by Perri Williams
Six national records tumbled on day two of the National Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore yesterday. On a weekend when so much athletic activity was taking place, the stadium was packed with athletic enthusiasts with high numbers across most events. Audiences were treated to a programme of race-walking, 100m, 400m and 3000m races along with plenty of field event action to keep them focused between races.
One of the most exciting races of the day was the boys u16 3000m. Luke Merrigan (Leevale) took the lead with 300m to go and surged a few meters ahead. He was quickly followed by Charlie O’Neill (Donore) who rapidly chased Merrigan down. Coming off the final bend it was Charlie O’Neill who took the lead going down the home straight. Merrigan challenged again with O’Neill grimacing hard and finding a new gear. It was O’Neill who crossed the line first, with a new National record of 9.00.08. Equally impressive was the girls u16 3000m. An early breakaway by Emma Haugh (Fergus) and Ciara Rohan (Waterford) with Lucy Clinton (Waterford) behind them, left the rest of the field to have their own race. Clinton was first to drop as Rohan pushed the pace harder. She paid for her early pace, fading in the final 1km as Haugh pulled further and further ahead. Behind Rohan a challenge was mounting as Rachael Keaney (Newbridge) and Sophie Maher (Ennis) made inroads into the 50m gap and passed Rohan in the final 150m. It was Maher who took silver with Keaney bronze. Haugh for her part missed the Championship record by just one second.
Three of the six records were set in the sprinting events. None was more spectacular than the boys u19 where the record was broken three times. In the heats Donal Martin (Blackrock) ran 10.62 with Jamie Moffat (North Down) following in 10.74 – both surpassing the previous record. Martin strained his hamstring in the process and had to sit out the final. This left Moffat the chance to take gold. Running 10.70 he not only won gold but also broke the record one more time. Lemar Lucciano (West Coast AC) equaled the record in the heats and went on to win the final in the boys u18 100m. In the boys u17 Sean O’Donnell (Tallaght) smashed the existing record eight-year-old record in the heats. O’Donnell went on to repeat the performance in the final with his clubmate Duban Amaha and third placed Phillip Offorjama joining in the record-breaking performance.
The girls u15 Triple Jump saw the national record being broken twice within 5 minutes. First Nicole Flanagan (Sligo) jumped 11.18 and was immediately followed by Milana Sharhayeu (Ratoath) who repeated the feat. In the same age group Lelia Cummins (Bandon) broke Jade Williams nine-year-old record.
Sean Doggett is at this stage a household name for his 400m record breaking exploits. The Athenry athlete led the 400m race from start to finish, crossing the line in 48.57, less than half a second off Mark English’s thirteen-year-old record. Alex Cullen (KCH) had a good race in second, knocking almost one and half seconds off his personal best. The girls u19 saw a Monaghan one-two with Amy Jo Kierans (Oriel) managing to hold off a challenge from Monaghan Phoenix’s Daisy Walker.
Tuam AC had a clean sweep in the girls u14 walk as Cuisle O’Callaghan led the trio across the line. This marks the first time since 1895 (when records began) that any club has achieved a clean sweep in any event at national level. Danielle Moynihan (Tuam) took her first ever national title when she won the girls u18 400m.
Barry Langan (Lake District) was so close to taking his clubmate Conor Cusack’s six-year-old javelin record. Langan threw 53.37 in the third round a tantalising two centimetres short of the Cusack’s distance of 53.35m.
There were some generational presentations during the afternoon. In the girls u16 3000m Ray Flynn who has held the Irish one-mile record for the past forty-two years presented a bronze medal to his niece Rachael Keaney (Newbridge). Shortly after, Mary Purcell who finished 6th in the World Cross Country in Limerick in 1979, presented her grandson Cai Lewis (Crusaders) with his silver medal in the boys u17 3000m.
The juvenile championships conclude next weekend.