The National Junior Track Champs and Team and Keirin Champs took place in Sundrive Road last weekend, and three of Orwell's former champions came away with medals - Juniors Naoise Sheridan and Rachael Kaye-Mellor, and veteran Orla Hendron. Their haul was an impressive seven medals across five events and the Keirin, while the men's team were denied the podium in the sprint by a mere half second.

Jack Rice and Conor Murnane were representing the Junior men, and although they went home with no silverware, but Orwell's expect track analyst Jen Sheridan asserted that there were definite improvements for both, with Rice also taking part in the team Pursuit with the seniors. The rest of that Pursuit team went on to compete in the Sprint, where they lost out to Bray Wheelers by half a second. David Swift, Fionn Sheridan and Daniel McElroy had each been in action on Thursday night's TTT, but it's difficult to say whether Saturday's efforts came too soon after their league exertions to have cost them a podium spot.


The men starting the team sprint (photo thanks to Adamstown CT)

In the women's Team Sprint, another Orwell team were forced to settle for 4th, missing out by an even smaller margin - less than a tenth of a second! Rachael Kaye-Mellor and Naoise Sheridan were still happy with their performance, considering they were competing against Senior teams despite both belonging in the Junior category. They also beat the B team of Orla Hendron and Theresa Heffernan, who languished in 6th - a respectable result considering the ten strong teams on display.

In the Keirin Champs, Hendron fought off stiff competition that qualified from two heats, and took a fine bronze behind the stronger Susie Mitchell (Sundrive) and Sarah Gunn (Sundrive). She was delighted with her 3rd spot in a great field, and went on to use that flying form the next day in the Collins Christle Memorial.


Hendron on the podium (photo thanks to Adamstown CT)

It was in the Junior Championship events that Orwell really shone, and for Kaye-Mellor that shine came from the gold medal she won in the 2km Pursuit. Beating fierce competition from Velo Club Londres, she came home in a time of 2:53:77. She also netted silver in the 500m TT with 41:85, losing out by a fraction of second to Autumn Collins (VC Londres) who recorded 41:64. Naoise Sheridan was hot on their heels, taking a solid Bronze with 42:37 from VCL's Amy Good, who could only manage 42:60.

The Scratch race was a challenging affair for the young Kaye-Mellor, being heavily marked after her results earlier in the day. She was left working on the front of the small field instead of attacking at her desired moment, and came away with a disappointing bronze. The compliment of being marked is little consolation, though it shows that the other racers considered her the biggest danger. Naoise Sheridan was able to take advantage of the focus on her teammate, and net herself a superb silver.

That medal was paired nicely with her silver from the Sprint, and she was also only four seconds off the podium in the 2km Pursuit, in a set of results that any rider should be proud of. Sheridan was happy with two silvers and a bronze for the weekend, and while disappointed not to get gold, was upbeat and optimistic about the future. She asserted that the Junior women's field is improving in both speed and strength, and was happy with how she was rising to the standard - "better to get a silver in a hard race than a gold in an easy one!"


Sheridan in action (photo thanks to Adamstown CT)


Kaye-Mellor on the podium (photo thanks to Adamstown CT)


The women of the champs (photo thanks to Jen Sheridan)

 

Junior Women National Track Championships, Sundrive Road (9/8/2014)

Flying 200
1 Deirbhle Ivory (Bray)14:06:00
2 Amy Good (VC Londres) 14:07:00
3 Autumn Collins (VC Londres) 14:21:00
4 Naoise Sheridan (Orwell Wheelers) 14:36:00
5 Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell Wheelers) 14:76:00

Sprint
1 Autumn Collins (VC Londres)
2 Naoise Sheridan (Orwell Wheelers)
3 Amy Good (VC Londres)
4 Deirbhle Ivory (Bray)
5 Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell Wheelers)

2km Pursuit
1 Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell Wheelers) 2:53:77
2 Amy Good (VC Londres) 2:54:88
3 Autumn Collins (VC Londres) 2:55:36
4 Naoise Sheridan (Orwell Wheelers) 02:59:15
5 Deirbhle Ivory (Bray) 04:16:24

500TT
1 Autumn Collins (VC Londres) 41:64
2 Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell Wheelers) 41:85
3 Naoise Sheridan (Orwell Wheelers) 42:37
4 Amy Good (VC Londres) 42:60
5 Deirbhle Ivory (Bray) 43:08

Scratch
1 Amy Good (VC Londres)
2 Naoise Sheridan (Orwell Wheelers)
3 Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell Wheelers)

 

National Team Track Championships

Men's Team Pursuit
1 Sundrive Track Team A 04:55:96
2 Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 04:56:96
3 Arcane Adamstown 05:05:!2
7 Orwell Wheelers 05:28:25 (David Swift, Fionn Sheridan, Daniel McElroy, Jack Rice)

Men's Team Sprint
1 Sundrive Track Team A 47:86
2 Arcane Adamstown 49:56
3 Bray Wheelers 52:15
4 Orwell Wheelers 52:65 (David Swift, Fionn Sheridan, Daniel McElroy)

Women's Team Sprint
1 Sundrive Track Team A 37:18
2 Bray Wheelers 38:64
3 Sundrive Track Team C 38:73
4 Orwell Wheelers A 38:82 (Rachael Kaye-Mellor, Naoise Sheridan)
6 Orwell Wheelers B 39:47 (Orla Hendron, Theresa Heffernan)

 

National Keirin Championships

Women's Keirin
1 Susie Mitchell (Sundrive Track Team)
2 Sarah Gunn (Sundrive Track Team)
3 Orla Hendron (Orwell Wheelers)

 

Full results available at trackcycling.ie:

Team and Keirin and Juniors.