Armagh International Road Races, 12/02
The women’s 3k was won by Emily Haggard Kearney (North Belfast Harriers) in 9.07 leading the NI & Ulster team to finish 3rd in the international standings. Holly Blease was the first of the North Down AC finishers in 92nd place in 11:05 followed by Caitlyn Dickenson 11:44, Maia Johnson 12:06 and Helen Byers 12:53.
10 NDAC men raced in the mens’ open 3k events led by Josh McDowell (61st) 9:31 followed by John Ewing 9:36 PB, Dean Varley 9:45 PB, Carter Rolston 9:49 PB and Sebastian Mair 9:54 PB. Nick Irvine 9:58, Alasdair Mair 10:00, Francis Marsh 10:21, James Blease 10:52 and Ed Mezetti 10:58 all produced outstanding performances.
Track & Field
On 11th February, 2 North Down athletes made their debuts in club vests at the Track & Field Live in Dublin with Harry Jackson running 7:36 in the 60m and Euan Monro running 52:37 in the 400m.
On Wednesday Rachel Gibson took to ‘the boards’ to race indoors in Dublin finishing 3rd in the womens’ mile in 5:10.07.
At the British Universities Indoor Championships in Sheffield on Saturday, Daniel Constable, running for the University of Southampton, ran an outright PB of 50.80 in the 400m while Irish Olympian Rachel McCann swapped her usual 400m to finish 3rd in the women’s 200m final in 24.00.
Eve Wash Dann won silver in the T38 Long Jump at the World Para Grand Prix in Dubai with a jump of 3.71m and also raced in the 100m and 200m recording 15.23 and 31.35 respectively.
The Indoor Sprints and Hurdles at the University of Ulster Jordanstown campus saw Lexx McConville win race 1 of the 60m hurdles in 9.03, improving by 0.01 to win race 2 as well. Joshua Liggett was 2nd in the U18&U19 boys’ 60mH in 10.4. Megan Walker won the U14 girls 60mH in 11:00, while Anna Moran ran the same time for 2nd in the U19 event.
In the 60m sprints, Lexx was 3rd in the senior mens’ in 7.74. Nyla Hughes was 3rd in her heat in the U14G in 9:17 and 6th in the final in a time of 9.13. Jessica Fowles was 1st and Megan Walker 3rd in the U14 &U15G in 9.04 and 9.34 respectively, and Travis Truesdale won the U16B in 7.82.
Donadea 50k, 14/02
Donald Smith and Seán Nickell were in Co Kildare on a frosty Saturday morning for the Irish 50k Championships, a 10 lap trail course through the beautiful surroundings of Donadea Forest Park with a 5 hour cut off. Donald finished 138th in 4:28:56, an 8 min PB, and Seán, still feeling the effects of the 268 mile Winter Spine Ultramarathon last month, wasn’t far behind in 4:35:51.
Stormont XC, 14/02
North Down AC were well represented in the wet and muddy grounds of the Stormont Estate on Saturday.
In the U13 races over 2000m Daly Seaton was 2nd in 6:47, with his brother Casey 6:56 4th just ahead of Robin Anderson 6:59. Finn McCullough 7:08 and Fox Neill 7:26 joined them in the top 10 with Logan Fowles 7:36 and Thomas Close 7:41 12th and 14th.
The U15s raced a 3000m course and it was another NDAC 2nd place with Carter Rolston 9:45 taking the honours. Isaac Hall was 7th in 10:42. Caitlyn Dickenson 11:18 was 2nd girl and Eve Sloan was 3rd in 11:41. Abbie Small finished in 12:03.
At the senior age groups, Simon Boyle was 2nd on the 3.3 mile course in 20:49 followed by Philip Mulligan 23:05. John Adgey was 1st M80 in 30:31 and Brian Smith was 2nd in 32:56 with Pat O’Driscoll rounding off the club’s vets in 37:52.
Claire Tonry was once again the first club finisher in 11th place in the womens’ race in 21:26 leading NDAC to 4th team place. Holly Blease showed no fatigue from her speedy run in Armagh to finish 16th in 21:44. Sarah Connolly 22:50, Lois Harkin 24:20, Roberta Dornan 24:56, Abby Andrews 25:07, Fiona McVicar 25:12, Sarah Wilson 25:35 and Claire Scott 25:51 were followed by Heather Beattie 26:00, Olivia Cumming 26:27, Marion Beattie 27:38, Kim McCourt 28:12, Beth Mulree 28:34, Stephanie Graham 28:42, Adrienne Neill 28:45, Karen Keery 29:06, Sophie Hamilton 30:07 and Cara Jeffrey 33:02.
Craig McMeechan produced another masterful performance 2 days after the Armagh road race to win the mens’ 4.4 mile race in 22:57. Jamie McMeechan was 9th in 24:54 and David McKeague 20th in 26:42 secured 3rd place for the NDAC team. Dennis Scott 27:06, Declan Magee 27:07, Kevin Harkin 28:40, David Massey 28:52, Dean Willis 29:08 and Colin Walker 30:05 were chased down by clubmates Mitchell Brown 31:07, Luke Hamilton 31:55 and Alan Massey 34:13.
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