Club News

---

4 Senior N.Ireland Titles for UU

---

22 Jun 2007

UU had a handful of athletes taking part in this year's Northern Ireland Senior Championships at the very wet and windy Antrim Forum on Saturday 16^th June 07.

Amy Foster (UU Elite Athlete Entrant) was the surprise win in the ladies 100m from UU graduate Anna Boyle (12.12) who had raced in Oslo the previous evening.  Foster recorded a PB time of 11.85 which was a European Youth qualifying time and looked strong and fluent even with her niggling hamstring problem which had taken her down a distance from her usual 200m on the day.

 

Irish Universities gold medallist Elaine McCaffrey had withdrawn from the competition with an achillies problem which has also ruled her out of the Europa Cup Competition, which left the way for UU’s  Michelle Rodgers to take the 400m.   After a very windy back straight the girls were all shattered coming into the home straight. With everyone fighting for the line it was nail biting stuff.  Giving it her all but treading water in the last 50m Rodgers (57.40) was pipped on the line into second place by Sarah Quinn (57.20) of Lisburn. 

 

In the middle distance events Kerry Harty, Athletics Development Officer UU, secured gold in the 1500m (4.31.85)  from Lynsey Friel (4.36.56) of Dromore and Pavla Solivarska (4.38.34) from Slovakia.  An hour later Harty took to the line in the 800m & finished second (2.13.31) behind Kelly Reid (2.08.92) of Lisburn.

 

The 5000m had the biggest field of the day with 19 athletes taking to the line.  Joe McAlister (14.36.8) put on a show of strength in the home straight as the St Malachy's (& Queens) Athlete passed Carrignavar AC’s Athlete Ben Mahon (14.37.7).  UU and also St Malachy’s Athlete Kevin Seaward took the bronze (14.49.9).

 

The field events saw UU’s Jeremy Harper take double gold in the shot and discus and gaining PB’s in both, 14.32, 48.91.  Harper traveled to Scotland for the U23 Champs on the Sunday and picked up silver in the discus and a PB again of 49.32, only 4cm off first placed Angus McIlroy.

 

UU’s Lynsey Glover had a busy day competing in the discus, shot and hammer.  Lynsey threw 28.32 in the hammer to take the bronze behind Phillipa Conway of Crusaders AC (34.51) and Chanda Kapande Unattached (31.69).  Glover was placed 4^th in the shot and 5^th in the hammer.

 

Victory in the women’s javelin went to Irish Universities medalist Laura Kerr (UU & Lisburn).  Kerr who threw 46.74 to retain her N.Ireland title has also been selected for the Irish Europa Cup team

 

 

4 Senior N.Ireland titles for UU