Continuous rain and very cold winds were the norm at the weekend, particulary at Bedford in the Inter Counties and again the wind was in the athletes” faces in the finishing straight. Jeremy Harper was the highest placed of the North Down athletes with 5th at discus with 45.34m. The others were eliminated at the heats stage with Luke Reynolds 6th at 110m hurdles in 15.26 sec, Tom Patton 4th at 400m hurdles in 56.20 sec and Michael Dyer 5th at 800m in 2:00.06 min. Eva Massey was pre-event favourite at shot but was unfit to travel with gastric flu. Brendan McConville had a prior commitment in Sligo at the AAI Games where he was 2nd at pole vault with 4.50m – a height which would also have been 2nd at Bedford.
The European Champion Clubs Cup took place in Slovakia with North Down unable to attend due to cancellation of the Group C competition which was very frustrating as there were two empty lanes in the Group B event. We are continuing to source an alternative fixture for the team and fund raising continues with an evening at the Tudor Cinema on Wednesday.
In other recent action, Stephanie Hambling was 83rd at the Loughshannagh Horseshoe round of the Hill and Dale series. Results were all over the place in this round but Stephanie was 3rs LV35 and holds her overall position. Jill Dowie was 82nd in 47:35 min at the Banbridge 10K and Hugh Young was 24th in 45:45 min at the Ardglass 6 miles. At Mary Peters in the Walsin Meet 3, Kerrie Craig won U15 high jump with 1.50m, John Carlisle was 2nd at 400m in 53.8 sec and Edward Rogan was 3rd and 5th in hurdles and 400m.