Medals and PBs galore as local club stars at final Fab 5 event

Medals and PBs galore as local club stars at final Fab 5 event

3 September 2025

NEWCASTLE AC recently enjoyed another successful evening at the Mary Peters Track, where medals flowed freely and personal bests were set at the final Lagan Valley Fab 5 event of the season.

Toby Myers was amongst the stand-out performers, producing the goods in two separate disciplines. 

This talented U-10 athlete has shown natural ability across all events, tackling each one with determination and finishing with a beaming smile. 

Toby leapt to first place in the long jump, becoming the only U-10 to break the 3m mark. Fresh from his win — where he thought he had actually come last, as his name was read out last — he returned to the track in a two-heat time trial for the 150m, storming to third overall. 

With yet another podium finish, Toby proudly added more medals to his growing Fab 5 collection.

On the track, Ellie Moore impressed with a determined run in the mile, against competitors nearly two years her senior in the U14 category. 

Her time of 6:26 underlined her talent, as she now prepares for her transition into Year 8 and looks ahead to both club and school cross-country competitions.

One of the special features of the Fab 5 series, is the wide range of events, which allows siblings, and sometimes even parents and children, to compete on the same evening. This week was no different, with three Newcastle families in action.

The Sherdian siblings, Hermione, Noah and Heidi, fresh from supporting older brother Patrick’s success on the senior stage this summer, enjoyed a strong night. 

Hermione produced the race of the evening in the U-16 girls’ mile, timing her surge perfectly to claim silver in 5:33. 

Brother Noah took to the track in the faster of the senior men’s races, clocking 4:37, while Heidi rounded off the family performances with a solid 62.93 in the U18 400m.

The McDaid brothers were also in fine form. Donal, who ran 1500m in six minutes flat earlier this season, produced another strong run to finish the mile in 6:23, showing that his summer of consistent training has paid off. 

Big brother Patrick, still undecided on his preferred terrain this year, returned to the track for the mile. He finished in a sharp 4:44, showcasing a powerful final sprint as he surged past athletes right to the line.

It was also a proud night for the Grant family, Aoife, Ronan and Siobhan, who once again claimed podium spots in the throws. The dedicated trio have been stalwarts this season, both competing and officiating. 

Aoife Grant, determined to bounce back from a disappointing outing at the Ulsters, proved her class in the U16 girls’ weight throw.

 She threw the 3kg implement to a massive PB of 23.46m, five metres further than her Ulster mark, to take third place. 

In the senior women’s hammer, Siobhan Grant also finished her season on a high, launching the hammer over a metre further than ever before to claim silver. 

Later in the evening, Ronan Grant secured bronze in the U-16 boys’ 4kg weight, with a consistent series of throws and a best of 24.33m.

The athletes’ commitment to their disciplines was evident across the board, from sprints and middle-distance races to throws and jumps, with the club’s red and yellow vests proudly on display throughout the night.

As the track season draws to a close, so too does the Fab 5 series, but it has been a campaign to remmeber, not only for medals and PBs, but also for what was, fittingly, a remarkably dry season.