Monkey Madness

Tollymore mountain center's recently opened high ropes course provided a great mornings entertainment for 8 of our young athletes this week. Three and a half hours of scary monkey madness with a lot of squealing, mostly from Niall, left everyone buzzing and me with a sore neck from looking up and sore ribs from laughing! If you weren't there make it the next time 'cos its great fun and dead scary. Thanks to Peter Creegan and Marion Crossey for transport.

Ardee Sports Day

Another low key meeting in Ardee last Sunday and we had only 2 individual entries from Katie O'Hare and Jennifer Heaney, both running well and still improving. We also entered a team in the girls u15 relay with Jennifer and Charlotte Rea running up a few years to join Helen McParland and Aislinn Crossey. Despite a few ropey changes the girls stormed home to a fine win with Aislinn on the anchor leg . Niall Conlon also joined a trio from 3 Ways AC to win the boys u13 relay. Thanks to everyone who bought me chocolate on the way home. :-)

Drogheda Sports Day

At a low key sports day in Drogheda yesterday some of our regular competitors took the opportunity to miss a days training and opted for a race. Wins for Charlotte Rea, Aislinn Crossey, Niall Conlon and Katie O'Hare seemed to suggest it was a good idea!! What do I know.........as you can see Niall's race was won in the last stride but it was a bit easier for the rest. Lucy Quinn had a fine 2nd and Jennifer Heaney is still in good form and came home third in her 600 mts. Jude Campbell finished second in both the 100 and 200 mts and will improve. We ended the day winning most of thre relays after mixing with 3 Ways AC and for that joint effort we are well pleased. Thanks to the Campbell family for support, it always helps.

Carlingford RR

Friday was the Glenmore AC Carlingford road races. Jude Campbell was first up in the boys u11 and although running up a year Jude came home in a fine 5th place. Excellent first race. In the girls u13 Charlotte Rea messed up her start but ran strongly to lead early on in a 600 mts race. She led until the sprint where she was pipped by Lauren Hutchinson form 3 Ways AC, reversing the previous Tuesday positions. Lucy Quinn in 5th and Jennifer Heaney in 6th rounded off our athletes. Niall Conlon ran strongly again to finish 3rd in his race. Katie O'Hare was a fine 4th in the girls u11.
Daisy Murray lined up for her second 5 km this week and took nearly a minute and a half off Tuesdays time to finish in 21'10", a really great effort and for sure Daisy can look foward to more PBs after this winter's work.

Race Update

It's been a busy week for some off our athletes and some great results as well. Bangor was the venue for the North Down AC promotion last Tuesday night and in the girls u13 800mts Charlotte Rea, who was making her return to the track after a long injury lay off, was joined by Jennifer Heaney and Lucy Quinn. All the girls followed the pace and went through the bell in 84". The gaps started to open down the back straight until with 150 to go Charlotte accelerated to a 10mt lead which she held to the tape in a 78" lap and a 2'41" run. Lucy held on for 4th and Jennifer 5th. In the boys u13 Niall Conlon was in a class off his own and won easily in a 2'43". Meanwhile in Warrenpoint Daisy Murray ran a fine 22'33" for the Newry Lions 5kms also on Tuesday evening.
This was good enough for 2nd place and was Daisy's second 2nd place in as many weeks having finished in the same place the week before in the race to Sl Martin during the Rostrevor festival.

Gold Medal for Aislinn

After a few near misses, and a lot of hard work , Aislinn Crossey got her hands on an Ulster Championship gold medal! At the Antrim Forum yesterday she stormed home a comfortable winner of the 800mts. It was a performance full of confidence and maturity as Aislinn pinned a fast start, tucked in and followed the race leaders, moved into a challenging position after 400mts and when she accelerated with 250 to go made it so decisive that the race was over in a matter of strides! There are no easy races at this level but Ais made this loook routine and although her time of 2' 25" was a massive PB it is still a long way from what she is capable of. Also running was Rachael Quinn in the 200 mts. With a target of qualifying for the final Rachael finished fourth in her heat and comfortably made it. Rachael ran the exact same time 4 hours later in the final and came home sixth. A great effort in her first year on a sprint program and again great potential. Well done to our star performers.

Attack of the Clones!!!!

Are we starting to look well or what........our new hoodie's were delivered last week and everyone loves them and due to the weather we need them as well!!!

Schools T&F

Well done to all of our athletes who took part in last weeks schools district qualifiers for this weeks championships.

Holiday arrangements

For younger athletes on Mon and Wed to the 3 Ways AC in the Abbey PS grounds and for everyone else to the track at 7.30 on Tues and 6.30 on Thurs. Back to normal on the 9th of June. I'll miss you all.........NOT.

Easter

No session on Easter Tuesday and we're on the track on Thursday nights from now on. Happy Easter to all our athletes and STAY AWAY FROM THE CHOCOLATE!!!!

Relays.............

Now some may say that Newry AC were last in their two relay events yesterday and while the records may indeed indicate that was the fact of the case, the truth of the matter is that the girls were true champions! The work rate, dedication and enthusiasm that these young ladies showed yesterday and over these past few weeks have made their display yesterday the highlight of the winter season for this coach. The fun and laughter continued all the way home, absolutely what our club should be all about! Thank you girls for all your hard work. Thanks also to Mary McParland and to Damien Feehan of 3Ways AC who stayed on to the end of the day to support our girls.

Gold Medal and Ulster Champion

WooHoo! After a few near misses Lucy Quinn got us over the line and becomes the first Ulster champion for our club. And a good one it is, a track championship from the indoor champs in Magherafelt yesterday. Lucy went to the line in the 2 heat 600 mts race and with there being no final it was imperative that Lucy ran flat out to avoid the second heat being quicker. As has become her trademark Lucy took the race by the scruff of the neck, attacked from the gun and said to the rest "catch me if you can". Only one competitor was able and turning for home it looked ominous for Lucy, but as she has demonstrated in the past catching her is one thing, getting past.............well now that's another thing, and this time was no exception. Lucy fought all the way up the straight and got home by the thickness of her vest! Now it was down to the second heat and again it looked bad as the winner looked to be quicker and indeed dad Rory timed the second heat quicker. Anxious moments later the result had Lucy on top of the rostrum, by hundred's of a second! After having second third and fourth in title races this winter is is hugely satisfying to get a gold medal into the club and hopefully we can build on it. A big thanks to Rory for all his support. Aso competing were Jack O'Hanlon and Niall Conlon. Both lads ran their hearts out and first timer Niall led for most of his heat eventually finishing third. Surely with a bit more time a big improvement will take place. Thanks to John O'Hanlon for transport and support. It all helps.

Anoher medal for Our Ladys duo

Last Saturday Helen & Mairead were again in the medals when they were part of Our Ladys team in the Irish schools xc final at the UUJ. A bronze medal was a good reward for the hard work put in by the girls on a tough 2500mt course, well done.

Gold Medal success for Helen & Mairead

Congratulations to Helen McParland and Mairead Grant on being part of the winning Our Ladys team in the recent regional and Ulster schools cross country championships. Excellent work.

Indoor Champs

Two of our young athletes made the start line for the 800 mts in the Oddessy last Saturday. Aislinn Crossey & Helen McParland were the pride of Newry A.C. with their excellent performances and as representitives of the club. Both had worked hard over the Christmas break and were both very nervous on the day. Helen had been training to a 3 minute program and when she broke the tape in 2' 55" it was a brilliant effort and more encouraging was the fact that her last lap was the quickest! With 4 heats and only the heat winners guaranteed a place in the final Aislinn faced reigning champ Rachael Henderson from Willowfield A.C. A bad start didn't help and starting the last lap it looked like a hard task for Ais. It was a startled champ when the Newry vest came storming past on the home straight! Fastest heat by some margin too. 2 hours later in the final Aislinn ran the race from hell! Another bad start, running in the third lane on the bend and getting caught on the inside and having to check and come around the outside on the last bend......and she still came home with a brilliant silver medal! What a stunning run! Aislinn will never run as naievly again and all the competitors in the final will know that. A time in the fnal of 2'31.9" was a pb by an incredible 7 seconds and in 9 months was a reduction of 17 seconds! We'll be working on a futher reduction.............Well done to our girls and thanks to all who traveled to the event to support them, as always it really helps.