White to head Dunboyne challenge

There's a certain aura obvious when you stride through the gates of Dunboyne Athletic Club. The place is built for winners and next weekend five of their most promising young members will bid to be crowned champions at the National Athletic Championships in Santry. Tucked away down a quiet road in the ever-maturing Meath village the superbly appointed athletic grounds is a hive of activity as groups of runners warm-up and stretch ahead of a Fit4life programme, while to the side of the magnificent clubhouse another dozen or so athletes complete their stretching after their earlier exertions. The camaraderie is electric. Everyone has a greeting for each other. The elite athletes preparing for next weekend's National championships have time to engage in conversation with those out for a leisurely stroll around the 400 metre track that is the focal point of the club. As club PRO Rosemary Higgins explains, "there is as much time devoted to those who run a mile in 12 minutes as there is to those who can do it in four minutes." Such is the extent of the activity at the Dunboyne track and field venue the club's elite hammer throwers have taken to Santry to continue their preparations ahead of their big day, so there is plenty of time to take in the surroundings before they arrive back to explain their expectations. One of those who completed his evenings work prior to the arrival of the Meath Chronicle was outstanding 24-year-old senior 5km runner Rory McDonnell. He is one of the five Dunboyne athletes who is fine tuning his preparations ahead of the All-Ireland championships. It is clear that he is in peak condition, but McDonnell reveals he is still recovering from injury that may prevent him from having a major say in the destination of the medals, but he is looking forward to an exciting competition at Santry. "I'm really looking forward to the start of the championships, but I'm really not sure how I will go when the race gets underway. We will see how it goes and I will certainly be giving it my best," enthused 24-year-old McDonnell, son of club captain Tommy McDonnell. "I'll be hoping to set a new personal best and that will be my initial goal. If I can run a personal best then I will be fairly happy and if I can finish inside the top 15 then I'll be pleased with that. "My personal best on the track is 15 minutes, 10 seconds so if I can get under that then I'll be thrilled. The winner of the 5000m will probably be in the low 14 minutes, so I'm a bit off that, but I'm hoping I can run well enough to be competitive and finish in the top 15. "I have had to put in a lot of hard work over the last few weeks because I was injured for three months just after January with knee ligament damage and bruised ribs picked up playing football. I'm only back full training since May, so I'll be pushing hard and waiting to see how it goes. "I know I have plenty more gas in the tank and even if things don't go well at the Nationals I know I still have until September for track races to rediscover my form. The main objective is to do well next Sunday and then see what the rest of the year brings," concluded McDonnell. As McDonnell returns to chat to some of those who have just completed the M60 course, an extra distance to the track that was constructed by some of the over-60 years old members, the hammer throwers arrive and immediately head to the far end of the complex to show off the club's impressive new throwing rig. Over €32,000 has been spend on the construction of the impressive netting structure and with champion throwers in the club it is clear that the executive of Dunboyne AC want to do everything in their power to give their athletes the very best chance of rising to the top of their chosen discipline. For a club that was originally founded as a road racing venture the field and track aspects have grown enormously and next Sunday will see Dunboyne provide the highest representation of any club in the hammer event with three men competing for honours. With a field of 12 throwers likely to go to post Dunboyne will put forward three men that will push close for honours including two-in-a-row champion and title holder Padraig White. White will be joined in the field by James McCabe and Caimin Dunne, who finished first and second respectively in the u-19 championships, and all three will be hoping for big performances, with White carrying the major prospect of bringing home the gold. The Dunboyne trio are all part of a superb stable of hammer throwers that work and train together and it is that competitive edge that has made them the force that they are. However, White is wary of a threat to his title coming from the USA. "The main thing for me is to throw a personal best. You always want to throw well at the biggest competition of the year in Ireland and if I can beat my personal best of 62.81 metres then I would be really happy," said White. "I would really like to throw over 63 metres and maybe push towards the 65-metre mark which has been my goal for over two years now. I have won the national title for the last two years, I threw 61 metres last year, but I will have to go longer this year because there is new competition coming in. "Conor McCullagh, who is the reigning World Junior champion and record holder, has an Irish father who is also an ex-Olympian and he is coming over from his base in Los Angeles to compete so I'd imagine he will be the favourite to take the title. "It is sure to be an exciting event with Killian Barry also doing very well in recent weeks. He is an Irish junior international and we have had three juniors at the European Championships who were all throwing the qualification standard of 66 metres, so they are all throwing quite well. "Killian Barry has been nipping at my heels for quite a while now, so himself and myself will probably be the ones fighting it out for that silver medal behind McCullagh," said White. Being an elite athlete takes a lot of time and commitment, but with good coaching and an excellent team behind him White has the drive to push on to become a major force in Irish hammer throwing. "We all put in a huge effort to get to a high standard. At this time of the year the lifting sessions become a bit lighter as we look to lift about twice. We also work on being explosive and finding a higher quality throw without the heavy work load. "I look to throw at least four times a week and also look to get in a light, explosive session with some sprinting, so I could be doing at least 14 or 15 hours a week training. "There is a lot of hard work and commitment that goes into the sport. It is tough to find all the time, but hopefully it will all become worthwhile," concluded White. Leaving Dunboyne there is a real sense of departing the winners enclosure. Luke Forde is another who will compete at the u-20 3000 metres and is a real bright prospect, but no matter where you look around Dunboyne AC you see enthusiasm and commitment that is sure to drive the club to huge things in the future, starting with the National Championships in Santry this weekend.