Track & Field 2005

August 21st - National League Final, Tullamore

The track season came to a close in Tullamore today with the final of the national league, in which Shercock were competing in Division 1 for the second time. The day produced many memorable moments while the combination of a well organised event and the friendly atmosphere made for one of the year's more enjoyable track outings. Competition in division 1 was as tough as ever, with several of the events proving stronger than their premier division counterparts. Shercock took an early overall lead, somewhat to the team's surprise, however as the afternoon progressed a strong county team from Tipperary moved into pole position while Abbey and City of Derry occupied the two leading club positions at the end of the day, with Shercock finishing in the middle of the pack in fifth place.

The best performance came in the 4x100m relay, which produced the club's only win of the day, while second place finishes were achieved by James Ruxton in the 400m hurdles, Gerry O'Reilly in the 200m, Peter Muldoon in the racewalk, Philip Daly in the pole vault and Noel Carroll in the 3000m steeplechase. Hugh Fitzpatrick finished third in both the hammer and weight for distance, while a late switch by Philip Daly into the shot putt paid off with another third place finish. Gerry O'Reilly faced tough opposition from national champion Gary Ryan from county Tipperary in the sprints, however he added a third place finish in the 100m to his earlier second place in the 200m as Abbey's Mark Hopkins took the runner-up spot in the shorter sprint. James Ruxton was back on track for the 400m after his hurdles race, coming home in fourth place while Aaron Heery made a return to competition with a fourth place finish in the high jump and sixth in the long jump. Apart from Noel Carroll's impressive performance in the steeplechase, there was little to celebrate in the distance events as James Muldoon and Briain O'Dowd struggled to find their best form in the 1500m and 5000m while Michael Muldoon arrived late in Tullamore and missed the start of his 800m event. Matthew O'Reilly represented the club in the javelin, an unfamiliar event for the young thrower, and finished in seventh place. In the end the lack of first place finishes showed in the club's final total of 90 points, leaving us in fifth place behind County Tipperary, Abbey AC, City of Derry AC and Kilkenny City Harriers.

Elsewhere Crusaders held of the challenge of newcomers North Down AC to emerge as Ireland's top track and field club in the men's premier division. In the women's premier division Abbey AC, despite the absence of two of their leading athletes, produced an outstanding performance to win the title from DSD and can now look forward to following in the footsteps of fellow Ulster club Tir Chonaill AC when they represent Ireland in the European Champion Club Cup in 2006. There was further cause for celebration for Bobby Rea's Newtownabbey based squad when their men's team secured promotion to the premier division when finishing second in division 1. City of Derry's third place performance in division 1 reflected the growth of the north-west squad over the past year and will see them start next year's competition as one of the favourites for the title.

Shercock National League Men's Team 2005: Front row: Gerry O'Reilly, Noel Carroll, James Muldoon, Peter Muldoon and Briain O'Dowd. Back Row: Matthew O'Reilly, James Ruxton, Philip Daly, Alan McEntee, Hugh Fitzpatrick and Aaron Heery.

August 7th - National League Division 1 - Round 2, Santry

A sun-drenched Morton stadium provided the venue for the second day's competition in the national league today. The event lacked the atmosphere of the first day in Navan, mainly due to the failure of many clubs to turn up, coupled with controversy over the new single county rule, which restricts guesting athletes to the county of the team represented, a rule which some clubs appeared to be blatantly disregarding. A guest-free Shercock team put in a great effort on the day, largely overcoming the loss of three first choice athletes due to injury and international commitments, and emerged as the strongest club present over the opening two rounds. Hugh Fitzpatrick continued his development in the throws, winning the hammer with a useful PB of 31.37m and finishing second in the discus. Philip Daly likewise won the pole vault comfortably and finished second in the 200m. Peter Muldoon produced a commanding effort to win the 3000m walk from Finn Valley's Brendan Boyce. James Ruxton ran conservatively in the 400m hurdles, however he won by a large margin before taking on a demanding double over 800m. In his first major race over the distance, James acquitted himself well, holding on for third place in a time of 2:01, overtaking Sean Smith's club record in the process. Noel Carroll had a good run in the 5000m, moving up the field in the closing stages to finish third in 16:01. The final event, the 4x400m relay, featured substitutes James Muldoon and Luke O'Brien who teamed up with Philip Daly and James Ruxton. A great effort saw the team narrowly miss out on second place as Finn Valley's James King produced a strong effort to hold off the fast-closing James Ruxton in the final straight. Shercock held off the challenge of Derry to win the group with 56 points and also finished as leading club over the opening two rounds with 115 points ahead of Abbey AC (114). Results (unofficial):

Group 1: Abbey (61), Navan (51), Dublin Striders (51)
Group 2: Shercock (56), Derry (54), Finn Valley (51), Letterkenny (42), Fingallians (21)

Peter Muldoon, seen here leading from Finn Valley's Brendan Boyce, got the team off to a good start with a win in the 3000m walk.

James Ruxton had a comfortable win in the 400m hurdles and was equally impressive in the 800m when finishing third in a somewhat less comfortable 2:01.

Hugh Fitzpatrick added a second place in the discus to his win in the hammer to secure valuable points.

James Muldoon takes the baton from Philip Daly on the first leg of the 4x400m relay.

Luke O'Brien produced a great run in his first relay for the club, leaving the team in third place at the final changeover.

After a busy day, overcoming a ten metre lead proved a step too far for James Ruxton on the final leg of the 4x400m relay.

August 6th - Celtic Games, Wales - Double Win for Gerry O'Reilly

Gerry O'Reilly, competing in his first year in the under 17 age group, repeated his 2004 under 15 double at the Celtic Games in Carmarthen, Wales today when winning the 100m and 200m events. The win in the 100m, in a new PB of 11.06s, was very encouraging, as his main achievements this season have been over the longer sprint distance. In the 200m Gerry went head to head with Welsh champion Lloyd Rafell and European Youth Olympic finalist Ryan Oswald from Scotland. Refell had earlier defeated Gerry over 200m at the Schools International in Tullamore and Gerry was determined to reverse the result in Wales. In a very tight finish it took the photo-finish camera to separate him from the welshman, both athletes being given the same time of 22.12s, while Oswald was third in 22.76s. Congratulations are due also to Glaslough Harrier Patrick McCarron, who produced a great effort to win the under 15 100m for Ulster in a time of 11.66s and went on to also finish second in the 200m in 23.42s.

July 30th - Cavan-Monaghan Garda Divisional Open Sports

The annual Cavan-Monaghan Garda Divisional Open Sports were held in Shercock for the third time today and there were some outstanding competitions despite a lower than expected turnout due to the poor weather and the bank holiday weekend.

July 24th - AAI Senior Track & Field Championships

The Senior Track & Field Championships of Ireland took place in Santry over the weekend and featured some great contests for the crowds who braved the cool and blustery conditions. Shercock had a number of athletes in action including Irish schools intermediate champion Gerard O'Reilly (left) who progressed to the final of the men's 200m having defeated Darragh Graham in his heat in a winning time of 22.01s. The final came down to a head to head between Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzel with Brizzel crossing the line first to take the title. Gerry had a perfect start and came off the bend in a phlanx of runners which included Graham, Caolan Flanagan and Northern Ireland junior record holder Jason Smyth. Graham started to pull ahead in the home straight but Gerry fought back over the final 40m and overtook the Wicklow man on the line for a surprise bronze medal. Gerry had the added satisfaction of dipping under the 22 second mark for the second time, recording 21.98s into a headwind.

Hugh Fitzpatrick continued his pilgrimage through every available throwing event when he took part in the junior weight for height competition for the first time in Santry. Despite a lack of previous experience, Hugh took to the event like a pro and tossed the weight over the bar at a height of 4.50m to take the silver medal behind Farranfore's James Nagle. James Ruxton made something of a comeback following a mixed season over 400m hurdles when he finished in sixth place in the final of the 400m hurdles having barely qualified from the heats. Times were slow in the windy conditions however James repeated his placing in the 2004 final, defeating last year's silver medallist, Ronan Foulkes from Togher AC, in the process. Gerry O'Reilly and Philip Daly were in action in the heats of the 100m, Gerry finished in third place in his heat with a personal best of 11.15s and Philip was fourth in 11.26s. A harsh qualification regime from the heats to the final, in the absence of semi-finals, saw them share the fate of many familiar sprinters who failed to progress. Noel Carroll took part in the junior men's 3000m however he was unable to find his best form and finished down the field in tenth place.

July 17th - National Track & Field League - Round 1

Shercock took part in the national track and field league, division 1, today, and the competition opened for the club in Navan where we were drawn against Finn Valley, Letterkenny, County Monaghan, Sligo, Strabane and Tallaght for the first round of the competition. It was a very successful opening day's competition for the club, finishing on top of the group with a points total of 59, made up of five wins and two second places in the seven scoring events. James Ruxton made a great contribution with a win in the 400m and second place in the hurdles behind Strabane's Trevor McGlynn. David Shields was in impressive form in his first competition since being sidelined with injury in May, winning the high jump comfortably with a 1.90m clearance. Noel Carroll added to his success in the steeplechase with a win in 9:56 from Tallaght's Robert Fitzsimons. Philip Daly was equally impressive when cruising to victory in the 100m in 11.25s. The 4x100m relay team of Philip Daly, Gerry O'Reilly, James Ruxton and Alan McEntee looked very comfortable as they won by a large margin from Strabane and Tallaght. Hugh Fitzpatrick produced a great effort to finish second in the shot putt but was disappointed when the 56 pound weigh for distance was not held for want of an implement. The 1500m proved to be highly competitive with Tallaght taking the win in 4:05, James Muldoon finishing back in sixth place in a time of 4:21. Matthew O'Reilly finished fifth in the javelin with a throw of 31.14m.

Results (unofficial): 1. Shercock 59 points, 2. Tallaght 51, 3. Strabane 50, 4. Co. Monaghan 40, 5. Finn Valley 39, 6. Letterkenny 35, 7. Sligo 20.

Hugh Fitzpatrick scored valuable points when finishing second in the shot putt with a throw of 10.82m

James Ruxton also finished second in the 110m hurdles behind Strabane's Trevor McGlynn

David Shields made a successful return to competition to win the high jump with a 1.90m clearance.

James Muldoon survived a fast paced 1500m, finishing in sixth place in 4:21

Philip Daly passes to Gerry O'Reilly at the first changeover in the 4x100m relay.

Alan McEntee secures victory in the relay ahead of Strabane and Tallaght.

Noel Carroll makes short work of the water jump on his way to a win in the steeplechase in 9:56 from Tallaght's Robert Fitzsimons.

Its all a bit of a blur as Philip Daly ends the day with a win in the 100m.

July 16th - Schools International Track & Field, Tullamore

Three Shercock athletes were in action today in the schools international between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. While no medals were won by the trio there were some strong individual performances. Paul Fitzpatrick put in a battling effort in the 3km walk, knocking over 15 seconds off his PB for the event when finishing fourth in 14:38.8. Gerard O'Reilly also set a new mark for 100m when he likewise finished fourth in a PB of 11.32s. Gerry went on to also finish fifth in the 200m final. Matthew O'Reilly finished in sixth place in the shot with a 13.12m putt.

From left: Gerry O'Reilly, Paul Fitzpatrick and Matthew O'Reilly.

Matthew O'Reilly lets loose the shot at the schools international match in Tullamore

Paul Fitzpatrick on his way to a PB in the 3km walk in Tullamore

July 10th - AAI Juvenile Track & Field Championships

At the Irish age group championships in Tullamore at the weekend, Peter Muldoon (right) set a new championship best performance for the 5km racewalk. Competing in the championships for the last time before moving up to senior level, Peter produced one of his strongest performances to date to win the title in a time of 21:36 minutes which was inside the previous record set by Ballinamore's Colin Griffin. Peter was accompanied for the opening kilometer by Cushinstown's Michael Doyle however a strong pace over the middle phase saw him move into a clear lead which he developed all the way to the finish line. Peter was one of five athletes from Shercock won national titles at the championships. Gerry O’Reilly returned from the European Youth Olympics and exchanged the thirty degree heat of Italy for the twenty-seven degree heat of Tullamore where he was a comfortable winner of the under 17 200m in a relatively modest time of 22.6s. Philip Daly won the under 19 pole vault with a 3.50m clearance and finished second in the 100m in 11.25s and fourth in the 200m. Kevin Ruxton won the under 16 pole vault for the second year in succession and finished fourteenth in the 800m in 2:13. Paul Fitzpatrick was the sole competitor in the under 17 3km racewalk, however he was accompanied in the early stages by Kerry's Niall Prendeville who was competing in the under 16 age group. Paul finished the race comfortably in 15:05 and then competed in the pole vault in which he finished fourth with a PB of 2.70m. There were further medal winning performances by Shercock athletes James Muldoon (third under 18 steeplechase and pole vault), Matthew O’Reilly (third under 17 shot putt) and Hugh Fitzpatrick (third under 19 hammer). A number of athletes narrowly missed out on medal positions including Craig Lynch (fourth under 16 high jump), Fiona Murray (fourth under 18 1500m) and Paul Smith (6^th under 15 long jump).

Craig Lynch set a new PB of 1.71m when finishing fourth in the under 16 high jump

James Muldoon extended his growing collection of bronze steeplechase medals when he finished third in the under 18 2km steeplechase in Tullamore

Philip Daly celebrated his last year at the age group championships with a gold medal in the pole vault and a silver at 100m

Paul Fitzpatrick on his way to the under 17 racewalk title

European Youth Olympics - Gerry Shines in 200m Final

Gerard O'Reilly produced a display of sprinting well beyond his 15 years in the 200m final at the European Youth Olympic Festival today as he broke through the 22 second barrier for the first time to finish in fourth place. Gerry's progression in the competition has been remarkable, ranked second from last of the 18 original competitors, he defeated two of the events leading challengers when finishing second in his heat to Swiss champion Reto Schenkel, and so qualified for the final. With still another year to spend at youth level, Gerry was the youngest competitor in the event and went into the final ranked last of the six competitors. Among those facing him was British champion Ryan Oswald, who had defeated Gerry in their last encounter at the Scottish indoor championships. The roles were reversed in the final in Lignano today, however, as local Italian favourite Matteo Galvan crossed the line first ahead of Reto Schenkel in a very tight finish. The battle for third was a close call as Spain's David Hernandez just held off the challenge from the Irishman to take the bronze medal with Gerry just four one-hundredths of a second behind. Oswald was further back, finishing fifth in 22.64s with Pavel Setin from Azerbaijan sixth in 22.72s. Gerry knocked almost half a second of his previous best time recording an impressive 21.97s despite a 1.7 m/s headwind.

Top: with the finish line in sight Schenkel (SWI), Hernendez (Spain), Galvan (Italy) and Gerard O'Reilly are in contention for the medals while Oswald (GBR) and Setin (AZE) are left to sort out the minor places. Bottom: Galvan crosses first to take the title ahead of Schenkel while Gerard and Hernandez dip together for the bronze with the decision going in favour of the Spaniard.

The 2005 Youth Olympics have proved to be a fertile hunting ground for the Irish athletics contingent with no fewer than four medals being won by the squad. Amy Foster secured silver in the 100m while Eoin Healy and Ciaran O'Lionard took bronze in the steeplechase and 1500m respectively.

David McCarthy produced a great finish in the 800m after a slow, cautious opening 600m, however he was unlucky to be caught on the line by the German contender and had to settle for second place (left).

July 3rd - AAI Junior & Under 23 Championships, Cork

A large group of athletes from the club traveled to Cork by a variety of means for the AAI junior and under 23 championships today and enjoyed success across a wide range of events. Peter Muldoon and Paul Fitzpatrick found themselves the sole competitors in the 10km racewalk and duly raced each other for the title with Peter coming off the better to complete a hat-trick of Irish junior titles in 2005. Noel Carroll found Philip Conway's early pace in the steeplechase too hot to handle as Conway put in a strong run to win in 9:20.44 while Noel was content to settle for the silver medal in 10:01 with club mate James Muldoon third. James Ruxton pulled off a silver double when he finished second in both the 400m (50.31) and the 400m hurdles (50.31). Philip Daly set a new best mark for 100m when finishing third in his heat in 11.10s and went on to finish fifth in the final which was won by Jason Smith (10.59) with Caolan Flanagan 2nd (10.66). Fiona Murray was also in action on the track, finishing in sixth place in the 1500m in 5:26.6. In the under 23 championships Alan McEntee finished seventh in the 200m final in 23.35s and also placed fifth in his 100m heat in 11.53s. Michael Muldoon was in action in the 800m, taking 7th place in 2:08.27. At the end of a long day Alan, Michael, James and Philip teamed up to take the silver medal in the under 23 4x400m relay. There was plenty of action in the throws as well. Matthew O'Reilly was tied on 12.00m place going into the final round of the shot putt with Alan O'Connor from Tralee with Hugh Fitzpatrick close behind on 11.98m. A final round throw of 12.36m saw O'Connor move up into second place behind Justin Collins with Padraig White taking the bronze and Matthew and Hugh finishing 4th and 5th respectively. Hugh was also in action in the hammer, in which he finished 6th with 33.61m, and the discus in which he was disappointed to finish down the field in ninth place. Other competitors from Cavan included Annalee's Louise Reilly who finished third in the under 23 1500m and Bailieborough's Briain O'Dowd who finished in tenth place in the 1500m in 4:30.70, the race was won by Colin Costello in 3:54.4. Report by Hugh Fitzpatrick, Photos by Paul O'Neill

James Ruxton had a silver double in the 400m and 400m hurdles in Cork.

Paul Fitzpatrick won his first Irish junior medal when finishing second to club mate Peter Muldoon in the 10km walk.

Philip Daly in action in the pole vault

Noel Carroll takes the drop at the water jump on his way to a silver medal in the 3000m steeplechase.

Tailteann Games

Three Shercock athletes - Gerard O'Reilly, Matthew O'Reilly and Paul Fitzpatrick, shared in the success of the Ulster team which won the Tailteann Games inter provincial competition in Tullamore recently. Gerry repeated his schools' sprint double, winning the 100m in 11.2s and the 200m in 22.4s. Paul came from behind in the 3000m racewalk, taking the lead at the halfway point and producing a strong finish over the final kilometer to win by a large margin from Munster's Niall Prenderville in 14:57.5. Matthew produced a good effort to take third place in the shot putt behind Leinster's Luke Mangan and his Ulster team mate Ashleigh McCleneghan. Gerry finished the day with a third gold medal winning performance when he anchored the Ulster 4x100m relay team to victory. There was further good news for the three Cavan men when they were all selected for the Irish Schools team who will compete in the home countries international against England, Scotland and Wales on July 16th, when Matthew and Paul will receive their first Irish vests.

Dublin Grand Prix of Racewalking

Peter Muldoon retained the Irish Junior 10km Road title at the Dublin Grand Prix in the Phoenix Park at the weekend. Peter finished in second place overall in the junior 10km behind Goncalo Bejinha of Portugal while Milford's Brendan Boyce was third.

June 19th - Ulster Juvenile Track & Field Championships

Congratulations to the Shercock athletes who took part in the Ulster championships today. Hugh Fitzpatrick was the top performer with a triple gold in the under 19 shot (11.82m), hammer (33.37m) and discus (30.98m). Derrice McPhillips won her first Ulster title in the under 15 250m hurdles and also qualified for the AAI championships when she finished fourth in the 800m. Peter Muldoon won the under 19 5km racewalk in a time of 23:19.85 while his team mate Paul Fitzpatrick won the under 17 3km walk in 15:17.62. Paul was one of three Shercock pole vaulters who won silver medals when he finished in the runner up position in the under 17 age group with a PB of 2.60m. Also setting PBs in the vault were James Muldoon (2nd under 18 3.30m) and Kevin Ruxton (2nd under 16 2.70m). Paul Smith was a triple medalist in the under 15 age group when taking the silver medals in the high jump (1.55m) and long jump (5.39m) and third in the 200m (27.19s). Craig Lynch broke 12 seconds for the 100m sprint for the first time when finishing third in the under 16 age group in 11.99s and went on to also finish fourth in the high jump with a 1.65m clearance. Matthew O'Reilly finished second in the under 17 discus (30.26m) and shot putt (13.66m) while he also picked up a bronze medal in the hammer (31.48m). Kevin Ruxton qualified from the Ulsters with a fourth place finish in the 800m with a PB of 2:12.61s, however he was less fortunate in the 400m hurdles when he just missed out on qualification with a fifth place finish in 67.06s.

Craig Lynch (centre) battles for the lead with Mark Atkinson and Igho Diegbe in the heat of the under 16 100m.

Paul Fitzpatrick was one of a trio of Shercock vaulters who won silver medals and also set new PBs for the event.

Peter Muldoon completed a solo effort in the under 19 5km walk to take the title in a time of 23:19.85s.

Kevin Ruxton was successful in the pole vault and 800m however he missed out on a qualifying position for the AAI championships by a narrow margin when finishing fifth in the 400m hurdles.

Bailieborough's Helena O'Dowd battles for position in the 100m final.

Orla Smith from Innyvale AC demonstrates good form while walking her way to the silver medal in the under 17 3000m walk.

European Youth Olympic Festival

Gerry O'Reilly has been selected for the 200m event in the European Youth Olympic Festival which takes place in Italy at the start of July. Gerry has already enjoyed a very successful season in 2005, winning the Irish junior indoor 200m title in February and scoring a sprint double at the Irish Schools championships in Tullamore in his first year in the intermediate age group (left). We all wish him our warmest congratulations on his selection and every success to the Irish team in Italy.

Club mate David Shields was also under consideration for the European Youth Olympic squad however the young high jumper, with a PB of 2.02m, failed to recover sufficiently quickly from an injury he received in May and withdrew his name from consideration for the competition as he felt he would not be fit in time for the July event.

Irish Team:Boys 200 metres Gerard O'Reilly Shercock 800 metres David McCarthy West Waterford 1500 metres Ciaran O'Lionaird Leevale 3000 metres Brendan O'Neill DSD 2000 steeplechase Eoin Healy DSD Girls 100 metres Amy Foster North Down 200 metres Gemma Hynes GCH 100 hurdles Mairead Murphy Ferrybank 400 hurdles Kalyn Sheahan Ferrybank High Jump Pamela Hughes Westport Long Jump Kelly Proper Ferrybank Shot Laura Cogan Newbridge 4x100 relay from Foster,Hynes, Murphy, Proper, Sheahan

June 12th - AAI Senior Relay Championships, Tullamore

The Shercock men's 4x100m relay team were in action today at the AAI senior relay championships in Tullamore. It was the first time that the quartet had competed together as a 4x100m team and hopes were high that both the title and a fast time were within reach. Shercock were drawn in the outside lane with Clonliffe Harriers on their inside and from the gun it was clear that it was going to be a two horse race. Philip Daly started for Shercock and maintained the stagger over his Clonliffe opponent before passing early in the zone to Gerard O'Reilly. Gerry matched Clonliffe's John Laffey stride for stride down the back straight before passing to James Ruxton who ran a strong bend. Clonliffe, however pulled ahead on the third leg and despite the best efforts of Alan McEntee on the final leg he was unable to close the gap and Shercock had to settle for second on this occasion. The squad were consoled with a new club record of 43.24s, however, while Clonliffe won in 42.95s with third place going to Carrick-on-Shannon AC.

Pictured right are the Shercock 4x100m team of Gerard O'Reilly, Alan McEntee, James Ruxton and Philip Daly.

June 11th - Northern Ireland & Ulster Senior Championships

The picturesque venue of Belfast's Mary Peters track provided the setting for this year's combined AAI Ulster and NIAF senior track and field championships which took place today in brilliant sunshine as the Irish summer finally arrived for the Ulster athletics community. Initially the programme dragged and faltered as heats were cancelled due to a lack of entries leaving long gaps in the schedule, however there were some very exciting events later in the afternoon when the finals got under way. The first title of the day was won by Shercock's Peter Muldoon who powered to the front of the field after a conservative opening lap in the 3km walk and maintained the pressure all the way to the finish line to win convincingly from John Egan in a new personal best of 13:14. In so doing, he retained the title he had won for the first time in 2004. Peter is pictured left tracking Egan on the opening lap.

Noel Carroll showed no sign of nerves as he led out the men's 3000m steeplechase on the opening lap (right) in his first major senior competition. Noel kept up the pressure throughout the race, moving quickly to the front whenever the pace dropped as he broke away from the rest of the field in the company of Andrew Dunwoody and Turlough Donnelly. He appeared to have done enough to secure at least the silver medal by the final lap as Donnelly dropped behind, however the Abbey man made a final challenge in the closing stages and overtook Noel who finished just one second behind in third place. The story was all about the time, however, as the clock confirmed that his dogged perseverance at the head of the field had yielded a remarkable improvement in his personal best, which he reduced by over 30 seconds when finishing in 9:42. Briain O'Dowd from Bailieborough also contested the steeplechase, however he was unable to reproduce his best form on this occasion and finished down the field in a time of 10:50.

James Ruxton found himself in his second race in just a matter of days following his win in the Tuesday match between the Irish Universities and a Northern Ireland under 23 team. In Belfast the opposition came from Ian Neely from B&A and Thomas Patton from Thames Valley Harriers. Neely never looked under pressure for the title however James started well, lying in second place after the first three hurdles. A disrupted stride pattern on the final bend cost him valuable time, however and he was overtaken by Patton. Coming under pressure from Ben McIlroy in the home straight, James responded positively and pulled away after the pair cleared the final hurdle (left) to take the bronze medal.

Alan McEntee had plenty to contend with in the 100m final as Paul Brizzel and Paul McKee battled for the title. Alan produced his best run for almost four years to take sixth place in a time of 11.32s. His form was even better in the 200m where a personal best of 23.08s in the heat saw him progress to the final where he finished in fifth place as Brizzel picked up his second title of the day (see photos below). Michael Muldoon was unable to find the form that had seen him produce a series of new PBs over 800m in recent weeks and finished at the back of the field in Belfast.

Mens 100m Final - Alan McEntee (right) gets off to a good start in company with Paul Brizzel and Paul McKee (centre).

Brizzel and McKee pull away from the rest of the field as Alan contests the minor placings on his way to a season's best of 11.32s.

James McIlroy leads the field into the home straight in the 400m final.

200m Final - the battle for third place is settled in favour of Navan's Dermot Smith who finished just ahead of Mark Hopkins and Alan McEntee.

June 4th - Irish Schools Track & Field Championships

The Irish Schools track and field championships took place in Tullamore today and there were strong performances by a number of Shercock athletes who featured on the medal podium. Gusting winds and heavy showers were the order of the day as the weather failed to match the positive spirit of the large crowd who gathered for what is generally regarded as one of the country's best days of athletic competition. Gerard O'Reilly was in his first year in the intermediate age group in Tullamore however age proved to be no barrier to the Bailieborough Community School student as he powered down the home straight for an impressive double in the 100m and 200m, setting personal bests of 11.46s and 22.44s in the process. Gerard won the 200m from Mullingar's K Duggan with Glaslough Harrier Patrick McCarron in third place. There was a similar result in the 100m with Duggan once again in second place. (left).

Matthew O'Reilly struggled to qualify from the Ulster championships in which he had finished in third place in the intermediate shot and discus and initially it seemed as though he was destined for an inauspicious day out in Tullamore as he struggled at the bottom of the field in the discus. Matthew kept a surprise up his sleeve for the shot putt, however when he let loose the best putt of his life to break the ground at a distance of 14.03m, improving his personal best by almost 70cm and securing the silver medal behind the impressive Luke Mangan from Belvedere (14.57m).

In the inter boys 2km walk, Paul Fitzpatrick (left), St. Pat's, Cavan, made a successful return from injury when he produced a strong second kilometer to overtake second placed Martin Manning and finish well in the silver medal position behind winner Paul Murphy. Club mate Peter Muldoon, Inver College, also had a successful competition in Tullamore when finishing conservatively in third place in the senior 3km walk behind Brendan Boyce and Michael Doyle. James Muldoon matched his PB in the senior pole vault when he cleared 3.20m to finish in fifth place. In the junior boys long jump, which took place in desperate conditions, Paul Smith jumped 5.47m to finish in sixth place.

Inter boys 200m presentation - Gerard O'Reilly collects the first gold medal of his sprint double in Tullamore flanked by second placed K Duggan, left, and Glaslough Harrier Patrick McCarron, right.

Inter Boys 2km walk medalists - Shercock's Paul Fitzpatrick collects his silver medal (left), also pictured is race winner Paul Murphy, centre, and bronze medalist Martin Manning.

Glaslough Harrier Nicola Hackett produced a great second lap to win the intermediate 800m in Tullamore.

James King emerged from the pack with 200m to go to take the silver medal with a sprint finish in the senior 800m behind Kilkenny's Eoin Everard.

June 1st - Dublin Graded Meet No. 4

A number of club athletes were in action in the fourth meeting of the Dublin graded meet series at Santry today. Noel Carroll followed a solitary course in the 2000m steeplechase when the field was halved as his sole opponent dropped out on the second lap. Noel battled on with typical determination and achieved a well-deserved PB of 6:20.82. Alan McEntee produced a good effort to place second in the men's 100m A race behind Navan's Dermot Smith in a time of 11.77s. Brothers Michael and James Muldoon dropped down to 800m and both were rewarded with new PB's. Michael ran 2:04.78 when finishing 10th overall in the B races while James ran 2:06.27 when finishing 19th. Hugh Fitzpatrick finished in fourth place in the both the hammer (28.45m) and the 56 pound weight for distance (5.05m). Louise O'Reilly from Annalee AC came from behind with a strong finish to take second place in the women's 800m A race.

May 28th - Antrim Games

The celebration of 50 years of Ballymena & Antrim athletic club coincided with the official opening of the refurbished track at the Antrim Forum today with the holding of the Antrim Games, which featured many of Ireland's leading athletes. Two Shercock athletes featured in the programme - Gerard O'Reilly in the men's 200m and James Ruxton in the 400m hurdles. Gerry continued an impressive start to the 2005 outdoor season with a strong run in the 200m, coming off the bend in tandem with Darragh Graham as Paul Hession pulled away from the pair for a commanding win. Gerry matched Graham stride for stride down the home straight into a fierce headwind until the greater strength of the Wicklow man came to bear and he pulled ahead of his fifteen-year old opponent over the final 10m. Gerry finished strongly in third place just behind Graham, recording a useful 22.65s into the headwind. Pictured right are Darragh Graham, 2nd, Paul Hession, 1st and Gerry O'Reilly, 3rd. James Ruxton found himself in a head to head battle with Ronan Foulkes from Togher AC in the 400m hurdles. The race was won by Liam McDiarmid from Ian Neely while Ruxton and Foulkes battled it out for third place. Despite leading into the final straight, Ruxton lost the advantage to Foulkes in the closing stages and had to settle for fourth place on this occasion.

Caolan Flanagan reached new heights when he cleared 2.05m to win the men's high jump, left. Paul Hession produced a sprint double when also winning the 100m in Antrim while Anna Boyle repeated the feat to win the women's 100m and 200m. Ciaran O'Connell powered to the front of the men's 800m to win convincingly however any chance of a fast time was blown away by the gale-force winds. The men's 1500m was led in the early stages by Paul Pollock however the race was dominated on the final lap by Dominic McAlister and the precocious talent of Waterford's young middle distance star David McCarthy (right). The pair battled all the way to the line where McCarthy crossed first for an impressive victory in 3:58. The Antrim Games were both a triumph and a celebration for the founders of Ballymena & Antrim AC, Sean & Maeve Kyle, who are celebrating both the 50th anniversary of their club and their golden wedding anniversary. Together with their many friends in the Irish athletics community, we offer them our warmest congratulations and best wishes for the future.

May 22nd - AAI Games , Irishtown Stadium

The AAI Games took place today at Ireland's latest athletics venue, Irishtown Stadium. In its short life, the Dublin track has gained a reputation for producing fast times and despite adverse weather conditions, three of our club athletes set impressive new marks in their events. Peter Muldoon made a successful return to competition in the 5km racewalk and broke new ground when he covered the distance in a useful time of 22:32, which he achieved as a solo effort in the absence of any opposition. James Ruxton dropped down from his usual 400m hurdles to try to improve his 400m flat time and was rewarded with a new PB of 50.18s, knocking over a second off his previous best mark. The race was won by Antoine Burke from Ciaran O'Connell. Perhaps the race of the day was the mens 200m in which three of the country's best sprinters went head to head with Paul Hession looking highly impressive as he won by a large margin from David Gillick and Paul McKee. Shercock interest was focused on the B race in which Gerry O'Reilly (above) produced another strong performance to win from John Laffey in a new PB of 22.45s. Also representing Shercock in Irishtown was Noel Carroll, who was disappointed to find that the programmed 3000m had grown into a 5000m, which he dutifully completed in a time of 16:02 while Michael Muldoon contested the 800m and finished in 2:08. Annalee's Louise Reilly put in a great run in Irishtown to win the women's 1500m.

May 21st - Ulster Schools Track & Field Championships

A large crowd was in attendance at the Antrim Forum today for what is perhaps the best day's athletic competition in the province annually - the schools track & field championships. The weather defied the forecasters as predicted showers failed to make an appearance and only a gusting head wind in the home straight generated some meteorological discussion. The performances matched the conditions and several of our club's athletes featured in the shake up for the medals. Matthew O'Reilly (right) was first up in the intermediate shot putt and discus, winning a bronze medal in each with throws of 12.68m and 34.10m. Paul Smith found himself in a highly competitive junior boys long jump where the talented pairing of Gary Coulter and Scott Hamilton battled it out for the top honours. In the end it took a new record of 5.97m by Coulter to overcome Hamilton's best of 5.95m. Paul also broke new ground with a PB of 5.57m which was enough to carry him clear of the rest of the pack into third place. Gerry O'Reilly was in his first year as an intermediate, however he never looked pressurised as he powered away from the field to win both the 100m and 200m by a large margin. Gerry's winning times were 11.4s and 22.6s. In the middle distance events, Luke O'Brien produced a good effort to take 6th place in his first steeplechase competition, however he was unlucky to lose fifth place on the line to Neil Gibbons. Derrice McPhillips finished in eighth place in the junior girls 800m, dipping under 2:40 with a time of 2:39.85. Kevin Ruxton achieved a PB of 2.55m in the junior boys pole vault, which was enough to secure fourth place while club mate Philip Daly cleared 3.30m to also finish fourth in the senior age group. Racewalkers Paul Fitzpatrick (IB) and Peter Muldoon (SB) progressed to the nationals without opposition. In the Leinster Schools, James Muldoon finished in third place in the senior boys pole vault with a 3.20m clearance and also contested the 2000m steeplechase in which he finished in fifth place after a fall at a barrier cost him valuable time.

Elsewhere there were many impressive performances, not least Amy Fosters 100m and 200m intermediate double which she dominated from gun to tape in times of 12.5s and 25.3s. Gary Coulter added a 1.90m high jump gold to his long jump record and title in the junior boys. Jason Smith impressed when winning the senior 100m from Caolan Flanagan, who was compensated with a win in the senior high jump in 2.00m. Leslie Leung looked to be well within himself when winning the senior long jump in 6.60m. A Kennedy from Sperrin Integrated hopped, stepped and jumped out to 13.52m to win the intermediate triple jump. The anticipated clash in the senior 800m between Steven Morrow and James King lived up to expectations as King piled on the pace with a lap to go in an effort to dampen Morrow's finishing kick. The pair were still together with 100m to go, however, and Morrow came off the better in the sprint to the line, winning in 1:55.

Gerry O'Reilly opens up a lead in the inter boys 100m, which he won in 11.4s.

Gerry eases down the home straight in the 200m final which he won in 22.6s from Patrick McCarron, 23.5s.

Junior Boys long jump: Scott Hamilton, 2nd, 5.95m, Gary Coulter, 1st, 5.97m record and third Paul Smith, 5.57m.

Luke O'Brien clears a hurdle in the intermediate steeplechase in which he finished in sixth place behind winner Aidan McGowan, St. Malachy's, 4:43.

Fionan O'Reilly, St. Pat's, Cavan, battles with Stuart Brown, Campbell College, in the Inter Boys 1500m, Fionan finished in fourth place behind front-running winner Ryan Faulkner, St. Malachy's, 4:15.85.

John McKeown crosses the line after a solo run to victory in the intermediate boys 800m in 1:58.

Steven Morrow challenges James King as they enter the home straight of the senior boys 800m. Morrow came off the better in the race for the line, winning in 1:55.

Senior Boys 2000m Steeplechase. The competitors take the water jump on the first lap. Matthew Livingstone (right) went on to win in 6:20.

News Round-Up

May 12th & 13th: Best of luck to many of our juvenile athletes who will be in action in their schools district qualifiers in the Antrim Forum.

May 11th: Contractor Michael McEntee moved on site today (right) to commence construction of the new club rooms at the track in Shercock. This forms the third stage of the club's development plan following the construction of the track in 2000 and the provision of flood-lighting and spectator fencing in 2002. The club house includes much-needed dressing rooms and public toilets, a meeting room and kitchen area. On completion the container presently used as dressing rooms will be converted into a permanent equipment store. The project is grant-aided by the National Lottery.

May 11th: Gerard O'Reilly and Alan McEntee were in action in a close fought 200m at the graded meet in Dublin this evening. Gerard finished in second place behind Clonliffe Harrier John Laffey in 22.8s while Alan was fifth in 23.2s. In the junior men's shot putt Matthew O'Reilly set a PB of 11.84m for the 6kg weight when finishing second while Hugh Fitzpatrick was not far behind with an 11.23m effort. RESULTS

May 7th: A number of Shercock athletes traveled to Antrim to compete in the first of the Golden Four series of meets organised by the NIAF. Conditions were atrocious as gale-force winds buffeted the competitors. James Ruxton had a double win in the 200m and 400m hurdles in times of 23.4s and 56.4s respectively. James headed a Shercock threesome who took the top positions in the 200m with Alan McEntee finishing second in 24.0s and Philip Daly third in 24.1s. Philip reversed the result with Alan in the 100m, taking third place in 11.5s while Alan was fourth in 11.6s. Hugh Fitzpatrick contested the throws, finishing third in the shot putt with 9.57m and fourth in the discus with 27.26m. RESULTS

European Champion Clubs Cup 2005 Shercock Junior Men Finish Second in Tuzla The Shercock junior men's squad traveled to Tuzla, Bosnia, at the weekend to compete in Group B of the European Champion Clubs Cup. A long journey by plane to Dubrovnik followed by a 9 hour coach trip through Bosnia saw the team arrive in the northern city at 5am on Friday, however they soon overcame any remaining travel fatigue and put in a good training session at the stadium on Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday's competition. Valuable time was gained for the 4x100m relay squad which had to be re-arranged at short notice following an injury to Philip Daly a week earlier. By the end of the competition, the team would finish in second place behind hosts Sloboda-Technograd, having held off a strong challenge from Italy and Greece. Thirteen medal winning performances, seven personal bests and promotion for Ireland to Group A were the summary statistics for the club's best day's competition in its short history.
Strong opening performances by Padraig White in the hammer, James Ruxton in the 400m hurdles and Kevin McCloy helped Shercock into an early lead on the points table. The pole vault seemed doomed to be a Shercock graveyard, however, as Philip Daly's injury was followed by a refusal by Aer Lingus to carry the club's vault poles on their little airbus. Substitute James Muldoon was forced to use a short borrowed pole with the characteristics of a scaffold tube however two other competitors were in the same predicament and James came out the best of the threesome with a modest clearance of 3m which was enough to secure the bronze medal and some unexpected points. As temperatures soared in the early afternoon the host club edged in front and gradually moved out of reach as the day progressed. James King and Kevin McCloy kept the team in contention with silver medals in close fought 1500m and 800m races. A strategic switch of Caolán Flanagan into the long jump and Brian Flatley into the triple jump reaped dividends when Caolán produced an impressive PB of 7.02m to finish second while Brian finished third in the triple jump, also achieving a PB with a 13.14m effort.
	Padraig White releases the hammer on his way to securing the silver medal with a best effort of 48.57m.

	James Ruxton also secured silver in the 400m hurdles behind Danish record holder Andreas Bube.
The first Irish gold of the day came from sixteen year old Aaron Crawford with a great performance in the javelin while Gerry O'Reilly followed suit with a win in the 200m in a PB of 21.83s. Italian club Toscana Atletica and Greek club Eleftherios Venizelos closed to within a few points of Shercock as the final two events - the relays - approached. The 4x100m saw a spirited effort by the club team, who had been re-arranged at short notice the day before and took third place in a close-fought affair. The Italians, however, were second and closed to within a point of Shercock. The 4x400m would require something special if the chance of gaining a cherished promotion position was to be realised. Gerry O'Reilly produced a great opening leg, splitting just under 50s to send James Ruxton off in second place. James took the lead on the back straight but was overtaken by Bosnia in the run-in to the change zone as he passed to James King, who produced a great leg to claw back the advantage, taking the lead on the final baton change to Kevin McCloy. As the Irish supporters shouted themselves hoarse, Kevin ran away from the last Bosnian runner to take the gold medal with Italy well behind in 5th place. The win saw Ireland finish well clear in second place with a 78 point total behind Bosnia (88) and ahead of Italy (70), Greece (65) and Denmark (57). Promotion of Ireland to Group A - the top 8 junior clubs in Europe - was confirmed later that evening providing a great opportunity for whichever club the AAI select for the competition in 2006.

Matthew O'Reilly finished fifth in a highly competitive shot putt competition.	David Shields scored useful points when finishing fourth in the high jump with a best effort of 1.90m.

Kevin McCloy set a PB of 1:55 when finishing second in the 800m to Bosnia's Dusan Babic.	James Muldoon picked up a surprise bronze medal as a late substitute for Philip Daly in the pole vault and also finished fifth in the steeplechase.
Results 100m: Caolán Flanagan 2nd 11.04s 200m: Gerard O'Reilly 1st 21.83s 400m: James Ruxton 4th 51.08s 800m: Kevin McCloy 2nd 1:55.00 1500m: James King 2nd 3:57.64 3000m: Noel Carroll 3rd 9:16.18 110m Hurdles: Brian Flatley 5th 18:00 400m Hurdles: James Ruxton 2nd 57.09 2000m SC: James Muldoon 5th 7:03.82	Long Jump: Caolán Flanagan 2nd 7.02m Triple Jump: Brian Flatley 3rd 13.14m High Jump: David Shields 4th 1.90m Pole Vault: James Muldoon 3rd 3.00m Javelin: Aaron Crawford 1st 51.80m Shot Putt: Matthew O'Reilly 5th 11.62m Discus: Hugh Fitzpatrick 5th 32.80m Hammer: Padraig White 2nd 48.57m 4x100m: Craig Lynch, Gerard O'Reilly, Aaron Crawford, Caolán Flanagan - 3rd 43.84s 4x400m: Gerard O'Reilly, James Ruxton, James King, Kevin McCloy - 1st 3:21.22

Gerry O'Reilly produced another great run over 200m, winning in a new PB of 21.83s.	Aaron Crawford was also in gold medal winning form in the javelin, with a winning throw of 51.80m.

Caolán Flanagan took to the long jump runway for the first time in two years and produced a sensational best effort of 7.02m in the fifth round to finish second.	The multi-talented Brian Flatley brought his skill to bear in the triple jump, producing a 13.14m effort to set a new PB and win the bronze medal.

1500m - James King tracks Bosnia's Nenad Tosevic while Italy's Giovanni Boccoli struggles to keep pace. The places remained unchanged despite a titanic struggle at the front, James achieving a new PB of 3:57.64 in the process.	3000m - Noel Carroll was unlucky to win only a bronze medal as a strong finish saw him close down a large gap to second place on the final lap.

Hugh Fitzpatrick threw a PB of 32.80m to take fifth place in the discus.	Peter Muldoon sets the early pace in the non-scoring 3000m walk which he went on to win by a large margin.

Irish soldiers Jimmy Bartley, Dermot Murray, Ger Fogarty, Dave O'Shea and Pat Houlihan took time out from serving with EUFOR in Bosnia to support the Irish assault in Tuzla.	The Irish crowd take on water as the temperature soars in the early afternoon.

Craig Lynch passes to Gerry O'Reilly in the 4x100m in which the team finished third behind Bosnia and Italy.	A critical changeover as Kevin McCloy takes the baton from James King in the 4x400m and takes the inside lane from the Bosnian team, who went on to set a new national record when finishing second behind Shercock.

Mission accomplished - the 4x400m relay team celebrate their win which secured second place for Shercock in the overall competition ahead of Italy.	The 4x100m team were in festive mood at the medal presentation ceremony - Aaron Crawford, Caolán Flanagan, Gerry O'Reilly and Craig Lynch.

Shercock are awarded the Cup for second place.	Caolán's attempt to win the best dressed medalist's award was sadly unsuccessful.

May 1st - Cavan Track & Field Championships 2005 Strong Shercock Performances secure the Dr. Quinn Cup and the Moynagh Cup The Cavan track & field championships were held in Navan for the first time today as the Shercock track was unavailable due to construction work. The change of venue proved to be a popular choice as numbers appeared to be up in both the juvenile and senior competitions. The Shercock juveniles began the day with a lead in the Moynagh Cup following strong performances by the under 11 and 12 age groups in the first stage a week previously. The club had won the Cup every year from 1995 to 2002 before losing out to Innyvale AC in 2003 and 2004. Outstanding individual performances in Navan by Celine Clerkin, Derrice McPhillips, Paul Smith, Kieran McDermott, Niall Shannon, Daniel Muldoon, Micheal Gargan and Brian Sankey combined with a strong rearguard action by the relay teams overcame the challenge of the numerically superior Innyvale side to bring the Moynagh Cup back to Shercock. A delighted Bridie Clerkin, who heads up the juvenile coaching team, accepted the cup on behalf of the club from Carol Kiernan, chairperson of the county board (right). Shercock first won the senior Dr. Quinn Cup in 1997 and retained it every year since, holding off a strong challenge from Innyvale AC in last year's competition. Numbers were up across the board in the senior events in Navan as Team P Elliott and Annalee AC challenged the Shercock and Innyvale squads for the medals. For the first time, four teams contested both the men's and ladies medley relays, with Shercock taking a clean sweep of the men's medals as well as taking first and second place in the ladies event. Perhaps the race of the day was the men's 800m when James Ruxton moved out of his 400m comfort zone to challenge the middle distance runners. Michael Muldoon made the early running after a cautious start, however Ruxton looked relaxed as he tracked the leaders in third place before releasing a sprint finish that saw him accelerate into the lead to take the title. James Muldoon came from behind to take the silver medal while Michael held off the challenge of Noel Carroll and Sean Smith to take the bronze. There were further impressive performances by Albert Eakins and Geraldine O'Reilly in the masters 1500m while Fiona Murray dominated the women's 800m and 1500m. Alan McEntee, Philip Daly, Gerard O'Reilly and Craig Lynch were dominant in the sprints while Hugh Fitzpatrick and Matthew O'Reilly impressed in the shot putt. In the high jump there were winning performances by James Ruxton (senior), Craig Lynch (u17) and Niamh Traynor (u17). When the competition had ended, the Shercock seniors, combined with the under 16 and 17 age groups, had amassed a total of 139 points, an increase of over 50 points on their 2004 performance, to retain the Dr. Quinn Cup for 2005. Team captain Alan McEntee accepted the cup on behalf of the club from Carol Kiernan (left). Moynagh Cup (Juvenile): 1. Shercock (86) 2. Innyvale (79) 3. Annalee (51) 4. Bailieborough (29) 5. Team P Elliott (24) 6. Drumlin (16) Dr. Quinn Cup (Senior): 1. Shercock (139) 2. Innyvale (80) 3. Annalee (24) 4. Bailieborough (20) 5. Team P Elliott (10) 6. Laragh (6) *Full results will be published when they become available from the county board.*





Shercock's juveniles and seniors celebrate the Moynagh and Dr. Quinn Cup double at the Cavan track & field championships in Navan.
April 24th - Irish Universities Track & Field Championships A number of Shercock athletes were in action at the Irish universities track & field championships at the new track in Irishtown, Dublin today. James Ruxton (Sligo IT right) produced a sensational start to his outdoor campaign in the 400m hurdles when he powered off the final bend to overtake Maurice Donoghue and Barry Upton and open up an impressive lead over the final flights. James crossed the line in first place having smashed his personal best with a 54.66s clocking which puts him within range of the European Junior Championships qualifying time. Michael Muldoon (UCD) put in a strong effort to finish in third place in the 3km racewalk in a time of 17:14. Michael led for the opening laps before dropping back to third in the closing stages. Hugh Fitzpatrick (TCD) was busy in the throwing events, tossing the 16kg weight out to a new personal best of 6.58m to finish 6th in the weight for distance (below). Hugh also contested the hammer where he finished 7th with a 24.14m effort using the senior weight. Noel Carroll (Sligo IT) struggled to find his best form in the steeplechase (below) as he was recovering from a heavy dose of a cold however he still acquitted himself well to finish in fifth place, also achieving a personal best time of 10:13. Alan McEntee (DKIT) narrowly missed out on qualification for the final of the 100m when he finished in fourth place in his heat in 10.78s. Among other Cavan athletes competing in Irishtown, Louise Reilly (DCU) ran well in the early stages of the 1500m, holding second place for much of the distance until the final lap when she was overtaken and dropped back to fourth. Briain O'Dowd (DIT) produced a typical determined effort in his first 3000m steeplechase and did well to finish in eighth place in a time of 10:38. Anne Marie Burns (DCU), who transferred from Shercock to a Dublin club last year, jumped 4.20m to finish in 9th place in the long jump.

James Ruxton clears the final hurdle in the lead in the 400m hurdles (left) before finishing strongly to win in a new PB of 54.66s.

Hugh Fitzpatrick tosses the 16kg weight for distance.	Michael Muldoon on his way to third place in the 3km walk.	Louise Reilly (DCU & Annalee AC) finished in 4th place in the 1500m.

Noel Carroll shows good technique at the water-jump at the Universities Track & Field Championships (above), while Briain O'Dowd from Bailieborough (left & right) also made a big splash in his first steeplechase competition. Noel finished fifth in 10:13 and Briain was eighth in 10:38.
April 20th - Dublin Graded Meet No.1 A number of athletes from the club were in action in Santry today at the first of the Dublin Graded Meet series. Conditions were on the cold side and performances were typically sluggish for this early stage in the season. Gerard O'Reilly had a positive start to the outdoor season with a win in the 100m A race in 11.4s. Brian O'Reilly was also in action in the sprints, taking 8th place in the 100m C race in 13.5s. Hugh Fitzpatrick finished in the runner-up spot in the hammer with a 25.36m effort and Michael Muldoon dropped down to 800m and was rewarded with a personal best of 2:08.5 in the C race when finishing sixth.
AAI Star Awards The annual AAI Star Awards ceremony took place in Knock, Co. Mayo at the weekend and the award for the leading juvenile from county Cavan in 2004 was won by Gerard O'Reilly. Gerard had an outstanding season in 2004 which included sprint doubles over 100m and 200m at the AAI Age Group Championships, Schools Championships and Celtic Games, a 60m and 200m double at the AAI indoor championships, a double silver over 200m in the AAA championships indoors and outdoors, a win in the schools pentathlon and a silver in the AAI indoor pentathlon. Gerard follows in the footsteps of Shercock club mates Brendan Corrigan (1998), Patrick Corrigan (1999 & 2000), Alan McEntee (2001), Sean Smith (2002) and Anne-Marie Burns (2003) who were previous winners of the Cavan award. The award was presented by Michael Gaffney of Waterford Crystal (left), also pictured are Patsy McGonagle and Breda Synnott of the AAI. The overall award was won by the multi-talented Brian Flatley (right) from Claremorris in recognition of his national medal winning performances which included combined events, hurdles, high jump and long jump during 2004. Brian was a valued member of the Shercock junior men's team who won Group C at the European junior champions club cup in Gateshead last year and we offer him our warmest congratulations on receiving the overall Star award.