.
It was a bad day however for a seriously understrength City
of Derry mens squad in the ultra competitive Premier division
as they finished with a paltry 66.5 points leaving them well
off the pace for a qualifying position. Missing all ther big
guns and hampered by participation in Antrim the previous
day the red vests battled manfully but remain last of the
fourteen teams chasing a place in the August finals. A far
cry from last seasons team bronze Final medals behind Clonliffe
and DSD and the real test now is to avoid relegation and for
that a significantly stronger squad will be required for the
vital second round match next month.They will at the very
least have to overtake Crusaders 68 points and Meath Athletics
on 70 points to avoid the dreaded drop.
Buncrana 10K
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Almost 170 runners turned out for Saturday nights annual Buncrana
10K and in good conditions victory went to the Spartans Emmet
McGinty who ran 33m 05s who got home ahead of clubmate Brendan
Murphy on 33m 14s with another red vest the improving James
Brown third with 34m 12s. Paul McCafferty took the M40 award
with 35m 05s in fourth; 247 Tris Gavin Crawford was close
behind in 35m 08s and Noel Logan completed the top six with
35m 31s.
Helena Crossan won the womens race with 37m 59s ahead of the
40m 33s of Grainne Neary and Teresa Doherty on 42m 12s. Karen
Cutliffe and Paula mcGilloway took the F40 and F45 prizes;
Peter Lilburn and Christy McMonagle were the top M55 and M60
finishers and Eoghan Furey regained his first Buncrana male
finisher title with a 36m 30s clocking in eight place overall.
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