Kelly Proper
Santry came alive last week with brilliant runs for Mark English, Thomas Barr and John Travers at the Morton Games – and more of the same can be expected at this weekend’s Glo Health Irish Track and Field Championships.
The big star of last year’s championships was Ferrybank’s Kelly Proper, with a hat trick of victories in the 100m, 200m and long jump. In the long jump, she was taking her seventh national title. She ended a memorable weekend by helping Ferrybank to relay victory.
Last year, Proper was concentrating on the heptathlon. This year she has returned to her best two disciplines and most recently ran a personal best 23.16 secs for 200m. This not only qualifies her for the European Championships but puts her second on the all-time Irish list.
All those with qualifying times for the European Championships are expected to compete in the event they have qualified in. So for instance Mark English will run the 800m and not the 400m in which he finished second last year behind Brian Murphy.
After his 46.56 secs for 400m in Belfast last week, English must feel that the Irish 800m record of 1:44.82, which he so narrowly missed out on last year in London, is his for the taking.
Paul Robinson of St Coca’s, who holds the national junior record at 3 mins 35.22 secs will compete in the 1500m, taking on among others John Travers who ran 3:37.27 on his way to a 3:55 mile at the Morton Games last Friday.Other contenders include Ciaran O Lionaird and David McCarthy, both with Euro A qualifying marks, and Eoin Everard, who seems to keep his best for national championships.
Irish record holder Thomas Barr of Ferrybank has made a habit of breaking 50 seconds for the 400m hurdles over the past year, and he should do so again in Santry. Behind him, Jason Harvey may well break 50 seconds for the first time, while the much improved Paul Byrne of St Abban’s is also in line for a medal.
Ben Reynolds of North Down who, like Harvey, is one of a strong contingent of Northern Irish athletes on his way to the Commonwealth Games, could well break the championships record of 13.51 secs in the 110m hurdles. He has a best of 12.49 secs from last year, and most recently ran 13.79 secs.
Another Northern Irish athlete in top form is sprinter Amy Foster – the co-holder of the Irish 100m record. She missed last year’s championships, but should take her fourth national title on Sunday, although Phil Healy of Bandon will provide formidable opposition.
After making the European A standard with a time of 45.94 secs earlier this week, Clonliffe’s Brian Gregan should win the 400m.
Everything likes a tight competition and the show-down of the weekend should come in Saturday’s women’s pole vault with both Tori Pena and Zoe Brown entered.
American-based Pena has won the title every years since 2010 when she declared for Ireland. Last year, she won with a championships best vault of 4.40m; her Irish record is 4.60m.
Zoe Brown
Raheny’s Brown won the first of her three titles in 2001 and finished second behind Pena last year with 4.10m. With qualification for the Commonwealth Games her target, she worked hard over the winter and was rewarded with a personal best of 4.42m in Cork. She also beat Pena who could manage only 4.10m.
On the track, the form athletes for the women’s 800m are Laura Crowe and Rose Anne Galligan. Galligan holds the Irish record at 2:00.58, but the pair are in similar form at the moment. A surprise entry for the championships is Ciara Mageean, who holds the Irish junior record for the 1500m and is back training a long year battling injury. She has put her name down for both the 800m and 1500m.
In the sprints David Hynes of Menapians could be for a sprint double. He won the 100m last year and finished fourth in the 200m. With Marcus Lawler and Zak Irwin away at the World Junior Championships, the opposition is led by Craig Lynch.
MEATH ATHLETES Elizabeth Morland (Dunshaughlin CC) and Keith Marks (Ashbourne) lead a strong Irish team at Saturday’s SIAB Schools International in Cardiff . Among the girls travelling are sprinters Gina Akpe-Moses (St Vincent’s Dundalk) and Megan Marrs (Streathern Belfast), middle distance athlete Nadia Power and Carla Sweeney, both St MacDara’s, hurdler Molly Scott (Col Chonglais) and thrower Michaela Walsh (Swinford). On the boys’ team are sprinters Sean Lawlor (Kylemore) and Eoin Doherty (Drimnagh Castle) , 3000m runner Kevin Mulcaire (St Flannan’s), and high jumper Robbie Marrs (RBAI).
FANCY A WARM-UP run before next Sunday’s Glo Health Irish Championships in Santry? Just up the road in Swords the Airtricity Fingal 10km starts at 10am – perfect timing! The route, from Swords main street, is faster and flatter than last year. All finishers get a t-shirt, goody bag and drinks bottle. Register at www.dublinmarathon.ie.
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