Adams powers on to lift second Irish Indoor title

doors medallist Mark English took his 13th Irish title with a comfortable victory in the 800m with 1.49.09.

There was an interesting battle in the men’s long jump, which was won by Clonliffe’s Keith Marks with 7.33m.

It was a tight fight for silver between Commonwealth Games athlete Adam McMullen of Crusaders and Lisburn AC’s Ben Fisher. British Universities runner-up Fisher eventually took second with 7.17m.

Eleven-time national champion McMullen, who is returning from serious injury, secured bronze with 7.12m ahead of University of Ulster’s Alan Kennedy, who was fourth with 6.83m.

In a low-key women’s high jump, World Junior silver medallist Sommer Lecky of Finn Valley had to share the winner’s rostrum with arch-rival Pippa Rogan of Sli Cualann.

Both women cleared 1.75m, which was some way short of Lecky’s winning jump of 1.86m a year ago.

City of Lisburn’s Ellen McCartney was surprisingly beaten in the pole vault.

The South of England Under-20 champion had to resign herself to silver after posting 3.85m, with Clonliffe’s Ariel Lieghio taking the honours with 3.95m.

Lisburn AC’s Mark Burton also took silver in the triple jump with 14.77m, just 2cm short of Anthony Daffurn’s winning jump.

Lisburn AC’s Jai Benson was fourth with 14.60m.

Brendan Boyce, who took sixth place in the World Championship, clinched silver in the 5k walk.

The Finn Valley athlete was timed at 20.07.52, some 55 seconds behind Farranfore’s David Kenny.