Athletics Ireland – News – Irish Records for Lavin, Everard and 2 for Lawler

Big numbers were the order of the day at the Woodie’s DIY Junior & U23 championships held at the superb Athlone IT Arena today. There were heats a-plenty, especially in the shorter distances, as athletes set about achieving new PBs on the ultra-fast track and pleasant surroundings.

Marcus Lawler (St. Laurence O’Toole AC), who will be eighteen at the end of the month, showed his appreciation for the new track when he smashed his PB of 7.10 when winning the junior 60m in a time of 6.90. He has already cutback on his training in order to concentrate on the Leaving Cert in June, but will take to the boards again next weekend for the Woodie’s DIY Irish senior championships. Double Paralympic gold medallist Jason Smyth held the old record of 6.92 since 2006.

He followed up later in the day with another brilliant win, this time taking the 200m in a time of 21.31, wiping Paul Hession’s 21.61 Irish record from 2002 off the record books.

There was a close finish to the junior women’s 60m when Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) just got the measure of Phil Healy (Bandon AC) to win in 7.57, with Healy on 7.58. Lavin started an athletics scholarship in Princton last August but found herself constantly injured and decided not to return after Christmas.

While Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) was wining the British indoor 60m hurdles titles in 8.10, Sarah Lavin was busy replacing her senior counterpart’s Irish junior record when she won in a time of 7.44. O’Rourke held the record since 1999.

There was another close call in the U23 men’s 60m with Edmund O’Halloran (Leevale AC) winning in a time of 7.06, one hundredth ahead of Jonathan Brownlee (Ballymena & Antrim AC), with Ben Maze (Lagan Valley AC) third on the same time.

The women’s U23 60m provided a convincing winner with Catherine McManus (Dublin City Harriers) clocking 7.59 ahead of clubmate Steffi Creaner on 7.64.

Feidhlim Kelly did a fine job pace making the special senior 1,500m held to facilitate athletes chasing qualifying standards. When his job was done it was John Travers (Donore Harriers) who took over the lead, with several top class runners breathing down his neck. Chase as they might, there was no catching the leaders and he crossed the line in a time of 3:43.53 ahead of the fast finishing Conor Bradley (City of Derry AC) in 3:44.07 and Daren McBrearty (Letterkenny AC) in 3:44.11.

400m runner Marian Heffernan was another to provide superb pacing when she took the runners through the early stages of the special senior 800m on the programme. It meant that Ciara Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) took the bell in ninety seconds and then ran on strongly to win in 2:02.54, a big new PB for her and, more importantly, inside the standard for the European indoor Championships. It is also a new Irish record, improving on the 2:02.87 of Aisling Molloy in 1990.

Athletics Ireland – News

Provisional Results