It was another memorable weekend for Drogheda & District AC, with the club’s juvenile athletes once again leading the way and continuing what has been an excellent track and field season.
The biggest excitement came at the Leinster Juvenile Championships, where DDAC’s young athletes produced a series of performances that highlighted both their talent and dedication. Competing against some of the best athletes in the province, they showed great composure and determination on one of the biggest stages of the season.
Emily Garvey continued her excellent form in the Girls U15 1500m, producing a superb run to claim a Leinster bronze medal in a new personal best time of 5:03.32. The result was richly deserved and reflected the hard work she has put in throughout the year.
There was more success in the Girls U15 300m, where Eve Russell delivered a brilliant race to claim the Leinster silver medal in a personal best time of 44.77 seconds. Clubmate Eabha Ashwood also reached the final and competed strongly to finish eighth. Eve’s weekend got even better when she helped the Louth team secure silver in the Girls U15 4x100m relay, adding a second Leinster medal to an already memorable championship.
There was further success in the field events, where Lucy Russell produced a superb performance to claim a Leinster bronze medal with a new personal best throw of 22 metres. It was another excellent result for the club and a fitting reward for her hard work and commitment.
The middle-distance athletes also impressed. Yasaman Nuri ran 2:40.34 in her Girls U14 800m heat to qualify for the Leinster final, where she went on to finish 11th overall. In the Girls U16 800m, Clodagh Johnson ran strongly to clock 2:38.97 and finished ninth in her semi-final. Dearbhla Johnson was also in action in the U14 60m hurdles, recording a new personal best of 11.95 seconds while finishing fourth in her heat.
It was an excellent weekend of competition for the club’s young athletes, who once again represented DDAC proudly and came away with medals, personal bests and valuable Leinster Championship experience.
Away from the track, DDAC athletes were also in action at the Glenmore Challenge Running Festival. Difficult and windy conditions made for a challenging day, but that didn’t stop Liam Mulligan from producing a superb performance to win the Half Marathon in an excellent time of 1:12:29. There were also strong runs from Elma Martin in the 10 Mile event and Olivia Reilly in the 5K, while club members were represented across all race distances.
Earlier in the weekend, Rachel McCormack produced another excellent run at the Braveheart 5K, finishing as third female overall in a time of 21:19. Shane Larkin and Gearóid Ó Gibne also represented the club well on a busy evening of racing.
All in all, it was a great start to June for Drogheda & District AC. With the summer season now well underway, there will be plenty more opportunities for athletes of all ages to pull on the club vest and create more memories in the months ahead.
