The first two days of the All Ireland Track & Field Championships 2021 took place recently, with seven Boyne AC athletes in action who between them brought home nine medals.
Having all qualified for the national competition by finishing in the top three of their provincial championships only a few weeks ago, these young athletes have put in some super consistent and hard training to ensure they were ready to peak at just the right time, and they did not disappoint.
Held in Tullamore Harriers stadium, day one began with the 200m sprint races, with all three members of the Boyne AC sprint group in action.
First up for Boyne was Nina Farida King Abor, competing in the u16 age group, Nina ran a strong heat in torrential rain to easily qualify for her final, and ran a quick 26.68secs to finish in the bronze medal position.
Next to the track was Sean Stratton, who won his heat of the u17 boys 200m sprint in 23.34s, and despite running almost a second quicker in the final, he was just pipped on the line, with his efforts gaining him the silver medal.
A strong run from Leon King Abor in the u18 200m saw him finish second in his heat, and in the final a 23.03s run was enough to secure bronze.
All eyes then turned to the field events, where Boyne AC throwers Euan Canniffe and Oliver Carolan were in action.
With the weather continuing to torment athletes and spectators alike, Euan took to the discus cage to display his talents. A foul in his opening throw unsettled him somewhat, but this experienced athlete gathered himself and threw solid distances in the following four rounds, however, the best was saved for last, where with a fine throw of 32.08m, he secured the silver medal. Oliver was up next for the final event of the day, the u14 Shot Put, and with the rain abating slightly, the 12 competitors took their turns in the throwing circle, with only the top eight through to the final round.
A huge second throw of 12m saw Oliver comfortably through to the final round in second place, holding off the other competitors until the very last throw, where the third place athlete threw 12.11m to move Oliver down a place overall, where he maintained his position, securing the bronze medal.
So, with five National medals under their belts by the end of the day, the tired, but delighted athletes were off for a good night’s rest before the next day of competition, which was sure to excite again.
Sean Stratton tops the podium following his victory in the under 17 100m sprint.
Day Two
The weather had abated slightly by day two, with just the occasional downpour, but this did not deter young Hannelle Raji as she competed in her first All-Ireland competition. Having won the Leinster title in the u13 long jump, Hannelle was unlucky to just miss out on a place in the final round, but enjoyed her experience at this level, and will be one to watch in the future. Oliver Carolan was back in action, this time in the u14 Javelin, where he finished in 7th place overall, happy with the result in this his first time competing in the Javelin at national level.
Staying with the Javelin, Euan Canniffe was back for more, and you could be mistaken for thinking Kellie Harrington had made a guest appearance, when the roars of the crowd rang out as Euan first threw a massive personal best of just over 50m, his first time to break that elusive distance, and then promptly followed it up with yet another PB of a huge 51.58m, which could not be surpassed, awarding him the gold medal and the title of u19 All Ireland Javelin Champion 2021.
Attention then turned back to the track, where under the watchful eye of sprint coach Ken Meier, the young Boyne AC athletes were back and hungry for more, with Ledley King Abor getting things underway in the u14 80m sprint, where he finished 4th in his heat, just missing out on qualification for the final. In the blink of an eye, sister Nina was back on the track for her 100m sprint final, where it was a replica of the podium from the 200m race the day before, with Nina once again taking the bronze medal.
Leon King Abor took the National title in the under 18 100m sprint.
Excitement was building, and expectations were high as Sean Stratton took to the start line for his final of the u17 100m sprint, having comfortably qualified through the heats. With a false start from another competitor, the athletes had to compose themselves and settle back in for a restart, and what a start it was for Sean, who flew out of the blocks, holding his form and opening up just at the right time, crossing the line in a blistering 11.38s, but more importantly, in first place, crowning him the All Ireland u17 Sprint Champion! Topping off what was turning out to be an amazing day for the club, Leon King Abor made sure he was in the top podium spot too, with another super quick run of 11.24s in the final of the u18 boys 100m, adding the title of National Champion 2021 to his growing collection.
Qualifying for the All Irelands is always a hard-earned feat in itself for young athletes across the country, with only those finishing in the top three of each event in the provincial championships, then put forward for the national finals. To have seven athletes representing the club over the first two days of this prestigious competition, with a total of nine All-Ireland medals secured between them, and three National Title Holders, the commitment and dedication of the athlete themselves and their families, and the coaching team in Boyne AC is certainly being rewarded and is set to continue for many years to come.
