Local success in Leinster Indoor T&F Championship
IT was an early start on Saturday for some of Blackrock AC’s dedicated athletes as they made their way to Athlone Institute of Technology for day one of the Leinster Indoor Championships.
The peerless Aoibhín McMahon got the day off to a golden start for the club when she claimed yet another Leinster title in the Girls U16 shot putt competition with a series of consistent throws that yielded not only the gold medal but a championship best throw of 12.73m to confirm her position at the very top of her sport.
Also flying the club flag in the shot put was U14 athlete Ciara O’Brien, a stylish thrower who always performs at a very high standard. As expected she didn’t let anyone down, producing six solid throws on her way to a com- mendable fifth place overall.
Whilst Aoibhín was setting records, Lauren Reilly and Katie Clarke were taking part in the Girls U13 long jump competition. With no less than fifty-three athletes lining up for the event it was always going to be difficult for the girls to make the top eight however they put up a good show and no doubt will have a lot to offer in upcoming inter-club events.
Hannah Reilly and Sarah Clarke were in action in the Girls U17 Long Jump competition with both girls, by their own admission, producing an inconsistent series of jumps. However, there was one highlight in round three when Hannah produced a personal best 4.75m to earn herself a first individual Leinster medal after many years of competing, a bronze that she can be exceptionally proud off.
Rebecca Baldwin was the first athlete on track for Blackrock in the girls U13 60 metres heats. Staying right in contention from the very start, she progressed through the heats into the final where she was just edged out for a place on the podium. A top-class effort from an athlete more used to longer distance running. It was also great to see Katie Clarke back on the track after missing most of last season and she ran well against stiff competition in her 60m sprint.
It was never going to be easy for Sean Reilly and Ethan Doherty in the Boy U13 equivalent as places in the final were decided on time across four heats rather than position. This was a pity for both lads as their finishing positions, third and fourth respectively, would have traditionally seen them progress to a semi-final at least. Nonetheless both will back to compete another day.
In the older age groups, Kirsten Doherty battled hard in her Girls U16 60m heat, running a very decent time, but just edged out for progression to the next round. The same fate befell Erin McShane who came up just short in her U17 60m semi-final whilst Hannah Reilly did make the U17 60m final after running a new personal best 8.24 seconds in the semis however a slip out of the blocks in the final scuppered her chances of adding to her medal tally.
The Armagh International Road Races are the next test for the club and a large contingent are travelling with high hopes for a successful night.