WEATHER DIDN’T PUT WIND UP THE KIDS
The Rollecoaster Races at Downpatrick Racecourse has been blessed with unseasonably fine weather for the past 4 years but Mother Nature extracted full vengeance for these aberrations on Saturday when she threw everything at the competitors in what proved an unsuccessful attempt to deter them. But from P3 upwards the children turned out in numbers, 239 in total, to take on and beat the elements. Every one was a winner and deserve the highest praise for ignoring rain, sleet, and wind ably backed up by gusts which blew some adults off their feet.
P3 BOYS AND GIRLS – 400 METRES
Winners of the P3 Boys and Girls races were Ryan Halpin of St Patrick’s Saul and
Jana Pobloth of All Children’s IPS Newcastle.
P4/5 RACES – 500 METRES
Jana’s big sister Mia completed a double by winning the P4/5 Girls race for the second year in a row, ahead of Legamaddy’s Charlotte Green and Emily Duff from Lough View IPS. Anna Gardiner led the East Down Girls home in this race taking a fine 8th place as she recovers from a nasty facial injury and Neva Loudon, Molly Higgins, Niamh McGrath and Imogen Anderson all showing great spirit.
All Children’s IPS fielded the biggest squad of the day and were rewarded with a third victory courtesy of Eve Kenneally in the P6/7 Girls race as well as filling 6 of the top 7 places in Jana’s race. Our thanks and Congratulations to them.
Cedar’s Mackenzie Murray stormed to victory in the P4/5 Boys race ahead of Beechmount’s Christoir Browne and Lough View’s Zac McMullan. East Down’s Michael O’Connor 10th and Jamie McDowell 17th showed up well and are making good progress.
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEAM SHIELDS
The P6/7 Girls race over an energy sapping Kilometre distance, virtually a half circuit of the race track, was won by All Children’s IPS Eve Kenneally with Libby Maloney from Cedar in 2nd, improving one place on last year and team mate Orla Curry in third. With Dearbla Curry in 9th and Abbie Ross 11th Cedar once again took the Girls’ Team prize.
In the P6/7 Boys race Kilmaine’s Jakob Swann gained compensation for last year’s runner up place when he won a hotly contested duel from Lough View’s Oran Magee and Brooklands Dylan McBride. However Oran’s 2nd place together with Glenn Johnston 4th, Mason McClintock 6th and Cormac McConvey 11th clinched the Team prize for Lough View.
Andrew McGrattan had no reason to be disappointed with his 9th place in this race following victories in the past 2 years in the lower age groups, with Oran Cunningham 5th , the best of the East Down contingent in this category, Jack Carson rapidly improving in 31st, James Byrne 35th Conor Findlay 38th and Christopher McMullan 45th.
The Shield and trophies were later handed over to Lough View IPS Principal Michael McKnight by East Down Honorary Life member John McKeag who has generously sponsored the trophies in both team events since their inception.
UNDER 13’s
Adam Morgan was the only East Down boy to take on the 1.5K distance in the Under 13 Boys race and as usual showed no fear of either distance or conditions as he stuck gamely to his task.. Would that more of his peer group showed more of his competitive attitude. In the Girl’s field Chloe Galloway took a fine 3rd place behind a North Down duo with Anna Lynn 7th.
UNDER 15’s
In the Boys Under 15 race Owen Edwards was 3rd behind Willowfield’s Desire Bamisile and Beechnount’s Peter Gracey and East Down runners filled the next 5 places. Similarly in the Girls race Beechmount’s Davicia Patterson led home Laura Green and Aoife Cochrane followed by 5 clubmates so a very good effort by all the Junior East Down runners.
BRENDAN’S BACK
Last year in the absence of Brendan Teer David McNeilly tok the top prize ahead of his team mate David O’ Flaherty in 3rd but this year with Teer dominating at the head of affairs the 2 Davids battled it out for Silver and Bronze positions with O’Flaherty turning the tables to take 2nd ahead of McNeilly. Both looked none the worse from their team winning performances in Lurgan last weekend, a win which is a real shot in the arm for local athletics. Given the conditions Teer’s winning time of 16.38 was quite remarkable. Over 35 winner was Martin Wilcox with Michael McKnight following the example of his pupils earlier to lift the Over 45 prize and Norman Mawhinney adding to Ballydrain Harriers growing comeback with the the Over 55 prize to supplement Ryan Andrews claiming the first Under 20 place for the 2nd year in a row.
RAHENY 5
Just a week earlier while we were enjoying the mud in Lurgan Brendan Teer was clocking 25.44 for the Raheny 5 Mile race in Dublin to take 12th place in a high quality field of over 2000 runners. Liam Keenan also ran and shows no sign of slowing down as he recorded 31.01, but indicative of the quality in that he still finished outside the top 200!! Well Done to both.
FIRST TIMER FOR GERRIE
In the Ladies Race a new name was added to the winner’s list with a dominant Gerrie Short from Beechmount coming home in fine style ahead of a sparkling debut run over the distance from East Down junior Laura Gardiner with the ever competitive Ruth Magill from Lagan Valley AC in third. Lisa Milligan and Wendy Findlay from the host club picked up the Over 35 and Over 45 prizes respectively.
DISTRICT SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DELAMONT
On Thursday over 800 Boys and Girls descended on Delamont Park for the District A Schools Cross Country Championships and several East Down athletes qualified for the Ulster finals next week with top 12 finishes. Leading the way was Chloe Galloway who despite a fall recovered to take 5th place in the first year girls race with Tim Prenter taking 8th place in the Minor Boys contest and Owen Edwards just squeezed out in 13th place but probably living to fight again as Conor Macklin and Matthew McGrattan enable St Patrick’s High School to take 4th place team spot.
Mark McGrady 9th also helped St Patrick’s High to 2nd team place in the Senior race where Newcastle’s Patrick Sheridan was second.
GIRL POWER
However it was in the Junior Girls race that the Club really showed its true mettle with 4 members, notably representing 4 different schools, Aoife Cochrane, Laura Green, Olivia Mooney and Elisha Surginor all made the top 12. Laura Gardiner in 4th and Caolan Atkinson 7th comfortably qualified in the Intermediate category though Ellen Erskine was unlucky to miss out in 13th place.
JIMMY’s TEN
And now it’s all energies towards the fast approaching Jimmy’s Ten which takes place this year on Sunday 16 March at 1.00 am. As well as the usual top prizes on offer plus increased bonuses for new race records, thanks to the continued support of main sponsor of MB McGrady & Co, Chartered Accountants.
Online entry is open at www.athleticsni.org and for further details visit the club’s website at www.eastdownac.co.uk or call me on 07933214894.
With entries limited to 600, runners are urged to enter now. To encourage early entry the Club repeats its unique offer of last year to carry over entries to 2015 if anyone is unable to run after entering.
Pacers will also be provided to enable runners to hit their target times and all finishers will receive a T-shirt and Medal. And of course the unrivalled refreshments associated with this race will be available to all afterwards.
NATANIA HAGEN
East Down AC and the wider local sporting community were saddened to learn during the past week of the tragic and untimely death of former member Natania Hagen who was an Under 15 All Ireland Javelin champion with the Club. Natania was a popular figure in Killyleagh as evidenced by the packed congregation at her funeral service in Down Parish Church on Tuesday and a visibly upset guard of honour formed by her team mates in Killyleagh Ladies Football Club. But she was also a multi talented musician and singer and her own rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Halleluiah as the cortege left the church was both poignant and uplifting. We can ill afford to lose such young and versatile people from our community and our sincere and deepest sympathy is extended to Natania’s devastated parents, her brothers Ryan and Lee and sister Lorna, all former Club members, and to all her family at this very difficult time.
Joe Quinn
3 February 2014