Newcastle Athletics Club
THE Ulster Schools’ Athletics Association recently hosted its School District competitions across Northern Ireland, uncovering emerging talent while also providing a platform for established athletes to showcase their abilities.
Over the past fortnight, competitors battled for coveted places at the Ulster Schools’ Championships. For schools in District A, the level of competition mirrored that of the Club Ulster Championships, making it the most demanding district. Many Newcastle AC members found themselves in this highly competitive group, representing schools such as St Malachy’s High School, Shimna College, Down High School, Kilkeel High School, Assumption Grammar, and St Louis Kilkeel.
Athletes competed across a wide range of events, with many securing qualification for the Ulster Schools’ Championships and achieving significant personal bests at a crucial stage of the season.
The Intermediate age group (Years 11 and 12) delivered some standout performances. Hermione Sheridan continued her dominance in middle-distance running, claiming gold in both the 800m and 1500m on the same day.
In the Intermediate boys’ 3000m, Jamie O’Flaherty produced a determined run to finish fourth, setting a new personal best of 10:00.13, agonizingly close to breaking the ten-minute barrier. Close behind, Donal McDaid also impressed with a personal best of 11:00.52, highlighting how their recent mountain running experiences are benefiting their performances across distances.
Ronan Grant, still a junior competing in this age group, delivered a strong performance in the throwing events, adding another four metres to his personal best and securing fifth place overall. Parisa Susay-Quinn narrowly missed Ulster qualification in the 800m with a fourth-place finish, while Emily McMullan also ran well in the Senior Girls’ event but just missed out on qualification.
Day two brought thrilling finishes on the track. Aoife Grant competed in the 1200m race walk, where a photo finish was required after both leading athletes crossed the line in 7:34, separated by just one-tenth of a second and over two minutes ahead of the rest of the field, including the junior boys.
Connaire Óg McVeigh lined up in the 1500m alongside Carter Rolston, a close friend and fierce competitor. In what was arguably the race of the day, the result came down to one-hundredth of a second, with Carter taking gold. In true sporting spirit, both athletes will meet again on Thursday evening at Super Six and again at Ulsters, having pushed each other to exceptional performances. The current 1500m time of 4:38.80 will be further challenged.
Aoife Grant returned to the field shortly after her race walk to compete in the Junior Girls’ hammer. Following her outstanding performance at the Super Six event, she showed resilience despite hitting the cage on four of her five throws. Her second attempt, however, sailed cleanly to a new personal best of 25.22m, earning her a well-deserved silver medal, her second medal of the day.
Day three brought another wave of personal bests and even a new District record. Over recent months, Ellie Moore has steadily improved her 800m performances, progressing from 3:02 to 2:51, and most recently clocking an impressive 2:45 to secure sixth place in the Minor Girls race.
All eyes then turned to the Mini Boys 800m, where Harry McVeigh stepped onto the start line with clear intent. Announced over the tannoy by John Glover, the recent London Mini Marathon podium finisher was aiming to break the long-standing District record of 2:16. From the gun, Harry set a blistering pace, breaking clear of the field within 200m and continuing to power around the track unchallenged. As he entered the home straight, still accelerating, he crossed the line in a phenomenal 2:13.93, shattering the record.
Notably, maintaining this pace at the Ulster finals would also see him break the Mini Boys Ulster record, which has stood for 40 years. Harry also showed his versatility by competing in the 100m, progressing through the heats to reach the final, where he placed sixth.
In the field events, Saorlaith and Rossa McAleenan delivered strong performances in the high jump. Saorlaith cleared a new personal best of 1.30m, while Rossa achieved a solid 1.21m. Harry King also impressed, jumping 3.40m in the long jump after qualifying for the 75m hurdles final, where he finished 8th. Sophie Mayers threw an impressive 7.20m in the shot put, with Hannah O’Brien, Lily McMurray, and Emily Kerr putting in impressive runs in the 800m and Zoe Astruc Kidd winning her heat in the Minor Girls 100m.
Well done to all athletes who represented their schools at the District Championships—an outstanding showcase of talent, determination, and sportsmanship, with an exciting line-up representing the club at the Ulster Schools’ Championships.
