2023 LVAC Fab 5 Series Gets Underway
Despite the lack of a sponsor this year, Lagan Valley decided to continue to promote their annual series of Thursday night competitions which have been going since 1991. The response to the first two meetings has been nothing short of remarkable with record entries for meeting one being surpassed by the second meeting which drew an original entry of 430 athletes. Despite the expected drop off on the nights due to a variety of circumstances we still saw an amazing 324 athletes compete in Meeting 1 and 321 in Meeting 2 with 434 discrete athletes over the two meetings. Over 60 clubs or schools were represented over the two meets including athletes from every county in Ulster as well as several from the Republic including one who travelled from Cork to compete.
Both meetings were blessed with excellent weather for the time of year although both nights were very cold by the time the final events took place. The big numbers meant that the programmes were long but it was a tribute to the officials on the ground that the final event on the night went exactly to programme.
The Junior events saw the appearance of several young athletes with surnames like Danielli, Kennedy, Vernon and McVeigh all with illustrious parentage. In the sprints Adam Sykes and Harriet McCrossan produced the fastest 100 metres times on the first night with Erin Han and Joseph Muckian proving the best of the two lap specialists. The best performance in the field was that of Adam Hill with a 1.85m High Jump clearance following on from his personal best 100m.
The most impressive 200 metres performances on night two came from Hannah Falvey from Belgooly AC and James Armstrong (Orangegrove) and Arnor Brynjarson (City of Lisburn). Only 2 one hundredths of a second separated the times of the boys. Hannah who represented Ireland in the World Youth Championships last season travelled the long journey from Cork and produced a superb 25.94 for the 200m. Unfortunately she had to contend with a headwind of 1.5 mps and had the wind been in her favour she would undoubtedly been close to her lifetime best.
In the Under 11 boys 600m less than a second split the first three with honours going to Patrick Duffy of Glenmore AC from the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. The 1500 metres races attracted 133 runners and produced a host of personal bests. Aurelia Crotty from Annalee in Co Cavan won a thrilling Under 15 girls while former NI Champion Rachel Gibson (North Down) was in a class of her own in the Senior race. Best of the men was Lagan Valley’s Ben Gillen who unleashed a pulsating sprint with 300 metres to go to come home in 4:15.1 seconds.
The Trimble twins Rebecca and Charlotte (Dundalk St Gerards) dominated the Under 13 Field events and there were lifetime bests for Aida Zukiskaite in the Hammer and Charlie Lawden with the 800gm Javelin.
None of the above could have been possible without the excellent work of the Athletics NI Officials and Volunteers and special thanks must go to Andrew and the Mary Peters Track ground staff who were preparing the stadium from early morning and were still there at 11.00 pm at night.