Magic day on Mersey for St Peter's
St Peter's AC athletes line out for a team photo before competing so well in Liverpool last weekend.
Wednesday September 08 2010
LAST Saturday was a remarkable day in the history of St Peter's AC as a team of 17 athletes from the club enjoyed tremendous success at the annual Southport Waterloo AC Open Meet in Liverpool – winning six gold, four silver and nine bronze medals.
Joining the athletes on what was the best ever overseas trip in the annals of the Dromiskin-based club were club coaches Angela McDonald and Kathleen McConnell and parents Geraldine Fussey, Angela McGinn and Catherine Rogers.
The end-of-season competition attracted athletes from near and far to the Litherland track in the north of the city, although windy conditions militated against fast times.
When the medal count for each club was tallied at the end of a hectic day, St Peter's AC emerged as the fourth best club overall behind three big Merseyside clubs – Liverpool Harriers, host club Southport Waterloo AC and Liverpool Pembroke Sefton AC.
However 38 other clubs, including Merseyside's St Helens Sutton AC and Wirral AC, trailed in their wake.
Nikayla Hamill was the star performer on the day as she won gold in the Under-13 High Jump (1.25m) and Long Jump (3.73m) and battled her way to silver in the 800m.
Mark Rogers also won three medals – gold in the U15 High Jump (1.75m) and bronze in both the 800m (2:16.7) and Shot (11.38m).
The other St Peter's gold medallists were Emily Rogers in the U-17 High Jump (1.64m), Lauren Finegan in the U-15 Long Jump (4.04m) and Liam Fussey in the U-13 Javelin (21.41m). Lauren also came fourth in the Javelin and Liam was seventh in the Shot.
Niamh Fussey was in great form in the U-17 events as she took silver in the 100m (14.7) and 80m Hurdles (14.4) and bronze in the Long Jump (4.63m). Megan Finnegan made in a one-two for St Peter's with silver in the U-15 Long Jump (4.02m) behind Lauren and she also finished fourth in the 300m (50.7).
Éamonn McManus was a double sprints bronze medallist in the U-15 100m (13.9) and 200m (28.7) and finished fifth in the Shot. And Philip Larney did well at U-17 level to take bronze in the 400m (1:00.7) and to finish fourth in the 200m and Long Jump.
St Peter's AC won three bronze medals in the Senior Men's events through Darren Tuite in the High Jump (1.65m), Ian McDonald in the Long Jump (5.40m) and Tom McGrane in the Shot (9.05m). Ian was also fourth in both the 100m (12.4) and Javelin (32.04m).
Orlaith McMahon, Elizabeth Bell, Heather Rogers, Martin McGrane and Pádraic McGinn also did well, some just missing out on medals.
