Ulster Schools Athletics Champions 1949-2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ulster Schools Athletics Champions 1949-2020 While inter school athletics was a regular feature of the summer term in schools in the North of Ireland after partition it was not until four years after the SeCond World War, in 1949, that the Ulster Grammar Schools held the first official Championships. These were, of Course, a male only preserve Covering three age groups and were dominated by a small number of schools Contesting 24 individual events of which Royal Belfast Academical Institution won 8 and Methodist College Belfast 6. By 1955 twenty four schools had entered the fray and the same year sixteen schools, nine from Belfast, took part in the inaugural Ulster Grammar Schools for Girls at the Queens University Sport Ground at Cherryvale. Co-incidentally it was the same year that the North of Ireland Womens Athletics Association held their first Championships. Competition was limited to 13 individual events, the longest of which was 220 yards. The throws were Confined to the Javelin for Seniors and the Cricket Ball for the two younger age groups. The first Cricket Ball Champion Bridget Robinson would go on to represent Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games in the Javelin. By 1967 the Championships had increased in popularity with 33 Grammar Schools represented in the Boy’s Championships. That year there were two Championship meetings held one designated the Ulster Grammar Schools and the other the Ulster SeCondary Schools although it has to be said that few athletes from non Grammar schools made much of an impact. The year 1968 will go down in history as the most significant in the history of school’s athletics in Ulster as it saw the Coming together of all of the separate organisations to form the Ulster SeCondary Schools Athletics Association catering for all boys and girls in Post Primary Education in Ulster. The Championships were held at Shaw’s Bridge, the sportsground of Stranmillis Teacher Training College and the trophies were presented by the Principal of the College Alex Keith. These Championships also saw the introduction of three individual events for first year pupils. Strangely the Minor Girls had an 880 yards while their male equivalent were limited to 100 yards. Throughout the next five decades the Championships have grown out of all reCognition and now require two days to Complete the programme of 136 Finals. Metrification saw yards, feet and inches replaced by metres and centimetres in 1970 and many of those who were involved in the 1950’s would no doubt be shocked at the sight of young women Contesting the 3000 metres or, perhaps worse, the steeplechase. While there have been unimaginable changes over 70 years there has remarkably remained one Constant in the form of Robert ‘Stevie’ Stevenson. Incredibly every boy or girls who has won an Ulster School’s title since 1949 can say that they had their time taken by Stevie. It is doubtful if this is an achievement equalled anywhere in the World in any sport. Please send Corrections & additions to [email protected] & [email protected] Roll of Honour Senior Boys 100m Senior Boys 100yds (1949 - 1969 ) 1949 David .J Hadden Methodist College Belfast 10.4 1950 J.D.McCann St Mary's 10.2 1951 J Sloan Ballymena 10.4 1952 B Yelland Belfast Royal Academy 10.4 1953 D A Pollitt Belfast Royal Academy 11.2 1954 William Desmond Riddels Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 10.2 1955 William Desmond Riddels Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 10.0 1956 M McGuffin Methodist College Belfast 10.6 1957 David Hewitt Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 10.3 1958 J Lyons Methodist College Belfast 10.4 1959 R D SCott Royal Dungannon 10.2 1960 D G Wilson Campbell College Belfast 10.4 1961 David Bennett Sullivan US 10.3 1962 David Bennett Sullivan US 10.2 1963 A T Shackleton Portora Royal 10.6 1964 Jonny Kilpatrick Ballymena 10.4 1965 Mike Forest Methodist College Belfast 10.2 1966 B Hurrell Rainey End. 10.1 1967 J G M Barber Campbell College Belfast 10.2 1968 D Johnstone Dungannon Royal 10.3 1969 P G Emerson Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 10.0 1970 D Graham Dungannon Royal 10.9 1971 MalColm Kelly Down HS 11.2 1972 Michael Andress Campbell College Belfast 10.9 1973 W. G . Foster Belfast Royal Academy 10.9 1974 J Weir Coleraine Academical INst. 11.6 1975 Jimmy Christie Campbell College Belfast 10.7 1976 B Douglas Belfast HS 11.2 1977 Ray Wallace Rainey End 10.9 1978 Ray Wallace Rainey End 11.2 1980 R Anderson Coleraine Academical INst. 11.4 1981 David Marrs Belfast Royal Academy 11.1 1982 David Marrs Belfast Royal Academy 11.4 1983 Nigel Watson Ballymena Acad 10.8 1984 Philip Snoddy Ballyclare HS 10.5 1985 P Chambers Coleraine Academical INst. 11.1 1986 M Clyde Ballyclare HS 11.0 1987 Roger Sexton Bangor GS 11.0 1988 Roger Sexton Bangor GS 11.1 1989 D McConnell Methodist College Belfast 11.5 1990 D McConnell Methodist College Belfast 10.9 1991 Alan Monteith Wallace HS 10.91 1992 John Anderson Ballyclare HS 10.85 1993 John Anderson Ballyclare HS 11.2 1994 John McAdorey Antrim Tech 10.7 1995 Paul Brizzell North East Inst 11.6 1996 Jonathan Davis Belfast HS 10.96 1997 Jonathan Davis Belfast HS 11.2 1998 Gavin Norris St Columbs Derry 11.12 1999 Peter Oshagbemi Wellington College 11.06 2000 Jonathan Magee Belfast HS 11.2 2001 Jonathan Edens Belfast Royal Academy 11.0 2002 Stephen Gardiner Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 11.8 2003 Mark Hopkins Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 11.2 2004 Mark Hopkins Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 11.0 2005 Jason Smyth Limavady GS 11.1 2006 Jason Smyth Limavady GS 10.64 2007 Andrew Graham Down HS 11.1 2008 Craig Lynch Patrician HS 11.34 2009 SCott Hamilton Regent House 11.6 2010 Gerard Maguire Erne Integrated 11.34 2011 Nathan McClatchey Wallace HS 11.75 2012 Paddy Colhoun Methodist College Belfast 11.14 2013 Paddy Colhoun Methodist College Belfast 11.03 2014 Andrew Mellon Bangor GS 11.28 2015 Christian Robinson Carrickfergus GS 10.99 2016 Craig Newell Larne GS 11.17 2017 Michael McAuley St Louis Ballymena 11.35 2018 Aaron Sexton Bangor GS 10.86 2019 Aaron Sexton Bangor GS 10.49 2020 Not Held Covid 19 200 Metres Senior Boys 220 Yards (1949 - 1969) 1949 David .J Hadden Methodist College Belfast 23.6 1950 J Sloan Ballymena Acad 24.2 1951 J Sloan Ballymena 23.6 1952 Gordon Hamilton Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 24.4 1953 Gordon Hamilton Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 24.0 1954 William Desmond Riddels Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 22.8 1955 William Desmond Riddels Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 22.6 1956 T Cairns Belfast Royal Academy 24.0 1957 David Hewitt Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 23.3 1958 J Lyons Methodist College Belfast 23.9 1959 R D Scott Royal Dungannon 23.6 1960 D G Wilson Campbell College Belfast 23.4 1961 D G Wilson Campbell College Belfast 23.5 1962 David Bennett Sullivan US 22.9 1963 A T Shackleton Portora Royal 23.5 1964 Jonny Kilpatrick Ballymena 23.4 1965 Mike Forest Methodist College Belfast 23.3 1966 B Hurrell Rainey End. 22.8 1967 D W Johnstone Dungannon Royal 22.8 1968 D Johnstone Dungannon Royal 23.5 1969 Joe Chivers Limavady GS 22.3 1970 P G Emerson Coleraine Inst 22.2 w 1971 Malcolm Kelly Down HS 23.5 1972 C Belshaw Campbell College Belfast 22.7 1973 Maurice Eakin Coleraine Inst 22.3 1974 J Weir Coleraine Academical INst. 23.2 1975 Jimmy Christie Campbell College Belfast 21.7 1976 D Carlisle Belfast Royal Academy 23.0 1977 Ray Wallace Rainey End 22.3 1978 Mark Roughan Dominican Portstewart 22.6 1980 S Meharg Campbell College Belfast 22.7 1981 Philip Beattie Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 23.0 1982 David Marrs Belfast Royal Academy 23.9 1983 Philip Snoddy Ballyclare HS 22.1 1984 Philip Snoddy Ballyclare HS 21.2 1985 Frazer Hazlett Belfast TC 22.6 1986 M+B1373 Clyde Ballyclare HS 22.4 1987 Roger Sexton Bangor GS 22.4 1988 Roger Sexton Bangor GS 22.0 1989 Paul McBurney Boys Model 23.2 1990 D McConnell Methodist College Belfast 22.6 1991 Alan Monteith Wallace HS 22.2 1992 John Anderson Ballyclare HS 22.25 1993 John Anderson Ballyclare HS 21.86 1994 John McAdorey Ballee High 21.9 1995 Paul Brizzell North East Inst 22.2 1996 Gareth Gettinby Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 22.35 1997 Paul Rodgers Coleraine Academical INst. 23.4 1998 Gavin Norris St Columbs Derry 22.62 1999 Andrew Maxwell Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 22.5 2000 Jonathan Magee Belfast HS 22.7 2001 Jonathan Edens Belfast Royal Academy 22.8 2002 Stephen Gardiner Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 23.9 2003 Mark Hopkins Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 23.3 2004 Mark Hopkins Royal Belfast Academical Inst. 22.4 2005 Jason Smyth Limavady GS 22.31 2006 Jason Smyth Limavady GS 22.2 2007 Craig Lynch Patrician College 23.4 2008 John Houston Larne GS 22.9 2009 John Houston Larne GS 22.93 2010 Gerard Maguire Erne Integrated 22.73 2011 Mark Armstrong Bangor GS 23.46 2012 Jack Magee Dalriada 23.3 2013 Jack Magee Northern Regional College 22.8 2014 Karl McClean Carrickfergus GS 22.86 2015 Christian Robinson Carrickfergus GS 22.82 2016 Craig Newell Larne GS 22.57 2017 Michael McAuley St Louis Ballymena 23.3 2018 Aaron Sexton Bangor GS 21.99 2019 Aaron Sexton Bangor GS 21.2 2020 Not Held Covid 19 400 Metres Senior Boys 440 yards (1949 - 1969) 1949 G.S.Irwin Methodist College Belfast 56.0 1950 Brian Lewis Belfast Royal Academy 52.8 1951 R SCott Royal Belfast Academical Inst.