Finn Valley AC duo Dempsey McGuigan and Sommer Lecky are included among the provisional nominees for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
McGuigan (2) and Lecky (4) are both high on the order, officially confirmed this week by Athletics Northern Ireland.
The nominations order is significant because there is no guarantee that the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council will ratify all the athletes because of pressure of numbers across all the sports.
Hammer thrower McGuigan and high jumper Lecky are among those set to head for the Gold Coast, Australia next year.
In May, Lecky recorded a massive pb at the Ulster Schools Athletics Championships when she leapt a super 1.85 metres.
Sommer Lecky with her coach Niall Wilkinson
That effort, at the Antrim Forum, was a new Irish Youth, Junior, Schools, Donegal and Finn Valley record.
She had earlier reached the Commonwealth standard when she jumped a 1.82m.
McGuigan was sixth in the hammer throw at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Vaasa, Finland in June.
The University of Mississippi student reached out to 65.72m, a little off his 70.55m personal best.
McGuigan broke the 70-metre barrier in April when he set the new Donegal record of 70.55m at the Mt Sac Relay in Walnut, California.
An Athletics Northern Ireland statement said: “We believe the list released on 23 October to be the best reflection of athletic performance throughout the qualification period, when judged against our selection criteria.
“We have nominated a talented group of athletes across a wide range of events, including a great mix of experience and developing talent.
“Athletics Northern Ireland looks forward to the announcement of the final team by the [Northern Ireland] Commonwealth Games Council early next year.”
The list of nominations led by European 1500m bronze medallist Ciara Mageean will be submitted to the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council who will make the final selections on 2 January.
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