Relay Success!!!

Also in Antrim we had the first relay success in the club's short history. The minor girl's 4 x 200 gave us the chance to field a strong team with Charlotte leading off from lane 8 and breaking off the bend with the a lead which she handed to Lauren. This lead was extended by the time our regular number three, Jennifer, got the baton. Jennifer is a brilliant bend runner and by the time she handed over to Lucy we were always going to win!! Absolutely brilliant by all the girls!! They all work really hard every session in training, they are all great friends and they have done themselves, our club and their families proud. WELL DONE.

YAL Rd 1

For sure there won't be many better days than this!! We travelled to the Antrim Forum for the first round of the McCain's Young Athlete's League with no small amount of trepidation as it was our first track meeting of the year. It's always hard to know what to expect from a first event and we definitely couldn't have expected the our athlete's to perform as well as they did. First up was high jumper Aoibhin McKay. A good clearance at 1.40 was good enough for second place. Aoibhin just scraped the bar off on her third attempt at 1.45. As we were only allowed two competitors in the 800 mts and as we had four possibles, Lauren Hutchinson and Charlotte Rea got handed the short straw and were bumped into the 1200 mts, much to Charlotte's annoyance, but, hey, that's why the coach gets paid a fortune, to make the hard decision's!!! The girl's went to the start with instruction's to follow the pace and see what develops. Not much was the answer and after 300 mts or so they set their own pace. They chatted their way round for another 700 mts and then the two chum's had to race a 200 mts to the finish. Lauren came out on top and both girl's will take few lesson's but good confidence from this mature run.Next were the sprint's with Lucy Quinn subbing for Rebecca Gamble and Hollie Halpin running up an age group to gain a bit of experience. Both girl's ran really well with Hollie running a PB. The experience will help when the summer comes.
Then came the 800's with Lucy along with Jennifer Heaney getting the start in the minor girl's. Again with instruction's to follow the girl's found themselves in the lead after 300 and they pushed on to record another first and second with Lucy just shading Jennifer to the tape. A PB for both as it was Lucy's first 800 and Jennifer took a massive 5 seconds off her best. Their spring training has obviously been going great.
Aislinn Crossey was too old by three weeks to take part in the junior girls so was the youngest competitor in the under 17. Our under 15 Ulster 800 mts champ has been under the weather and had a dis-jointed prep these past few month's and went to the line a bundle of nerves! Aislinn is a competitor through and through and was always in control of the race. She followed the pace and produced her customary kick with 250 mts to go and in a matter of strides opened a race winning advantage. An impressive start by all our athlete's then but they will know that harder days lie ahead.

Circus in town!!!

Nothing unusual in that, or nothing to do with us you may think. Well that's where you'd be wrong. Of all the land in Newry where the local politicians could have put the circus some clown's in suit's decided that the running track was the best place. These same clown's and their political colleagues will be knocking your door soon to beg for your vote and will be pleading absolute support for whatever you fancy.............remind them of the circus as you slam the door in their face!! We are again indebted to Glenmore AC for use of the track at the Bush this Thursday night. Please be there by 6.30, if you ain't going to the circus that is. Give me a bell if you need transport or directions.

Spring has sprung!!

At last!! Yes this is the Bush track this morning when over twenty young athletes from Glenmore joined our own regulars for the Sunday session. Beautiful morning and everyone running well. We are indebted to Glenmore AC all winter for use of the track. Our athletes are due for their first track race of the year at the YAL meeting at the Antrim Forum on the 24th of this month. Then it's onto MPT Belfast on the 29th. Details about travel asap.

XC round-up

The schools xc shoot out happened after a weather cancellation and it was the chuckle sisters who ended up with smiley faces, at least for a day or two! Having been awarded the leading minor school Sacred Heart had it taken off them later in the week when after a recount Victoria College were discovered to have actually taken the prize!! Ah well it was a really good effort and at Newry AC we placed four girls in the top twenty five places with Charlotte Rea 8th, Lauren Hutchinson 10th, Lucy Quinn 11th and Jennifer Heaney in 25th. In fact if it been a club race we would have been close! In the junior race an injured Aislinn Crossey struggled home in 9th place and Mairead Grant came home in 20th place. Now onto the track season.

Indoor round-up

Late again with reports!! I'll speak to the P.R.O. , oops, that's me!! Anyways, the report!! In the Oddyssey we had a few 800 and a few sprint runner and the very tall Aoibhin McKay in the high jump. Aoibhin jumped her way into third place and will do well when the outdoor season comes around. In the sprints the very dedicated Hollie Halpin just missed a place in the final of the 60 mts but again is getting better all the time. Mairead Grant was, in most peoples opinion, unfairly disqualified from the 60 due to a false start. A real pity this 'cos the heat winner easily qualified for the final! Mairead was a cert to qualify! In the 800's Charlotte Rea and Jennifer Heaney both ran a pb despite both ending up in a slow heat. The seeding system seemed odd!! Last up on the Sunday was Aislinn Crossey and if Aislinn's race last year was a victory for naivety this years race was no better!! Ais let a huge gap open to the leading threesome and despite a storming last lap she came up just short and took home a silver medal for the second year running. The look of thunder on her face said more about her feelings than any words! Next year............Of course we also put in a relay team with Sarah Creegan, Lucy Quinn and Rebecca Gamble joining Jennifer Heaney for the 4x200. The girls ran great and brought the baton home for third place in their heat. Really good against much bigger clubs. At the younger age groups in Magherafelt Lucy Quinn and Rebecca Gamble were in seperate heats of the 600 mts. Rebecca never got round the first bend before a tangle resulted in a heavy fall and a visit to the medical people! Despite some cuts and heavy bruises Rebecca was fine. She got further than Lucy mind 'cos she stumbled off the line, twisted her ankle and before she got into her stride the race was gone!! A brave run brought her back to a credible fourth place but Lucy was here to get a medal. So a grand total of a silver and a bronze medal, not bad but close to more! Next year!