Photo: Danny Nugent
The National U20 & U23 Athletics Championships in Tullamore produced another memorable day of competition, with athletes from Ace AC delivering a series of outstanding performances across the middle distance and sprint events.
The standout performance came from Danny Nugent, who crowned years of dedication by claiming the National U23 5,000m title. A member of Ace AC from a very young age, Nugent produced the race of his life, judging his effort to perfection before pulling clear to secure a richly deserved national championship. It was a victory built on Dannys hard work and determination, and one that marks him out as one of the country’s top young distance runners.
Later in the day, Lorcan Forde Dunne added another national medal to an already impressive collection with a superb silver medal in the U20 1,500 metres. Still eligible for the Under 19 age group, Forde Dunne showed tremendous maturity as he mixed it with older athletes and once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of Ireland’s leading young middle distance talents.
Photo: Lorcan Forde DunneÂ
The women’s U20 1,500m also saw a strong showing from Ace AC. Eimear Cooney ran an excellent tactical race to finish in a highly creditable fourth place, narrowly missing out on a podium finish in a fiercely contested final. Clubmate Sholah Lawrence also lined up in the championship race and gained valuable experience at the highest domestic level. Since Lawrence is still only U19, there is every reason to believe she will return even stronger when she competes in the same age category again next season.
There was further success on the track in the sprint events as Daniela Adebola produced an impressive display to qualify for the final of the U20 100 metres. Adebola went on to finish eighth in Ireland, a significant achievement in a championship featuring the country’s best young sprinters.
By the close of competition, Ace AC had every reason to reflect proudly on a championship that delivered a national title, a silver medal, and some great performances. It’s further evidence that the club continues to develop athletes capable of competing with the very best in the country.
