Ronan set for bright future

Dempsey a super sprinter

RONAN DEMPSEY of Greystones District AC is a sprinter of some renown.

His indoor season of 2019 started at the Leinster Juvenile T&F Championships at the Athlone IT Arena. In the boys U18 60m hurdles he took the silver medal in a time of 10.42 sec.

The U18 400m was run as a time trial with two heats, the medals being decided by combining the times. Ronan placed third in heat 1 in 54.40 sec. He finally placed fourth of the eight competitors, when the winner of heat 2 clocked 53.15 sec.

At the East Leinster Schools T&F Championships competing in the colours of Pres Bray, he qualified for the Leinster Schools Intermediate boys finals in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles.

In the 100m hurdles he placed fourth, tantalisingly denied the bronze medal on the dip on the line by a few 100ths of a second. He clocked 14.25 sec. It was not to be his lucky day in the 400m hurdles either when he placed fourth in 61.49 sec.

However, at the Athletics Leinster Juvenile T&F Championship at Tullamore in the middle of June, his fortunes changed dramatically in taking on the challenge of three track events over the two days.

In the boys U18 200m he won his heat in 23.10 sec. In a competitive final he battled all the way to the finish line to take the silver medal in a time of 23.46 sec.

The boys U18 400m was a straight final. He was once more up against his nemesis in the 200m, Canice Whearty (Oughaval AC), in the sprint for the line in the home straight to decide the first two podium positions, being edged out of the top spot by 0.4 sec, but nonetheless taking the silver medal having given every ounce of effort he could muster. He clocked 52.62 sec.

In the 400m hurdles he added a further silver medal to his weekend’s collection in a time of 60.69 sec.

At the Athletics Ireland National Juvenile T&F Championships in mid-July he qualified from heat 1 of the 400m in fourth place.

Interestingly, the first five in this heat were faster than the winner of the second heat. Ronan was denied automatic qualification by Canice Whearty by 0.002 sec, both being given the same time of 52.57 sec.

In the final Ronan fought bravely all the way to the finish line for fifth place in 53.7 sec (the electronic timing failed).

In the 400m hurdles final he finished in a strong fifth place.