On the hottest day of the year at a windless Antrim Forum, the top junior athletes in Ulster sweltered. At Senior level North Down athlete Kathy Hetherington was 1st at shot and discus with a pb of 9.96m and 32.51m while Gareth Irvine won the youths” discus with a pb of 42.85m. Jordan Stokes was narrowly edged out of first at both 800m and 1500m for silvers in 1:58.96 (pb) and 4:14.61 min. Katie Dickson had two bronzes at long and triple jumps, Karl Lamont and Kerrie Craig had 4th”s at javelin and high jump and Adam McComb impressed on his first time out at 400m.
Intermediate medals came from Cydnie McCullough with a 300m hurdles pb of 48.62 sec and there was a one-two at javelin from Matthew Martin (50.79m) and Matthew Stockton ( 46.55m pb). Though throwing well below her best, Beth Wilson won the discus. There was silver and bronze at 200m from former 800m runner Mark Armstrong and Matthew Hamilton with pb”s of 23.35 and 23.68 sec and Glen Willis had a pb at 800m of 2:04.56 min.
Niall McGrattan was top club junior with bronze at javelin with 37.19m while Rebekah Rutherford who won high jump and Elleana Hull were top minors.The Irish Schools Championships will be held at Tullamore on Saturday 5th June.