Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) and Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers AC) lit up Morton Stadium on the opening day of the 123.ie National Senior Championships, powering to victory in the women’s and men’s 200m finals respectively. Mawdsley crossed the line into a stiff breeze in 23.55 (-2.6 m/s), while Lawler stormed home in 20.66 (-0.4 m/s) to claim today’s national sprint crowns.

In the women’s final, Mawdsley held off strong challenges from Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC), who clocked 23.80 for silver, and Lauren Roy (Fast Twitch AC), who secured bronze in 23.88. The win saw Mawdsley claim her first senior outdoor 200m title in front of huge crowds in Santry.

Speaking after the race, the Newport AC athlete said: “I’m happy with that. I knew today was going to be a really hard task and to come out on top, I’m absolutely thrilled. Sarah [Lavin] was ahead of me, and I was just saying to myself, stay calm, stay strong, and dig deep, and thankfully I ended up winning the title. It was a pity about the wind, but it was close to a PB and that’ll give me great confidence heading into my last race before worlds on the 16^th of this month”.

Speaking of the crowds in Morton today, the newly crowned 200m champion said: “To see the crowds this big on day one is insane. I’m thrilled with the support and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone”.

Mawdsley, who spent hours signing autographs for adoring young fans, withdrew from the afternoon’s 400m heats on the back of today’s medal-winning display.

Lawler’s commanding run in the men’s final saw him finish clear of Darragh McConville (Dundrum South Dublin AC), who took silver in 21.41, and Adam Murphy (Tinryland AC), who claimed bronze in 21.51. The Clonliffe Harriers sprinter continues his recent run of form which has seen him play a leading role in the men’s 4x100m team who broke one of the longest standing national records twice back in June.

Finals on the track today also included the men’s 10,000m walk which led off the day’s proceedings. David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley AC) secured his fourth outdoor 10000m walk title in a winning time of 39:39.93. The women’s 5000m walk went to West Waterford’s Kate Veale who crossed in 23:46.46 to secure her 10^th national outdoor 5000m walk title.

Rounding out the individual finals on the track were the 3000m steeplechases where in the women’s race Abbie Sheridan won her first national senior track title thanks to a race-winning-kick with 300 meters to go to cross in a time of 10:05.72 ahead of Alexandra Joyce (Tuam AC) and Amy Green (Finn Valley AC).

The field events were busy throughout the day’s schedule with the performance of Olympian Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock) in the men’s shot one of the standout highlights. The Paris Olympian delivered a powerhouse performance to take gold in the men’s shot put, launching the winning throw to 19.58m.

Niamh Fogarty of Raheny Shamrock kicked off her weekend in style, claiming gold in the women’s shot put with a throw of 14.29m. The national discus record-holder will be back in action tomorrow afternoon to compete in her signature event, the discus.

Conor Cusack (Lake District Athletics) delivered a standout performance in the men’s javelin, launching a superb throw of 75.42m to secure the national title in dominant fashion.

Fresh off representing Ireland at the European U23 Championships in Bergen, Aoife O’Sullivan (Liscarroll AC) continued her impressive form by claiming senior gold in the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.75m. Meanwhile in the men’s high jump, rising star Conor Penney (Craughwell AC) secured his first senior outdoor title with a best clearance of 2.10m.

Daphni Doulaptsi Teeuwen (Raheny Shamrock AC) was touted as the main challenger to Saragh Buggy’s dominance of the women’s triple jump and duly delivered with a best leap of 13.05m securing top spot, with buggy second in 12.74m.

A host of heats also took place today with star names including Sarah Healy (800m in 2:03.63), Mark English (800m in 1:48.92), Andrew Coscoran (1500m in 3:46.99), Chris O’Donnell (400m in 46.79), and Sophie Becker (400m in 53.25) all safely progressing to tee-up some mouthwatering showdowns tomorrow.

Selected Day 1 Results

Shot Put Women

1. FOGARTY, Niamh Raheny Shamrock A.C. 14.29
2. GALLEN, Caoimhe Lifford Strabane A.C. 12.40
3. FRATTAROLI, Alana Limerick A.C. 11.23

10,000m Walk Men

1. KENNY, David Farranfore Maine Valley A.C. 39:39.93
2. GLENNON, Matthew Mullingar Harriers A.C. 45:53.0
3. ALEXANDER, Ross Coolquill A.C. 53:05.16

Shot Put Men

1. FAVORS, Eric Raheny Shamrock A.C. 19.58
2. KELLY, John Finn Valley A.C. 17.85
3. KEATING, Callum North Cork A.C. 14.67

Triple Jump Men

1. FAHY, Darragh Loughrea A.C. 13.91
2. ONWUDIWE, David Ennis Track A.C. 13.89
3. KNOX, Joshua SEN M City of Lisburn A.C. 13.58

High Jump Women

1. O’SULLIVAN, Aoife Liscarroll A.C. 1.75
2. O’CONNOR, Tara Dundalk St. Gerards A.C. 1.70
3. FLEMING, Maeve Leevale A.C. 1.65

5000m Walk Women

1. VEALE, Kate West Waterford A.C. 23:46.46
2. LANE, Aisling Mullingar Harriers A.C. 24:36.80
3. FAOITE, Éabha Kenmare A.C. 24:56.99

Triple Jump Women

1. DOULAPTSI TEEUWEN, Daphni Raheny Shamrock A.C. 13.05
2. BUGGY, Saragh St. Abbans A.C. 12.74
3. MC DONAGH, Caoimhe SEN W South Sligo A.C. 11.74

Javelin Men

1. CUSACK, Conor Lake District Athletics 75.42
2. SCANLON, Andrew Leevale A.C. 60.81
3. JORDAN, Michael Naas A.C. 57.40

Javelin Women

1 CASEY, Grace Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 44.88

2 HEALY, Leanne Marian A.C. 43.99

3 GORDON, Ailbhe Greystones and District A.C. 41.81

200m Women Final

1. MAWDSLEY, Sharlene Newport A.C. 23.55
2. LAVIN, Sarah Emerald A.C. 23.80
3. ROY, Lauren Fast Twitch A.C. 23.88

200m Men Final

1. LAWLER, Marcus Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 20.66
2. MCCONVILLE, Darragh Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 21.41
3. MURPHY, Adam SEN M Tinryland A.C. 21.51

3000m SC Women

1. SHERIDAN, Abbie St. Peter’s A.C. 10:05.72
2. JOYCE, Alexandra Tuam A.C. 10:09.04
3. GREENE, Amy Finn Valley A.C. 10:41.21

High Jump Men

1. PENNEY, Conor Craughwell A.C. 2.10
2. IBRAHIM HALIL, Mohammed Raheny Shamrock A.C. 1.95
3. KELLY, Darragh SEN M Craughwell A.C. 1.90

3000m SC Men

1. DALY, Finley Sligo A.C. 8:59.04
2. STAFFORD, Jonas U.C.D. A.C. 9:06.58
3. MOLONEY, Diarmuid Nenagh Olympic A.C. 9:40.50

Full list of results HERE

ENDS

NOTES

• Day 2 timetable HERE
• Watch on Athletics Ireland YouTube HERE
• Day 2 Spectator Tickets HERE (U16s are FREE and do not require a ticket)