National Track and Field Championships Preview

In the women's Long Jump, reigning champion, Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC), goes into the competition as the highest ranked Irish athlete with her season's best jump of 6.31m. Proper will have her eyes on a 7th national outdoor long jump title, but, will have 2011 champion Mary McCloone (Tيr Chonaill AC) to compete against, who has a season's best of 5.96m and 16 year old Annie Stafford who set her personal best of 5.78m this season. Linzi Herron is ranked number two on the 2013 Irish rankings with a leap of 6.13m and she will have her eye on a podium position.

In the men's Long Jump, Leevale's David Quilligan is the form athlete having jumped his personal best of 7.44m on June 1st this year. With last year's champion, Adam McMullen (Crusaders AC) not competing, a hotly contested competition for the medal spots will likely unfold with Leevale's 16 year old jumping sensation, Sam Healy (PB 7.06m this year), leading the charge behind clubmate Quilligan.

The women's Triple Jump sees reigning champion, Mary McLoone (Tيr Chonaill AC) face off against Aughagower AC rival, Caoimhe King. King tops the 2013 outdoor rankings with her season's best of 12.24m, but, McLoone, who has won 8 national outdoor triple jump titles in the last 9 years, will be looking to add another title to her impressive collection.

Leevale AC could well take gold in both men's Long Jump and Triple Jump, with Denis Finnegan (Leevale AC) over a metre clear of his nearest rival competing this weekend with his season's best of 15.32m. Last year's runner up (to Finnegan), Alan Kennedy (North Down AC), has a personal best of 15.19m and will look to challenge Finnegan, along with Ferrybank's Sean Archer.

The women's High Jump will be an exciting affair with only 3 centimeters separating the top 3 ranked athletes competing. Neasa Murphy (Ferrybank AC) leads the way with 1.68m this season, while both Emily Rogers (St. Peters AC) and Sorcha Murphy (Ferrybank AC) have recorded 1.65m.
High Jump fans will be in for a treat this weekend with Great Britain's European U/23 Bronze Medalist, Allan Smith (Ballina AC), competing in the men's High Jump. Smith jumped 2.26m in the Euro U/23's this month and will have Simon Phelan (Clonliffe Harriers) to challenge him, who has a season's best of 2.14m. 17 year oldJamie Murtagh (St. Andrews AC), who recorded his personal best jump of 2.10m this season, will be also be one to watch.

National Pole Vault Record holder, Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC), will look to excite the crowd when she goes in the women's Pole Vault this weekend. Pena recorded a new National Record of 4.60m this season and will be hoping to show similar form at Morton Stadium and take home her 4th consecutive outdoor title. Raheny Shamrock's Zoe Brown, who has jumped 4.21m this season, will look to challenge Pena.

Clonliffe Harriers' David Donegan is the favourite for the men's Pole Vault title, having won the previous 5 years and going into the competition as the highest ranked athlete in the field with his 4.70m season's best. He will be hard-pressed by Dunboyne's Thomas Houlihan (4.60m season's best) and Raheny Shamrock's Stuart Greene (4.50m season's best).