Mullingar athletes competing in National Junior and U23 Championships
Two Mullingar Harriers athletes are competing in the Irish Life Health National Junior and U23 Championships at the TUS International Arena this weekend.
Walkers Andrew and Matthew Glennon feature in the 3Km Walk.
Andrew secured a European Athletics U18 Championships qualifying performance with a seventh place at the recent England Athletics Winter 10Km Walking Championships last month.
In the U23 competition, Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) and Olympian Robert McDonnell (Galway City Harriers AC) feature ahead of travelling to Belgrade to represent Ireland at the World Indoor Championships next week.
Also among them is reserve Rachel McCann (North Down AC).
Olatunde is the U23 National 60m Record holder (6.67) and National Senior 60m National Champion setting his new PB of 6.62 at last month’s championships. The sprinter has had a remarkably consistent season this year and has enjoyed success on the track.
McDonnell is listed to join Olatunde in the 60m as well as compete in the 200m.
At last month’s Irish Life Health National Senior Championships, the Galway native secured both the title and a new PB of 20.86.
In the Junior competition, athletes such as Ava Rochford (Nenagh AC) and Conor Callinan (Leevale AC) take to the pole vault. Both secured National Senior Titles in the Women’s High Jump and the Men’s Pole Vault.
Cross country
Olympians Sarah Healy and Andrew Coscoran and European Silver medallist Darragh McElhinney are just some of the athletes who began their athletics careers at the Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Competition. This Saturday Belfast hosts 900 athletes as they battle it for their schools.
Among the athletes competing are twins Dean and Dylan Casey competing for St Flannan’s Secondary School in Ennis. Dean represented Ireland in December at the European Athletics Cross Country Championships in the U20 race, and played a pivotal role in securing that silver team medal.
Dylan, with his brother and members of Ennis Track Club, competed at the ECCC Cross Country Championships in Lisbon last month to be crowned Junior Men’s Champion’s.
Representing Castleknock Community College and U20 European Athletics Cross Country Championship teammate Scott Fagan joins the Clare twins in the Senior race. Fagan came 21st in the European Championships.
The U20 Girls European Athletics Cross Country Championship Team of Rebecca Rossitier (Down High School, Downpatrick), Emma McEvoy (Loreto College, St. Stephen’s Green), and Roise Roberts (Dominican College, Belfast) are all reunited in the Senior Women’s race this Saturday.