English tipped for Athlete of the Year award

ATHLETICS: Mark English is in line to win the overall athlete of the year award at the 2014 National Athletics Awards in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry this afternoon, while Bandon’s Phil Healy is in contention for emerging athlete of the year.

The awards celebrate the achievements of the athletes along with the key contribution of volunteers.

UCD’s Mark English is nominated in the Track and Field Athlete of the Year category for his memorable bronze medal-winning performance over 800m at the European Championships in Zurich in August. Nominated alongside him will be Ferrybank’s Thomas Barr and Kelly Proper and St Coca’s Paul Robinson.

Barr ran a national record of 48.91 for the 400m hurdles with clubmate Proper running 23.15 for the 200m and finishing 10th overall at the Europeans. Paul Robinson came agonisingly close to medal in the 1500m when finishing a close fourth in Zurich.

Other categories include Endurance Athlete of the Year, Junior Athlete of the Year and Emerging Athlete of the Year.

Fionnuala Britton, who races in France this weekend in her build-up to the European Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria in December, is nominated for the Endurance award.

Sarah Collins (Finn Valley) is among the junior athlete nominees having set a new European indoor junior record of 15:41.00.

Bandon’s Phil Healy is nominated for emerging athlete following her excellent performances over 60m and 100m but is facing stiff competition from UCD’s Ciara Mageean.