Athletes aiming for success at Mary Peters Track

The Mary Peters Track hosts the 2015 NI & Ulster Senior and Under Age championships this Saturday and Sunday with a sizeable number of local athletes set to challange for honours.

Tomorrow will see the Senior and U18/19/20 events contested while on Sunday its the turn of the U14/15 age groupers to take centre stage.

Athletes from City of Derry Spartans and Derry City Track Club make up the bulk of the local entries and among them should be some genuine medal contenders. Recent sub 2 minute 800m man DCTC’s Matt Doherty should feature in the U19 two lapper, the Spartans Arnie Doherty, Connor Doherty, Declan Reed, Catherine Whoriskey, Jackie McMomagle and Sarah Kivelehan and Inishowen’s evergreen Pauric McKinney, should all go well in their respective Men’s and Womens’ senior 5000m races.

In the Sprints DCTC’s Aaron Carlyle will hope to make a mark in the senior 200m and 400m while the Spartans Stephen McGahey could be a factor in the U18 100m and 200m.

Naomi Morgan will hope to clear her head from her ongoing exam stress to push for a podium spot in the U20 sprint Hurdles and Long Jump while another City of Derry athlete just back after long term injury, Triple Jumper Mary Devlin will focus on a good performance.

Danea Herron will also go in the Women’s Triple Jump and will hope for decent weather conditions as she chases another National F55 record jump.

Michael Melarkey has a medal shout in the U20 1500m while DCTC’s top M45 Cathal McLaughlin will relish going in against the younger men in the Senior 1500m. Lucy Appleton in the U18 Girls 200m/400m and Emma McCay in the senior sprint Hurdles and High Jump are others to look out for on what should be a good day of competition across all events.