Page 128 - Bellfort Magazine 2024

Athletics
District Cross-Country Championships - Three boys made the long trip to Stranorlar, County
Donegal to take part in the District Cross-Country Championships, all aiming to qualify for the
Ulster Schools' finals. Conditions were very heavy underfoot and this was a contributing factor
when Simon Gregg in Year 9 took a fall in heavy mud during his own race, whilst other
competitors suffered the misfortune of losing their shoes when trying to continue running
through the mud! Admittedly, Simon was disappointed by his performance and overall finishing
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position (34 out of 84 Minor Boys), but he deserved full credit for showing great resilience in
the face of adversity.
Joel Barr in Year 11 took part in the Intermediate Boys' race (Under 16) and was competing
against boys a year older than himself. Having played and scored in the school rugby match day
the day before, it was always going to be a big undertaking for Joel to perform to his usual high
sporting standards, despite having an 'ice bath' the night before to help with his recovery. Joel
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still finished a highly creditable 36 out of sixty-three competitors and, he too, can be suitably
proud of his efforts, when it would have been so easy for him to simply step off the course and
not finish at all.
The last race of the day was the Senior Boys event (6000m / 3.6 miles) in which Daniel Hanna in
Year 14 was competing. Daniel had been training well outside of school and this was evident by
him comfortably maintaining a position in the top ten of the field for the first half of the race,
before moving alongside and passing a couple of other competitors to lie in eighth position
overall. His tremendous performance secured his own qualification for the Ulster
Schools' Championships at Mullusk.
Ulster Schools’ Cross-Country Finals - Daniel Hanna had a highly creditable performance in
the Ulster Schools' Cross Country Championships at Mullusk. Running over a 4-lap course,
measuring a total distance of 6400m, he finished 34th out of eighty-one competitors in the
Senior Boys' event, which saw the best of athletic talent competing from throughout the entire
province.
District Track and Field Championships – Meadowbank Arena, Magherafelt—Daniel Hanna
finished third in the Senior Boy's 5000m at the District Athletics Championships, running a time
of 18.12 mins. This secured his place in the Ulster Schools' Track & Field Championships.
Athletes in Year 8, both boys and girls, had their first experience of attending
an athletics meeting and all performed well in their selected events. Simon Gregg and David
Rad did likewise when competing against stiff competition in the 800m, Long Jump and Shot
Putt, respectively. Competing as an intermediate boy, Joel Barr in Year 11 displayed his
supreme talent for sprinting by qualifying for both the 100m and 200m finals, recording times
of 11.45 secs and 23.64 secs respectively, the former time eclipsing a former school record
which had stood for 35 years! Joel finished fifth in a time of 11.63 secs, but he saved his best
performance for the 200m, his preferred discipline, finishing second in another school
record of 23.62 secs. This has secured his qualification for the Ulster Schools' Track & Field
Championships at the Mary Peter’s Track, Belfast.

Ulster Schools’ Track and Field Championships - Mary Peter’s Track, Belfast—Conditions were
very warm on the day and the competition was equally fierce from the best of athletic talent
assembled from all schools throughout the province. Joel Barr ran in the Intermediate Boys'
200m and finished in a time of 24.4 secs which, unfortunately, was not fast enough to qualify for
the final, although he will still be able to compete in this same age-group category next
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year. Daniel Hanna took part in the final of the Senior Boys' 5000m, finishing in 10 place in a
time of 18:06.99 mins.