[Not a valid template]Conditions at the Northern Ireland and Ulster Senior Championships at Antrim on Saturday were a long way from the glorious ones a week ago at the Age Group Championships.. However though cold, damp and drizzly they were bearable compared to the storms of the previous few days. There were plenty of North Down good performances and successes but little doubt as to whose day it was. In 11.85 seconds Amy Foster took the blue riband 100m title, a first victory over Anna Boyle – Ireland”s fastest -, a pb. an extension to her Northern Ireland Junior Record, beat her own North Down AC Senior Record and achieved the European Juniors Qualifying Standard.
Other noteworthy efforts came from both established champions and those making their first Senior Championship appearance. Among the latter Jordan Neil went sub four and was silver medallist in the 1500m with 3:59.54, a club U20 record. In what looked a borderline start, Hannah Lewis was unlucky not to win the 200m title and was top local in second place with 25.17 secs (21.16 in the semi final). She could not take that form into the subsequent long jump and with 5.49m she was 4th though only 3 cms off 2nd in a tight grouping. Katie Hewitt was second on the 100m hurdles with a pb of 16.52 sec and third in the 400m hurdles while Alison Lavery was third at high jump.
[Not a valid template]The big guns were out too. Eva Massey retained her shot title and went over 16m again. Jeremy Harper had double gold at shot and discus, extending his North Down records with pbs at both with 14.32m and 48.91m. Luke Reynolds again went below 15 secs in the sprint hurdles beating brother Tom Reynolds into second and Tom went on for another second at pole vault. Michael Dyer was third and top local at 800m and equalled his run of last week with 3:52.6. John Saulters was another third and top local in the 400m and yet another silver went to Philip Browne in the long jump. Fourth places went to James Budde at 1500m, Tom Patton at 400m hurdles and Gemma McAnirn who put 4m on her discus pb.
The odd one out was Brendan McConville who fell into the classical trap of the top vertical jumper. In that highly charged world, the psychological advantage goes to the one who enters highest and when it goes wrong it is as embarassing at the time as it is comical in retrospect. Brendan was sailing over the pole vault bar at 5.10m in warm-up and elected to enter at 4.70m. That proved to be way higher than the winning height and when the bar eventually reached that level it was much colder and the mood and the adrenaline had gone. It has happened many times at high jump and pole vault.
