David in different class
LAST SATURDAY saw the Juvenile indoor season draw to a close with the third, and final, day of the national Juvenile indoors championships. Once again it was a really good weekend for the county’s athletes.
Menapians’ star sprinter David McDonald rounded off his indoor season in style with a win in the Under-19 200m in a scintillating time of 21.46. This places the Wexford athlete top of the Irish Senior rankings for 2017.
The time is a personal best for David and is also his fourth qualifying time for the European Junior championships which take place this summer in Italy.
David’s team-mate, Ciarán Maher, was also in great form, making the same final and, despite getting the tight lane one, still managed an excellent 23.24, a time just outside his best.
Aoife Cloke-Rochford (Bree) picked up where she left off the previous weekend when she won the silver medal in the 60m. In the 200m (Under-19) she ran well within herself to win her heat.
She really opened up in the final to take another silver medal with a super new personal best of 25.05. Aoife rounded off a wonderful indoor season by winning the Under-19 60m hurdles in a new P.B. of 9.18. Two silvers, one gold and a national title in such a competitive age group is a huge achievement.
There was great excitement when Bree’s Seán Rowley set a championship best performance (C.B.P.) in the Under-13 60m hurdles with a time of 9.48. When he took to the track again for the final he not only cruised to victory but bettered his time again, running 9.43. A national title and two C.B.P’s in one day - nothing wrong with that.
Fellow Bree athlete Dara Casey took silver in the Under-16 60m hurdles. His time of 9.16 was just 0.05 seconds behind the winner. It was also a P.B. Dara is a strong and stylish textbook hurdler with wonderful technique and the temperament of a winner.
Aaron Tierney-Smith (Menapians), who has been in magnificent form over the hurdles this season, brought things to a new level when taking bronze in the Under-18 60m final. His time of 8.27 is a full second faster than his best last year.
Karyn Murphy (Enniscorthy) placed fifth in the Under-17 60m hurdles.
Enniscorthy’s Ross Daly finished in fourth place in the Under-18 200m. In the same event Jack Hayden (Menapians) ran a personal best of 23.42 in the heats but just missed out on qualifying for the final. Mind you, the same Jack won bronze in the 400m the previous weekend so, overall, he can chalk this down as a successful campaign.
Jack, along with the rest of the Menapians sprint crew, can now look forward to two weeks of quality training in Spain over the Easter break with squad coach Shane McCormack as they prepare for the outdoor season.
Gergely Pap (St. Paul’s) placed fifth in the Under-16 4kg shot putt.
Aoife Muldoon (United Striders) placed fifth in the Under-18 triple jump.
On the middle-distance front, Aaron Browne (United Striders) was fifth in the Under-16 800m. Adam O’Connor (United Striders) came sixth in the Under-15 800m.
Conn Mernagh placed seventh in the Under-12 600m. Conor Doyle (Bree), competing in his first All-Ireland ‘A’ championship, did really well to make it into the final of the Under-14 800m. He went on to place seventh in the final in a new P.B. Just one place behind him was Darragh Flannelly (United Striders).