Report by Siobhan Grant
It was a bumper weekend of action for the Newcastle AC Juniors as they headed to Tullamore for the 2nd weekend of the National Juvenile Track and Field Championships.
It’s a big ask to expect young athletes to maintain a high level of commitment and training at the start of their summer holidays with family trips away planned and the burn out from a tough year hitting the books kicking in. Though nothing was ever too much to ask from the Newcastle athletes as they trained around home and away, keeping their bodies and minds fresh for their trip to National championships to perform against the best in the country.
On the Saturday, it was the Under 14 Girls 4x100m Relay Team who took to the track against 20 other teams from across the country who had qualified through their own provincial competitions. As individuals this team had amassed numerous accolades between them at school and club level this year alone and together they took 2nd place at Ulsters as a team, in one of the most memorable moments of the year.
This was a first for this young team to perform within this event on such a large scale. The weather was favourable but the competition was fierce. Being in the first heat put a lot of pressure on the the first round of teams to set the bar. With the top 2 teams automatically qualifying and 2 fastest finishers, this was anyones race.
Looking cool and collected in their positions, Eve Mc Namara shot out of the blocks and hugged the top bend with precision and finesse as she brought along ample experience to this team. Flawlessly entering into the transition area to hand over to Sophie Mayers. Sophie is a full school year below the rest of the team however this didn’t hold her back. Her positivity prior to the event was infectious and this kept spirits high at all occasions.
As second anchor, she used the straight to her advantage and her handover was sharp as she passed the baton to Maisie McVeigh. Having embraced the 200m this season, it was evident that she was in her natural habitat. The strength around the bend and metres gained by Maisie against the other runners left the race open for anyone to take the win going into the final 100. Another smooth transition and Parisa Suay Quinn took the team home over the line, missing out on automatic qualification by milliseconds. The agonising wait to see if they were fastest qualifiers would extend beyond the second heat as they held onto that qualifying spot. However the third heat was the quicker of the three heats and alas on this occasion the 4x100m relay team didn’t make the final. However when results were collated they finished 10th out of 21 which is an amazing achievement for the girls to place so high in their first outing at National Championships.
Connaire Og McVeigh also took advantage of the day and running concurrently with the National Relay Championships was the B Championships. Connaire Og narrowly missed out on qualifying in the U13 600m Ulsters however this made him eligible to run also at Tullamore. Disruptive is the best word to describe Connaire Ogs presence during the 600m, he went out hard and he dictated the race which pulled those behind him with him and disrupted their race plans. A smart move and one which paid off only getting caught in the closing stages. As this young athlete knows, his best efforts are what matters and that he comes off the track happy. A personal best of 1.47 was earned and a great confidence boost as he begins his preparations for Cross Country Season.
The Sunday saw the return of Rónán Grant to the throwing circle. It is a great achievement to qualify for one event at National level however this young man has embraced throwing events and found himself on the start list for the U15 Discus and Hammer at Nationals this year.
After a below par performance two weeks ago in the Discus were he finished 15th overall. Rónán had drawn the line and got stuck into Hammer practice. There were many colourful words heard across the landscape at Moneyscalp as at times frustration kicked in. Though it had all been emptied from his mind and his warm up throws alone were evidence that the right Rónán mindset had travelled to Tullamore.
His first throw saw him stretch his Personal Best, set at Ulsters in June, by 50cm. This gave him the extra wee boost heading into Round 2. He lined up within the circle and had fluid motion from the ground, right to the end of the 3kg weight as it swung at pace, letting go as it floated high through the air and hit the ground. Rónán knew it was a good throw and as the distance appeared on the clock it took every ounce of control for him to not jump up and down. He had shattered his Personal Best by 4.24m a staggering distance. His third throw hit the cage but this didn’t dampen his spirits as he had come and done exactly what he had intended to do. A top 10 finish and a personal best.
Remembering that Rónán falls in the younger end of the age boundaries is a testament to the growing confidence and self belief that he has in his abilities as a thrower. To finish in 10th place in the whole of Ireland and claim that he was the 1st Ulster man on the day is a phenomenal achievement whilst still very much a newbie to the event.
Attentions turned to the track afterwards as Paddy Sherrard took on the U15 Racewalk. The unbreakable spirit of this athlete is admirable and he took on this event knowing that it was very new to him and a first for the club at all levels. Race Walking is a very technical event which some would say would be one of the most difficult track events due to the rules and precision of execution required. Paddy had won the 2000m in Belfast with a strong 12 minute per mile pace. He set off strong and controlled however the officials were not letting anything go and every unlocked leg was noted and penalised. Moving at a 10 minute per mile pace going into the final lap, Paddy’s spilt moment of losing concentration resulted in a red card and had to leave the track. So unfortunate as he had displayed serious courage, resilience and dedication to rock up and compete against young men who had been doing the event for a number of years.
However Paddy’s day didn’t end there, later in the afternoon, he took to his preferred event, the High Jump, and after a promising training block where he was clearing new heights, on the day, the occasion won and he matched his current personal best and took 9th place overall. A valiant effort from him and now in possession of the coveted hoodie.
With a few more Track and Field events left in the calendar, including the Combined Events, it would be fair to say that the yellow and red of Newcastle AC has saturated the provincial level and has made its mark at national level too. There have been so many achievements this year across all disciplines, courageous determination to expand skills and talents and boundless resilience from the young athletes of Newcastle AC this season.
U15 Boys Rónán and Paddy ready for Sundays competition
The Under 14 girls 4x100m relay squad in great spirits at Nationals
Connaire Og in the zone before his 600m race