Local athletes produced some very positive performances at the Ulster/NI Age Group Athletics Championships held at a sweltering Mary Peters track over the weekend.

Highlights included a silver medal for Oisin Cassidy of St Michael’s in the U19 3000m in a personal best of 8.56.18 behind Matthew Lavery of North Belfast.

Having ran a impressive 1.58 for 800m recently Oisin will look to set new figures over 1500m at the senior championship next weekend, before the national age groups in early August.

There was also a silver in the U15 1500m for Charlie Reihill (St Michael’s/ERC) as he ran an astute tactical race to pull away with pre race favourite and eventual winner Caolan McFadden of Cranford, and hold on comfortably for his first individual championship medal.

Tiarnan McManus of St Michael’s had a solid run in the same race finishing seventh in a new PB.

The third local medal came in the girls U16 1500m as Annabelle Morrison of ERC ran a strong race to take bronze, finishing within striking distance of second, an achievement all the more impressive as Annabelle only missed the U15 category by two days.

Ben Warnock from Tempo who runs for the Monaghan Phoenix Club took silver in the U16 800m and finished fourth in the 1500m as he returned after a spell out injured.

Other very good local performance came from Frank Buchanan ( St Michael’s/ERC) fourth and fifth in the U16 3000m and 1500m respectively despite suffering more than most from the oppressive heat and the very promising looking Harry McKenzie of ERC was fifth in the U14 1500m.

Oisin, Charlie, Annabelle and Ben have the national age group finals next month to look forward to while the others may turn their attention to some of the local young athletes meetings pencilled in for the next few weeks.