Alix, Therese and Sarah at Irish Multi-Events
Mon 6 August 2012--admin
While Team GB were enjoying their Super Saturday in the Olympic Stadium, several of City of Lisburn’s young multi-eventers were in action at Santry (Dublin), inspired no doubt by their heroine Jessica Ennis. The occasion was the Irish age-group Combined Event championships, with all three Lisburn athletes enjoying their first competition at this venue.
Alix Galbraith put together a great series of performances in the Under 14 category to lead the competition after 4 events. Over the (lower Irish height) 75m hurdles she had one of the best times of the day (13.02s), the best shot with 10.53m and was 2nd at high jump (1.43m). She was a little disappointed with her PB of 3.96m at long jump after some much bigger recent training jumps.
She finished with a PB of 3:04 in the 800m although realises this is a weaker event for her. Unfortunately this saw her slip just outside the medals to 4th. However it confirmed that Alix is one of the best all-round athletes in her age-group in Ireland and with a bit of work on her endurance she will be back for a medal next year.
Well done to Therese Hillman who was also in action in this category and did well to record three PB’s. She tied Alix’s performance of 13.02s over the hurdles, recorded PB’s of 1.25m and 3.50m at high jump / long jump and then threw the shot 5.37m for another PB. A good run of 2:56.37 in the 800m moved her up to finish in 11th place overall.
Sarah Woods had a good all-round display in the Under 15 pentathlon event. She stepped up to 80m hurdles under Irish rules for this age-group and adapted well with a 13.97s run. Her shot was a solid 8.38m and she then made a big breakthrough in the high jump, improving from 1.24m at last year’s NI multi-events to a much more respectable 1.44m PB here. These performances all saw her around 4th or 5th best in each event although a below-par long jump of 4.02m cost her a few points.
She was 6th out of 19 going into the final 800m event but despite a PB of 3:08 slipped to a respectable 9th place but still enjoyed her day immensely.
Congratulations to all three of the athletes on all their PB’s in Dublin, which will have been good practice for the NI multi-events in three weeks.