By Perri Williams
Three Irish individuals and an Irish team of thirty-five athletes competed at the u17 Scottish Championships in Grangemouth at the weekend. The performance of the day was from Thomas Williams (Shercock AC) who won the hammer in a new Scottish Championship record of 67.29m. His throw surpassed the previous eighteen-year-old record of 62.05m by over five meters. During the competition, Williams toppled the record a total of four times, settling on 67.29 with his final throw. This marks the end of a magnificent year for the young Cavan man who not only won the European u18 Championships but now holds five additional championships titles, across Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales; Irish u17 and 20, Welsh u20, English u17 and now the Scottish u17 title. A hammer grand slam in its own right. The current European and World number one has blazed a trail of record-breaking performances all season.
Theo Hanlon representing Suncroft AC won the Shot Putt with yet another putt over 17m. Hanlon threw 17.16 well over a meter ahead of Athletics Ireland team representative Kieran Keane (An Riocht). This was just eight centimeters short of the Scottish National Record, but below his PB of 17.72 which he set in Sweden in June. O’Hanlon was very unfortunate to have missed the European u18 standard by a tantalizing three centimeters.
The Irish team which was chosen from the recent juvenile national championships took home twenty-three medals – twelve of them gold (including the gold from Williams and Hanlon). This was an excellent opportunity for these young athletes, exposing them to a competitive environment outside of Ireland, with anticipated progression for many of them to European Youth and u18 and 20 championships over the next few years.
Jamie Hyland (SLOT) had yet another vault over 4.40m with a first-time clearance. Hyland was very close to clearing 4.52m, all the time edging his abilities in an upward trend. He secured the gold medal by over 35cm from Scot Nathan Mobbs.
Cameron McCrackin (North Down) was a clear winner of the 100m hurdles as was Daniel Conway (DSD) in the 400m hurdles. Jacob Ciomek (Lucan) had a three-way battle for most of the race but moved impressively ahead over the final 200m to win the 1500m steeplechase by six seconds. An excited Ciomek crossed the line for his first international win. As impressive as his win at the national championships last month, Sean O’Donnell (Tallaght) was even more impressive this weekend at the Scottish Championships. O’Donnell won his heat in 11.15, recorded a win of 11.12 in the semi-finals. He went on to win the finals in 10.88. His Tallaght AC team-mate Dubem Amah also took home a gold, recording 22.06 in the 200m.
Lake District AC have produced a plethora of excellent javelin throwers over the past few years. The train of talent continues to impress. Representing the Irish selection was gold medal winner Barry Langan who threw an impressive 56.24m – almost twelve meters ahead of Scotland’s Callum James. In the boys Long Jump Phillip Finnan (Athlone) had a closer contest. Finnan took four jumps before he secured the lead, eventually pushing that lead to 6.64m to take gold in the long jump.
While the boys may have secured more gold medals than the girls, this did not in any way diminish the performances of the girl’s team. Roisin Murray (Bray Runners), younger sister to Irish international Niamh Murray shows all the signs of following her talented sister into the international sphere of competition. Murray won the 300m with an excellent time of 40.26. The other gold came from Emma Brennan (Longford) in the 1500m steeplechase. Brennan had a tough competition on her hands as she battled with Scotland’s Katie Woods and Millie Gairn. From the final water jump Brennan took the jump well and moved into the lead, pushing the pace all the way to the finish. Her time of 5.22 was four seconds ahead of Woods.
RESULTS
Boys:
100m Hurdles 1 Cameron McCrackin (North Down AC) 13.73
400m Hurdles 1 Daniel Conway (DSD AC)
Steeplechase 1 Jacob Ciomek (Lucan Harriers)
100m 1 Sean O’Donnell (Tallaght) (10.88)
200m 1 Dubem Amah (Tallaght) (22.06)
400m 3 Shane McGovern (Galway City Harriers)
800m 5 Michael Moore (Cranford) (2.01)
1500m 5 Harry McKenzie (Enniskillen Running Club) 6 Conor McGuirk (Lusk)
Shot 1 Theo Hanlon (Suncroft) 17.16 2 Kieran Keane (An Riocht) 15.88
Pole Vault 1 Jamie Hyland (SLOT) 4.40
Triple Jump 3 Eoin Malik (St Brendans)
Discus 3 Kieran Keane (An Riocht)
Javelin 1 Barry Langan (Lake District) 56.24
High Jump 7 Stephen Slevin (Finn Valley)
Long Jump 1 Philip Finnan (Athlone IT AC) 6.63
Hammer 1 Thomas Williams (Wrexham) CBP 2 Bobby Gleeson (Templemore AC) 6 Nick Keogh (Fr Murphy’s AC)
Girls:
300m Hurdles 2 Ellis McHugh (Ferrybank)
80m Hurdles 5 Ruby Cummins (Bandon)
Steeplechase 1 Emma Brennan (Longford)
200m 6 Cassie O’Byrne (SLOT) 7 Faye Schriven (Leevale)
300m 1 Roisin Murray (Bray Runners)
800m 6 Anna Diver (Beechmount)
1500m 7 Leia Ryan (MSB)
Javelin 2 Isobel Kearns (Naas) 36.77
High Jump 2 Lauyrn Healy (DSD)
Triple Jump 2 Rhiona Luse (South Sligo)
Hammer 4 Megan Sheehan (Gneeveguilla)
Long Jump 4 Caoimhe Daly (Leevale)
Shot 3 Meabh O’Connell (Blarney/Inniscarra)
Discus 2 Meabh O’Connell (Blarney/Inniscarra)
Pole Vault 2 Meave Corkery (Middleton) and Olive Burger (Leevale)
Hammer 6 Nick Keogh (Fr. Murphy’s)