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About BAAC 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s Below is a history of the Ballymena
& Antrim Athletic Club, compiled by Sean Kyle. Any questions, additions or amendments should be sent to: history@baacni.co.uk 1955 - 1959:
1955:
Ballymena
& Antrim AC formed with members of Mid-Antrim Hockey Club 1956: Men’s section is set up. Maeve Kyle selected for
her first Olympic Games. Thelma Hopkins
set a Commonwealth record in our Pentathlon meet at 1957:
Fund
raising dance made £76-0-9. Joint
Committees established mens/womens sections.
Moved to Ballymena Showgrounds for training 1958: Mens & womens section of the club amalgamated. 6 members on British Commonwealth Games
team. Sean Kyle was team coach/manager 1959: Cups presented to Ballymena Academy for Mile and
100yds. Men competed against Clonliffe
Harriers in Santry. Maeve Kyle finished
3rd in 220yds at the British Championships 1960 - 1969:
1960: The club moved to Ballymena showgrounds for
training. Maeve Kyle gained her 2nd
Olympic selection for 1961:
Pulled
out of the league competitions for the first time to concentrate on individual
performance. Maeve Kyle won British
440yds title 1962: Men won first league title, ladies won league
title. First double by any club in
Ireland. Sean Kyle appointed honorary
national coach to N.I.W.A.A.A. 1963: The club toured Norway. Junior girls in final of WAAA 4 110yds relay 1964: Mary Peters and Maeve Kyle were selected for Tokyo
Olympics, Maeve reached the semi finals of the 400m and 800m. Lorna McGarvey was also selected but had to
withdraw due to injury 1965: Men won presidents trophy. Women won 10th league title in a row 1966: Maeve Kyle won bronze and set a C.B.P at the
European Indoors 1967: Mens section almost folded, while the women had now
won 12 league titles 1968: Club achieved the double again. Revived mens section remained unbeaten all
season. There was also a tour of
Scotland. Sean Kyle GB Olympic observer
coach in Mexico. Mary peters competed in
the pentathlon. 1969: Men won presidents trophy. Sean Kyle appointed director of coaching to
NIAAA. Johnny Kilpatrick ran 10.4 for
100m in Welsh Games (legal!!) 1970 - 1979:
1970: This year the club had 3 athletes on GB teams, 7 on
Commonwealth Games team and Sean Kyle was CWG Team Coach and assistant coach to
GB Junior Team 1971:
Pam
Reece and Angela Kirkpatrick the first NI women to run in an International
Cross Country 1972: Mary Peters won Gold in Olympic Pentathlon –
Munich. Girls section placed 3rd in
George French trophy meet in London (for top 10 GB Clubs). Sean Kyle was again GB Olympic Observer Coach
for the Munich Games 1973: NI Womens Cross County Champions. Men reached the semi of the British Isles
cup. N.I records were set by 4 Ballymena
athletes: Billy Kirkpatrick Long Jump;
C.J. Kirkpatrick 110m Hurdles; Joe Chivers 400m; Raymond Knox Decathlon. There was also a club trip to 1974: Billy & C.J. Kirkpatrick reached their
respective finals in the Commonwealth Games – Christchurch, New Zealand. Joe Chivers and Ray Knox were only prevented
from reaching finals by injury. Shauna
Kyle just missed out on selection but on Miss Sports World UK. Sean Kyle awarded UK Torch Trophy for
Coaching 1975:
The
Club toured Germany. The women were now
making a habit of winning the Inter Club Championships 1976: Montreal Olympics – Maeve Kyle trained the Jumps
Officials, Sean Kyle GB Olympic Observer Coach 1977:
The
Club toured Ayr, Scotland. Maeve Kyle
won 4 Gold and 1 Silver at the World Masters – Gothenburg 1978: Billy Kirkpatrick was selected for the Commonwealth
Games. The Club started training at the
Antrim Forum. Sean Kyle CWG Referee,
Maeve Kyle officiated as Chief Judge 1979: The club toured Canada and returned unbeaten in all
matches 1980 - 1989:
1980: Both teams reached the All Ireland finals. Maeve Kyle won 3 Gold at European Masters. 1981:
Colin
Boreham & Sharon McPeake made the GB team 1982: Sharon McPeake, Colin Boreham and Sean O’Neill were
selected for the Commonwealth Games.
Sean & Maeve Kyle travelled as officials, Sean as Referee, Maeve on
Jury of Appeal 1983: 1st World Championships – 1984: The Club got a new uniform. There was a tour of Germany and Holland. Avril McClung, Sean O’Neill, Micky McDonald,
Simon Baird, Ricky Robinson and Stephanie McPeake all set N.I. Records 1985: The Tussem club from Germany visited. The McPeake sisters won U.K.
Championships. Maeve Kyle managed GB
Team to 1st World Indoor Championships in 1986: Sharon McPeake won Silver in the Commonwealth Games
in Edinburgh. Sean & Maeve Kyle
travelled as officials. Sharon McPeake,
Simon Baird and Mark Kirk made the G.B. team.
Maeve Kyle elected NI Coach of the Year 1987: Nearly amalgamated with Annadale Striders! Track & Field Season we actually ran with
them under the name Antrim Striders.
Tour of Holland. Sean Kyle
elected UK Coach of the Year 1988: The Club toured Canada – returned unbeaten in all
matches. Mark Kirk was selected for the
European Championships. Annadale
Striders and we took part in the GRE Cup very successfully, but were then told
by NIAAA that we could no longer compete together 1989: The Ladies section finished 14th from 21 in
European Clubs Cross Country in Portugal, won the team event at Gateshead
International Cross Country, won Ladies Inter Club (30 out of 35
attempts). Mens section won the
Presidents Trophy. Maeve Kyle 1st
President of the new N.I.A.A.A.F 1990 - 1999:
1990: Sharon Hutchings, Mark Kirk and Mark Forsythe were
selected for the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Sean & Maeve Kyle went as officials. Mark Forsythe set N.I. records in 100m, 200m
and Long Jump. Mark Forsythe &
Stephanie O’Connell were picked for G.B. Team 1991:
Mark
Forsythe won the UK Championship, represented GB in the World Championships in
Tokyo and broke the NI Long Jump record again.
John McAdorey represented GB Juniors 1992: Mark Forsythe selected for Olympic Games were he
reached the Final, was also on the European and World Cup teams 1993: Eddie King was a member of the GB Junior Team who
broke the 4 x Mile World Record 1994: Micky McDonald, Stephanie Llewelyn were selected
for Commonwealth Games. Sean & Maeve
Kyle travelled as officials. Eddie King
selected for GB Team and competed at the World Junior Championships 1995: Club pulled out of league competition. Stephanie Llewlyn picked for World
Championships 1996: ~ 1997: ~ 1998: Jame McIlroy finished 4th in the 800m at the
European Championships – Budapest. James
McIlroy set NI Records at 800m & 1000m.
Sharon McPeake-Llewelyn ran over 400m.
Sean Kyle awarded British Milers Club Coach of the Year 1999: Elaine Fitzgerald, member of extended training
group competed in the World Championships in Seville over 1500m 2000 -
2000: John McAdorey and Paul Brizzel selected for the
Olympic Games in Sydney. Sean &
Maeve Kyle travel as team coaches to Athletic Ireland Team. Sean & Maeve Kyle awarded All-Ireland
Outstanding Coaches 2001: ~ 2002: Zoe Brown finished 7th in the Pole Vault final at
the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Zoe also set a NI Record. Kelly
McNeice (training group) also competed at the Commonwealth Games over 800m
& 1500m. Sean Kyle travelled as
observer / personal coach. Paul Brizzel
selected for European Championships – Munich.
Maeve Kyle travelled to Munich as Team Coach to Athletics Ireland Team 2003: Anna Boyle destroyed the 100m NI record throughout
the season, in the end taking nearly half a second of the previous mark. Anna Boyle was selected by Athletics Ireland
for the European U23 Championship – Poland; and World Student Games –
Korea. Zoe Brown was also selected for
the European U23 Championships for Team GB.
Elizabeth McWilliams selected by Athletics Ireland for World Youth
Championships – Canada and European Youth Olympics – France. Paul Brizzel competed at the World
Championships in Paris – reaching the Quarter Final stage although being ranked
over all in the top 16! Consilation as
he recorded an Olympic A Standard over 200m.
Paul also set new Irish Record figures at the World Indoors over 200m Home | About BAAC | Latest News | Results & Fixtures | Club
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