Last weekend saw many of the province’s top young athletes take part in the Ulster Schools’ Athletics Championships held at the Antrim Forum on Friday 15th & Saturday 16th May. North Down AC athletes were there in force representing their schools and didn’t disappoint, returning home with an impressive medal haul of 14 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze.
In the field events Jonny Moore (Sullivan Upper) secured a bronze medal in the Mini boys long jump with 4.60m while Molly Longstaff (Strathearn) set a new PB of 4.72m, but just missed out on a medal, finishing 4th in the Junior girls long jump. Finn Ritchie (Bangor Grammar) was 8th in the Mini boys high jump with 1.30m & Sam Rutherford (Sullivan Upper) was 5th Mini boys shot with 8.26m. Rebekah Rutherford (Glenlola) comfortably won gold in the Senior girls high jump with 1.63m. In the javelin Michael Gaffney (Campbell College), returning from injury, took silver in the Inter boys javelin with 54.09m while Elleana Hull (Glenlola) also took a silver in the Senior girls javelin with 29.43m & was part of the Glenola team that won the Senior girls 4x100m relay. Shoshannah Hull (Glenlola) finished 5th in the Inter girls javelin with 26.65m.
In the long sprints and hurdles Olivia Cumming (Glenlola) recovered from a disappointing heat to take silver in the Inter girls 300m in 42.98s, while Holly Brannigan (Wellington College) finished a creditable 7th in the same race with a time of 46.25s having literally only just finished the Inter girls 80m hurdles where she won a bronze medal in 13.19s. Peter Speers (Sullivan Upper) finished 5th in the Inter boys 400m hurdles in 68.99s and Chloe Johnston (Strathearn) finished 8th in the Senior girls 400m in 65.80s
Ollie Wakefield (Priory Integrated College), also recovering from injury, was the first of three athletes to win double individual gold. Ollie was a convincing winner in the Inter boys long jump taking gold in 5.87m. Despite false starts and faulty blocks he recovered from a poor start in the Inter boys 100m hurdles to win gold in a time of 15.16s.
It was in the short sprints where NDAC athletes had most success. Aaron Sexton (Bangor Grammar) decimated the opposition in the Junior boys 100m & 200m winning gold in both and setting a new Ulster Schools record in the 200m with times of 11.37s & 23.10s. The Junior boys 4x100m relay provided one of the tightest finishes seen all day with Aaron closing in on the opposition along the home straight and managing to dip at the line to win by 0.02s and claim his third gold medal of the day. Teammate Aaron Blackmore (Bangor Grammar) was equally as impressive competing in the Inter boys sprints, recovering from a slow start in the 100m to take the gold in a time of 11.57s. It was a different story in the 200m, however, where he lead from gun to tape to emphatically claim a second gold in 23.84s. Saskia Greer (Glenlola) finished in the 5th Inter girls 100m in 13.46s & Zac Moraghan (Sullivan Upper) ran 13.38s to come 5th in the Mini boys 100m.
Top female performer of the day went to Sarah Connolly (Glenlola) who had an extremely successful afternoon competing in her last ever Ulster Schools event. Sarah won gold in the Senior girls 100m hurdles in a time of 14.92s, was 2nd in the long jump with 5.43m and anchored the Glenlola Senior 4x100m relay team to victory. As a result of these achievements Sarah was awarded the trophy for the best performance by a senior female athlete.
The qualifiers will go on to compete in the Irish Schools Championships on Saturday 30th June in Tullamore.
Amendments: Sam Rutherford – also anchored the Sullivan Mini boys relay team home to win silver in 53.79.
Elleanna Hull – also picked up bronze in the shot with 8.94m winning the full set of gold, silver and bronze medals on the day.
Rebekah Rutherford – also finished 5th in the long jump with 4.79.
Medalists missed: Faye Nixon – Gold and a new Ulster schools record for Minor girls throwing 9.06m
Laura Potts – Silver in senior girls discus for Sullivan Upper with a new pb of 29.46.
