Jul 3, 2010 [Noel Guiden] – (Updated Jul 4, 2010) After qualifying through the Dublin Juveniles a number of Clonliffe athletes have been in action at the National Juvenile track and field in Tullamore. Noteable performances from Day 1, Saturday the 3rd, include U/18 gold win by Patrick O`Connor in the 100m in a time of 10.96 into -0.3 wind, a new PB. Gold also for Ryan Whelan in the U/17 javelin, continuing his excellent form. Megan Coomber jumped well in the U/15 long jump, making the cut and qualifing for the final where her best jump of the day 4.81m placed her 5th, a pretty good performance in her first Nationals.
Day 2 of the nationals dawned and while the threatened rain held off an extremely strong wind blustered all afternoon around the Tullamore track. Not a day for PBs then, but then again today was all about championship running and that elusive fifty cent sized piece of metal.
At the close of today’s proceedings two precious national medals were on their way home to Santry. The first coming via Graham Mahon’s battling run in the U/19 800m, a race more akin to a boxing match with more chopping and boring than’d be seen in a woodman’s shed. Graham was boxed in, freed, up to third, boxed in again back to fourth, free again back to third, caught on the line and then endured a 45 minute wait while the judges poured over the photo finish before Graham (2.02.35) was declared as the winner of the bronze medal.
A great run also by Ian Guiden in the U/17 3,000 running a very positive race from the gun always tracking the leader and pulling well away from the chasing pack to take an excellent silver medal in 9.25 a mere second away from his PB.
Other good Clonliffe performances today from Elaine Begley, a busy girl to say the least, running in both the U/17 300 hurdles and flat. Elaine qualified for both finals and was a shade off a medal finishing 4th in the hurdles and was fairly well spent by the time the 300 flat final came around finishing a very tired 8th. A good effort also by Ronan Doyle in the U18 400 finishing 5th in his heat at his first national. Andrew Jenkinson was also in that U/19 boxing match, sorry, 800 finishing 5th. A good performance also by young Andrea Lidvo U 13 shot placing 7th.
The Juveniles that a break as Day 3 and 4 are not until the weekend after next.