[Not a valid template]Though one of only two clubs that reached AAI National League Final at both Men and Women Premier Division level, North Down had little to shout at the Final in Tullamore on Saturday. For a competion where the already high standard is increasing, the club had far too many athletes who were busted including some who competed on the day. Even without a specialist javelin thrower available, the club standard is good however and Pete Glass won the event with a 53.36m throw as well as getting a pb in the weight for distance. Ben Reynolds and Mark Patterson could well have broken club records but the photo finish malfunctioned at both 110m hurdles and 400m with Ben second at hurdles in 14.4 hand timed and Mark with an iffy-looking 4th in 50.0 dead at 400m. Kathy Hetherington was 3rd at discus. Everybody tried and nobody shirked an event, familiar or not. Neither result was on the radar but team spirit was probably best typified by Stephanie Hambling who blitzed her club veterans 3000m record with 11:02.14 min and Jordan Stokes whose introduction to steeplechase came in the 3000m senior event, two months after an appendix removal. Defending Champions Clonliffe Harriers (men) and Tirchonaill (women) had the firepower to retain their titles and return to Europe.
Event pictures can be found on the RacePix365 site.