Tullamore Harriers athlete crowned national champion

Sinead Walsh produced a huge run last Sunday at the Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore to claim victory in the U17 2000m steeplechase.

After five steeplechase races this season, the Tullamore Harriers athlete felt confident to set out at a fast pace and was well ahead of her previous runs throughout the race.

Sinead's winning time of 7.29.95 is a PB of over ten seconds and only seven seconds outside the standard for the European Youth Olympics, which take place in Slovakia in late July.

Also competing in a 2000m Steeplechase was Emily Cunningham. Emily really dug in over the five laps and was good over the jumps throughout. She finished fourth just outside the medals but should be delighted with her time of 7.56.93 - a PB of almost 25 seconds.

Meanwhile, five of the club’s juvenile athletes from the track and field group performed superbly over the two days of the National Track and Field finals last weekend.

Katie Deverell in the U16 high jump continued her good form, matching her PB with a jump of 155cm, and finished 5th overall on a countback. It was Katie’s first failed attempt at the 155cm which pushed her from third to fifth. In her three attempts at 160cm she narrowly grazed the bar twice. This young athlete has made super progress this year in her high jumping and no doubt will nail that 160-165cms in the new season.

Two hours later, Katie competed in the long jump finishing with a 489cm best but unfortunately it wasn’t good enough to make the final eight. On her 489cm and 482cm jumps she was well short of the board by 30cm which would have no doubt placed her 3rd or 4th overall.

Eimear Cotter in the U16 x 80m hurdles ran a blistering heat of 12.62 finishing third and knocking a quarter of a second off her PB. In the final, racing into a slight headwind, Eimear finished 6th in 12.72. Eimear has made great progress in her hurdling over the season and no doubt will build on all the positives into the 2023 season.

Emily McDonnell, a debutante to the nationals, competed in the U15 high jump and finished 10th overall with a best of 140cm but the result was not a true reflection of the competition. Emily’s PB of 145cm would have placed her in the top four and she narrowly missed the 145cms with the slightest of margins on all three attempts. A super season for this young lady making it to the nationals in her first year of competitive high jumping.

Aishling Cotter in the U17 long jump lined up against a large and tough field of 20 athletes. Her best of 457cms and giving 30cm to the board wasn’t enough to make the final eight. Aishling’s PB jump of 515cm some six weeks ago showed her huge progress this season and her potential.

Daniel Bourke competed in the U13 80m sprint on Saturday and ran a brilliant PB of 11.52 but unfortunately it was enough to make the final eight. Daniel, also a debutante to the national finals, will gain valuable experience from his race to carry into the 2023 season.