National titles for Dunphy and Doherty
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Ratoath athlete Katie Doherty won the 100m u-15 title at the National Championships.Image 2 of 5
Cushinstown athletes Lee Callaghan, Aine O’Sullivan and James Bellew at the National ChampionshipsImage 3 of 5
Ratoath’s Amelia Campbell was third in the u-18 steeplechase.Image 4 of 5
Trim athlete Ava Costello was amongst the medals in the u-19 grade at the National Championships.Image 5 of 5
Navan AC runner Grace Gardiner was on the podium at Tullamore finishing third in the u-16 3,000m.Meath athletes were among the medals at the opening series of competitions at the Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore.
All the athletes who were in action had qualified for the national championships by finishing in the top three at the Leinster Championships last month.
Athletes from eight Meath clubs, Cushinstown, Ratoath, Navan, Fr Murphy, Bohermeen, Dunboyne, Trim and Dunshaughlin, qualified for finals and a total of 16 medals were won (see finishing details for all Meath finalists).
Top of the Meath charts were Fr Murphy athlete Laura Dunphy and Ratoath 's Katie Doherty who both won gold.
Dunphy won the u-16 hammer (3kg) with a throw of 37.92 ahead of Eadaoin Towey (Fanahan Mc Sweeney AC) on 36.61 while Doherty stormed home in the u-15 100m in 12.81 seconds to take the gold.
Cóil Ó Muiri, also Fr Murphy, was third in the u-18 hammer where victory in that event went to Cormac O'Donnell (Lifford Strabane) with a best of 57.25 in a great competition with Charlie Coughlin (Fingallians) 55.71 in second and Ó`Muiri with a throw of 52.43 in third place.
Jack Kelly (Fr Murphy) was also in fine form taking a silver medal in the u-17 hammer.
Ratoath hurdlers got the competition off to a great start on the Friday night with u-15 Gavin Witter third, u-16 Caoimhe Fitzsimons was also third as was Jack Kelly and in the u-19 Lili O’Connor was second.
On the Saturday the weather took a turn for the worse with heavy rain and wind making conditions very difficult at times, but Ratoath's Katie Doherty took bronze in the u-15 200m.
The Ratoath steeplechasers also fared well with great results by Emily Slattery taking braonze in the u-17 and Amelia Campbell in the u-18.
Trim athlete Ava Costello ran 10:27.02s to finish third in the u-19 3,000 metres while Bohermeen was also well represented and narrowly missed out on medal positions.
Cushinstown AC had 11 athletes in action and they all put in some great performances and gained valuable competition experience. On a very wet and miserable Saturday.
Annalise Harris threw very well in the u-12 shot to get through to the last eight while Kacey McManus was seventh in the u-12 turbo javelin.
Aine O’Sullivan threw brilliantly in the u-19 javelin (600g) to claim the bronze medal.