Golden weekend for Waterford athletes once again
Tom Feerick of Finisk Valley A.C., competes in the U23 men's High Jump during day two of the 123.ie National U20 & U23 Track & Field Championships at Tullamore Harriers Athletics Club in Tullamore, Offaly. Photo: Sportsfile/Paul Phelan
The biggest successes came at the 123.ie National Senior, Under-20 and Under-23 Championships in Tullamore, where Waterford athletes claimed two Irish titles.
Former Waterford camogie star Patricia Jackman produced a superb display to win the Senior Women's 10,000 metres title. Jackman crossed the finish line in an excellent 34:14.19, adding a national athletics crown to an already distinguished sporting career. Her victory was one of the standout performances of the championships and further reinforced her reputation as one of Ireland's leading distance runners.
There was further success for Finisk Valley AC through Tom Ferrick, who secured the Under-23 High Jump title with a winning leap of 1.85 metres. Ferrick's consistency throughout the competition proved decisive as he claimed national honours.
Finisk Valley also enjoyed success through Eddie Raicevic, who delivered two podium finishes over the course of the weekend. Raicevic finished second in the Under-23 Hammer Throw before adding a bronze medal in the Under-23 Discus, completing a highly productive championship campaign.
In the Under-20 Women's 400 metres, Ellis McHugh of Ferrybank AC produced one of the performances of the opening day when she won her heat in 56.21 seconds, the fastest time recorded by any athlete in the event. The run represented a significant personal best and marked her as a leading contender for a medal. Unfortunately, a sore knee prevented her from taking her place in the final later in the day.
Away from domestic competition, Callum Hurley of Ferrybank AC continued his excellent run of form with a personal-best performance at Stirling University in Scotland.
Competing in an elite men's 800 metres race, Hurley produced a strong finish to claim victory in 1:48.04, breaking his previous best mark. The performance continues an impressive season for the Ferrybank athlete and demonstrates his progress among Ireland's top middle-distance runners.
With major competitions still to come during the outdoor season, Hurley will take enormous confidence from producing a personal best in elite company.
Road running enthusiasts were out in force on Friday evening when 169 athletes lined out for the Old Head Financial Ballinameela Four-Mile Road Race, the latest event in the popular West Waterford AC Summer Series.
The men's race was won by Jack Casey of KCK AC, who crossed the line in 21:18. West Waterford AC athlete Mikey Coleman took second place in 21:38, while Michael Corbett of St Finbarr's AC filled third position in 21:48.
The women's race saw Michelle Kenny of Leevale AC produce an excellent run to finish first in 23:04. West Waterford AC runners filled the remaining podium places, with Angela Tobin second in 25:48 and Kate Veale third in 25:55.
Category winners included Padraig Cullen (Independent) in the M40 section, Robert Speer (Clonmel AC) in M45, Eugene O'Keeffe (Carrick-on-Suir AC) in M50 and Cathal O'Connell (St Finbarr's AC) in M60, while Daniel Murphy of Waterford AC claimed the junior men's prize.
In the women's categories, Niamh O'Donovan and Natalie Sheehan, both representing West Waterford AC, won the F35 and F40 divisions respectively. Deirdre Ansboro of Youghal AC secured the F45 title, Andrea Gaffney took the F50 honours and Jessica Grigor of West Waterford AC won the junior women's category.
The Summer Series now heads towards its conclusion with the Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds Dungarvan 10K scheduled for Friday, July 17, at 7.30pm.
Attention will then switch to one of the county's most popular races, the Greenway Half Marathon, which takes place on Saturday, August 29, beginning in Kilmacthomas and finishing in Dungarvan.
The focus now turns to the next generation of athletes as Day Four of the 123.ie All-Ireland Juvenile Championships takes place in Tullamore next Sunday.
Competitors from Waterford clubs will be represented across a range of events from Under-12 through to Under-19 level. Track action begins at 10am with the Mixed Relay events, while field competitions also commence at 10am, including the Girls' Under-14 Shot Putt.
The championships provide an important stage for young athletes to compete against the country's best and gain valuable national championship experience.
Waterford athletics will also be strongly represented on the international stage later this month after five local athletes were selected on the Irish team for the Schools International Athletics Board (SIAB) Championships in Belfast on July 18.
The annual competition brings together leading school athletes from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, and Waterford's contribution this year is particularly impressive.
Selected to represent Ireland are Arwen Milligan of St Angela's in the 300 metres, Ciara Rohan of Waterpark College in the 1,500 metres, Lucy Raicevic of St Augustine's College, Abbeyside, and Kate Cullinane of Blackwater Community School in the shot putt, while Declan Vandi of Newtown School has earned selection in the 400 metres.
The Belfast programme gets underway at 10.30am with the girls' hammer throw competition, followed by the boys' hammer at 11.30am and the mixed walk at 12.30pm.
Meanwhile, attention will also be focused on the Munster B Juvenile Championships in Templemore on July 19, where Under-9 to Under-16 athletes from clubs throughout Waterford will be aiming to add to what has already been an excellent season.
With Irish titles, international selections, personal-best performances and strong local competition continuing to emerge, Waterford athletics remains in excellent health as the summer season moves into a crucial and exciting phase.
