Sprinters grab the limelight at Junior and U23 championships

THE fall-out from the BUPA Cork City Sports was evident at the national junior and under-23 championships staged at the CIT Track in Bishopstown yesterday, where the sprinters grabbed much of the limelight.

The young Leevale sprinter, Derek Duff, clipped a huge margin off his previous best when he won the junior men’s 200m in 21.79 secs, with Caolan Flanagan (Ballymena & Antrim) breathing down his neck in 21.83 secs. The junior men’s 100m was won by the Irish schools champion Jason Smyth (City of Derry), in 10.59, with Caolan Flanagan again taking the silver medal and Duff back in third place; the junior 400m was won by Michael Morgan (Beechmount Harriers) in 48.96.

Colin Costello (Star of the Sea) began to reap the benefits of a training spell at altitude when he won the junior men’s 1,500m in a smart 3:54.41. The Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star had more than five seconds to spare over Daire Bermingham (Raheny Shamrock), 4:00.95, with the early pacemaker, Paul Pollock (Abbey AC), third in 4:01.79.

The young Meathman, who leaves DCU for Arkansas in September, hung back as Pollock made the early pace but when Bermingham took control he moved to challenge and raced away on the final lap to retain the title he won last year.

Danny Darcy (St.Laurence O’Toole AC, Carlow), the Irish schools cross-country and 1,500m champion, retained his 800m title in what was also a tactical race. He won in 1:54.39 from Kevin McCloy (Mid Ulster), 1:55.40, and Brian Markham (Ennis Track Club) 1:56.65.

Richard Yeates (Raheny Shamrock) was an impressive winner of the junior men’s 5,000m in 14:54.71, while there was a double for Christopher Crowley (Belgooly AC), who won the long jump with a best of 6.72m and the high jump.

Justin Collins (Mullingar Harriers) had a double in the junior men’s throws, winning the shot putt with a best of 13.62m and the discus with 42.19m. Martin Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) who has qualified at both 5,000m and 10,000m but will opt for the latter at the European under-23 championships, followed up his fine run over 3,000m at the Cork City Sports by winning the under-23 1,500m in 3:50.59.

Eoin Leen (Tralee Harriers) won the discus with a throw of 49.08m while Roseanne Galligan (Newbridge), who competed at the Cork City Sports on Saturday, won the junior 800m in 2:11.21 from Azmera Gebrezgi (DCH) 2:11.49.