TWO young up-and-coming athletes who performed exceptionally well during the indoor season have been honoured with Cork City Sports Athletic Person of the Month Awards for January and February.

Alex Ademola from Leevale AC received the January award for his performance at the National Indoor Combined Events championships where he produced a very good score of 4346 point to take the junior heptathlon title.

The 18-year-old Ademola displayed his athletic versatility by winning six of the seven disciplines which took place over a gruelling two days of competition at the TUS in Athlone. 

“This award means so much to me and I’m very happy to receive it,” said the recipient.

Remarkably, Alex is the second member of his family to receive the monthly award as his brother Reece, two years his senior, was honoured last August for his performance at the World U20 championships in Colombia. 

There, he opened the competition with a superb effort of 7.83m to smash his Irish U20 record and move to third on the Irish all-time list.

Speaking of his indoor win, Alex said as it was his first-ever heptathlon, he was delighted to seal it with a win. 

“It’s great to see the work is paying off now and it will certainly keep my motivation going. I learned a lot from that competition, the heptathlon is probably one of the hardest events to do, and it can be more of a mental game than a physical game.” 

Like his brother Reece, Alex is coached by Liz Coomey, and he does admit the sibling competition keeps him on his toes. 

There’s always a rivalry between us, but it’s all of a friendly nature with brotherly love."

The winner of the February award is Ben Donovan, a member of the Cork Track Club. 

After progressing through the juvenile ranks winning many championship medals along the way, Ben secured his first National senior medal when finishing second at the National Indoor championships held in the NIA, Abbottstown.

There, he took the silver medal with a season's equalling best height of 1.90m. 

A week earlier he had won the high jump at the National League final, thus gaining maximum points for his club.

“It was a brilliant start to the year with the indoors, it was my first senior competition and first medal at that level,” said Donovan.

 “I’ve jumped 1.90m a few times in my career, you never know on competition day what you’ll do but I was jumping well that day.” 

Second to Kourosh Foroughi at those national seniors, Donovan’s jump of 1.90m equalled his best height indoors, although he has recorded 1.95m outdoors back in May 2019 as an 18-year-old.

Interestingly, he has cleared 2.00m in the past in a jump-off at the Tailteann Games but as it was after the competition had officially conclude it was never recorded. 

A native of Youghal, he also played rugby with the local club there and still plays a few games for them every season.

Donovan has been coached by Eamon Flanagan, - the Munster Academy pole vault coach – since he was in his early juvenile days and he is currently in his fourth year of study at MTU.

“I also enjoyed competing with the club [Cork TC] at the national leagues, its fun getting the points for them as well. 

"The next big event coming up will be Inter-Varsities later this month where MTU be looking for maximum points, I’ll be doing the pole vault there as well as the high jump.

I’m enjoying the whole thing, the coaching process as well as the competition and if it goes any further I’ll be happy, enjoyment and learning is the main thing.” 

 The Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Month Awards are sponsored by the River Lee, 96&C103FM, The Echo, Cork Crystal and Leisureworld.