[Not a valid template]In truly awful conditions at a rain-lashed Mary Peters Track, Regent House AC beat City of Derry AC y a narrow 13 point margin to win the Northern Ireland Young Athletes League Final and represent the province at the National Finals in Birmingham. North Down AC finished third. The Girls League was again won by Lagan Valley.
Positives for North Down came from a strong performance by the middle distance boys and the girl sprinters who competed under the Chairman”s Select banner. Mark Armstrong was U13 boy Athlete of the match, Tasha Paxton and Kiki Malomo Paris U15 and U17 girl Athletes of the Match and Hannah Lewis won the Jimmy Murray Trophy as overall Outstanding Athlete. Mark Armstrong was the pick of the U13 boys winning the 800m in 2:31.7 as well as 2nd at 200m and Michael Donaldson was 2nd at the hurdles. Stephen Colwell was the most successful at U15 with 1st in the 80m hurdles in 12.7 and 1st outside the Chairman”s Select at 100m in 13.3. Josh Lowry was 2nd in the 1500m. In the U17″s Robin Brown won both 800m and 1500m at “A” string while Niall Robinson did the same at “B” string as well as 2nd in high jump . Thomas Simpson was 2nd in the steeplechase and Mark and Michael Patterson were 3rd “A” and 1st “B” at 300m. Matt Heaney was 2nd in 400m hurdles.
The girls mocked the conditions and dominated their events with Kathryn winning “A” 100m and 200m in 13.1 and 26.1, Tasha winning “B” 10m and 200m in 12.6 and 26.1, Katie Hewitt winning 300m hurdles 48.8 and 3rd in 80m hurdles in 13.0, Kerrie Craig 2nd on countback in monsoon-conditions high jump, Kiki 1st at 100m in 12.4 while Hannah won 200m in 25.4 and “B” 100m in 12.6 and was 2nd at long jump with 5.36m.
Standings
Boys
Regent House 601
City of Derry 587
North Down 445
Olympian YC 280
Strabane Track Club 198
Girls
Lagan Valley 555
City of Derry 507
Regent House 360
City of Lisbon 265
Mid Ulster 139