Weekend Round-Up: Local athletes impress against top quality opposition!

Sommer Lecky secures World Junior silver medal in Finland (by Athletics NI):

Commonwealth Youth High Jump Champion Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley AC / Niall Wilkinson) had the performance of her career yesterday when she soared over an Irish and Northern Irish U20 record of 1.90m at the first attempt to win the silver medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Tampere.

Sommer, who had a flawless qualifying performance on Friday, was sitting in 4th position throughout the competition until her first-time clearance at 1.90m elevated her to second. Three good attempts at a NI senior record equalling 1.92m followed but it wasn’t to be on the day.

The height achieved also qualifies Sommer for next month’s European Championships in Berlin which could round off an extremely successful season in which Sommer has set two U20 records, finished in the Top 10 during the Commonwealth Games and won a World Junior Silver.

200m Record for Aaron Sexton:

There were a number of other outstanding performances from NI athletes in Tampere including Aaron Sexton (North Down AC / Roger Sexton) who made the Semi-Finals of the 200m and set a NI U20 record in the process with a blistering 21.06 seconds. Aaron also anchored the Ireland U20 4x100m relay team to 11th place overall.

Beechmount Harrier Davicia Patterson also made the Semi-Final stages of her 400m event with her second fastest ever one lap of 53.20. The Youth Academy athlete finished 11th overall in an incredibly strong field.

Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn / Adam McMullen) was in the Irish 4x100m squad that took an unprecedented Silver medal. Although she didn’t run in the event, the Youth Academy sprinter will no doubt have learned a great deal as a squad member ahead of next year’s European Junior Championships where the team will be looking to medal again.

Megan Marrs performs well on the big stage

Megan Marrs (City of Lisburn AC / Jerzy Maciukiewicz) repesented GB & NI well in the Athletics World Cup, finishing 7th in a high-class field at the London Olympic Stadium. The Loughborough based athlete recorded the second fastest 100m hurdle time of her career with 13.36 seconds which is only 0.04 off her winning time set at last month’s Belfast International.

Marrs will hope to go faster again at the same venue this weekend when she races in the Anniversary Games Diamond League.

Elsewhere this weekend…

Ciara Mageean (Steve Vernon) had an excellent victory and seasons best over 1500m in Barcelona in a time of 4:04.13. At the Watford BMC Conal Kirk (Mark Kirk) set his 6th PB of 2018 and finally broke the 1:50 mark with 1:49.47 seconds. Team mates Neil Johnston and Neil McCartan also set 1500m PBs with 3:48.83 and 3:50.23 respectively.

At the Irish Age Groups in Tullamore there were medals for Youth Academy Athletes:

Anna McCauley (Gold 100mH U18 14.07 SB Silver U18 Shot 11.42m)

Cormac O’Rourke (Gold 400m U18 50.73)

Eimear Kelly (Silver 100mH U17 15.10 PB)

Jonathan Cochrane (Silver U17 Triple Jump 12.63m)

Adam Hughes (Bronze U19 400m 51.00)

Rachel McCann (Bronze U18 400m 58.51)

There were also wins for James Kelly in the U19 shot with 17.14m, Finn O’Neil in the U14 High Jump with 1.56m and 800m with 2.08.96.

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