The 151st National Senior Track and Field Championships were among the most hyped of recent years, with Rhasidat Adeleke set to add stardust alongside double European Championship medallists Ciara Mageean and Mark English as the headline acts.
However all three were late withdrawals, while strong winds and one particularly heavy shower weren't conducive to personal bests and major championship qualification times.
Through it all, Sarah Lavin shone like a beacon. The popular star from Emerald AC, Limerick has been edging closer to Derval O’Rourke’s national 100m hurdle record of 12.65 seconds this season.
That was never a possibility today as she ran into a -5.1 metres per second headwind but she was technically excellent over the ten hurdles and claimed her eighth national outdoor title in 13.13.
Half an hour of selfies and autograph signing for young and old followed. She will take part in a strong race in Berne next Friday before heading to the Athletics Ireland holding camp ahead of the World Championships in Budapest next month.
If Lavin was a convincing winner, the closest race on the track was the men’s 110 metre hurdles where James Ezeonu dipped to win in 14.28 seconds, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Gerard O’Donnell.
Andrew Coscoran dropped down to 800 metres and qualified for what promises to be an exciting final tomorrow, with Cian McPhillips, John Fitzsimons and Harry Purcell among the contenders as heat winners.
After respective heat wins, Sarah Healy will look to overturn her defeat to Sophie O’Sullivan at the European Under-23 championships a fortnight ago when they clash in tomorrow’s 1500m final.
Nineteen year-old Nicola Tuthill is among Ireland’s most promising competitors in the field events and she took the senior hammer title with 67.67 metres.
Eric Favors took shot put gold with a championship record 19.91 metres and, having trailed Conall Mahon throughout, Michael Alajiki claimed a dramatic gold in the triple jump with 14.74 metres.
Selected results
Women's 100mH
1 Sarah LAVIN Emerald A.C. 13.13
2 Katherine O CONNOR Dundalk St. Gerards A.C. 14.14
3 Lilly-Ann O HORA Dooneen A.C. 14.29
Men’s 110mH
1 James EZEONU Leevale A.C. 14.28
2 Gerard O DONNELL Carrick-on-Shannon A.C. 14.29
3 Matthew BEHAN Crusaders A.C. 14.95
Women’s 200m
1 Katie BERGIN Moyne A.C. 24.60
2 Laura NALLY Galway City Harriers A.C. 25.18
3 Janine BOYLE Finn Valley A.C. 25.21
Men’s 200m
1 Mark SMYTH Raheny Shamrock A.C. 20.87
2 Colin DOYLE Leevale A.C. 21.17
3 Andrew EGAN Galway City Harriers A.C. 21.51
Women’s 3,000mSC
1 Michelle FINN Leevale A.C. 10:00.14
2 Eleanor FOOT Bray Runners A.C. 11:17.20
3 Clare BARRETT D.M.P. A.C. 11:26.39
Men’s Hammer Throw
Sean MOCKLER Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C. 64.49
Simon GALLIGAN Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 63.86
John DWYER Templemore A.C. 50.40
Women’s Hammer
Nicola TUTHILL U.C.D. A.C. 67.67
Margaret HAYDEN Tallaght A.C. 61.63
Adrienne GALLEN Lifford Strabane A.C. 56.05
Men’s Shot Put
Eric FAVORS Raheny Shamrock A.C. 19.91 CR
James KELLY Finn Valley A.C. 16.79
Gavin MCLAUGHLIN Finn Valley A.C. 16.04
Women’s Shot Put
1 Michaela WALSH Swinford A.C. 15.17
2 Ciara SHEEHY Emerald A.C. 13.04
3 Aoibhín MC MAHON Blackrock (Louth) A.C. 12.12
Women’s Triple Jump
1 Saragh BUGGY St. Abbans A.C. 13.03
2 Caoimhe MC DONAGH South Sligo A.C. 11.32
3 Grace FITZGERALD Tipperary Town A.C. 11.25
Men’s Triple Jump
1 Michael ALAJIKI Dundealgan A.C. 14.74
2 Conall MAHON Tír Chonaill A.C. 14.69
3 Jai BENSON Lagan Valley A.C. 14.68
Women’s High Jump
1 Sommer LECKY Finn Valley A.C. 1.80
2 Daena KEALY St. Abbans A.C. 1.75
2 Philippa ROGAN Sli Cualann A.C. 1.75
Men’s High Jump
1 David CUSSEN Old Abbey A.C. 2.15
2 Jack FORDE St. Killian's A.C. 1.90
3 Emmanuel OSAS Ratoath A.C. 1.85
