Wonderful season for multi-talented Daniel
DANIEL QUIRK is a multi-talented athlete whose fortes are hurdles and long jump which he uses with effect in combined events championships.
His indoor season started at the Athletics Leinster Championships at the Athlone IT International Stadium in February.
He won the gold medal in the boys U14 60m hurdles final in a time of 9.85 sec. He also became the Leinster Indoor U14 long jump champion with best jump of 4.88m.
At the Athletic Ireland National Juvenile Championships at the end of March at the Athlone IT Arena he had to settle for the bronze medal in the U14 60m hurdles, albeit that he had clocked 9.39 sec, 0.46 sec faster than his winning time at the Leinster Indoor Championships.
However, he was crowned national indoor U14 long jump champion of 19 competitors with a winning jump of 4.90m.
At the beginning of May, under the banner of Temple Carrig School, Greystones, he took double gold medals in the Minor boys 75m hurdles and long jump at the East Leinster Schools Championships at Santry Stadium, qualifying in both events for the Leinster Schools finals.
In the middle of May at Santry Stadium he won the Leinster Schools Minor boys long jump with a best of 5.32m and took the silver medal in the 75m hurdles in a time of 11.86 sec.
At the All-Ireland Schools finals at Tullamore Stadium he was the Minor boys Silver medallist in the long jump with a best jump of 5.34 m. In the 75m hurdles he placed fourth in a hotly contested final.
At the end of May he contested the Athletics Leinster U14 boys pentathlon championship at Shoreline, Greystones, winning the gold medal with 2,812 points (HJ 1.52 m; 75mH 12.23 sec; LJ 5.06 m; Shot Putt 7.84 m; 800 m 2:41.68).
At the Athletics Leinster T&F Championships at Tullamore in mid-June he became double champion in the boys U14 long jump with a best of 5.27m and in the 75m hurdles (Othere were no times due to a technical failure).
At the National Juvenile Combined Events at Morton Stadium, Santry, he won the gold medal in the U14 boys pentathlon with 2,936 pts (HJ 1.48 m; 75mH 11.83 sec; LJ 5.23m; Shot Putt 8.76 m; 800m 2:40.29).
At the National Juvenile T&F Championships at Tullmore in July he collected the silver medal in the U14 long jump with a best of 5.54m, just 2cm short of the gold medal winner. Least said, he had a completely off-day in the 75m hurdles, which in athletics is part of the learning experience.
His athletic year culminated with the bronze medal in the Leinster Schools Minor boys indoors pentathlon at the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown, with 2,257 points (LJ 5.18 m; 60mH 9.48 sec; 200 m 26.37 sec; Shot Putt 8.97 m; 800 m 2:33.91). Only four points separated the silver and bronze medallists.