 McIlroy had a Commonwealth Games to forget in March |
James McIlroy opened his summer season by finishing fifth in the 800 metres in Sunday's FBK-Games in Hengelo. McIlroy's time of 1:48.21 was nearly two seconds down on Latvian winner Dmitrijs Milkevics but the Larne man finished ahead of some top Kenyans.
Those include last year's world bronze medallist William Yiampoy.
McIlroy was fancied for a medal at the Commonwealth Games in March but he suffered a major disappointment by failing to qualify for the 800m final.
Meanwhile, Michael Allen was the only Northern Ireland winner at the UK Inter-Counties Championship at Bedford on Sunday and Monday.
Javelin thrower Allen won his event with a solid effort of 72.78m which was a decent season's opener.
Paul Brizzel clocked a wind-assisted (4.8) to take third place in the 100m final in 10.36.
The Ballymena & Antrim sprinter then clocked 21.32 and 21.22 in the 200m heats to qualify for the final in that event but he opted not to race in the decider.
 Paul Brizzel was third in the UK Inter-Counties 100m final |
Jill Shannon claimed bronze in the women's 5000m in 17:11.68 while there were fifth places for Steven Morrow in the men's 800m (1:59.51) and Rhiannon McNally in the women's hammer (48.23m).
World junior championship hopeful Amy Foster finished fourth in the women's 100m in a wind-assisted 11.75 while Lindsey Monteith (2:12.41) occupied the same position in the 800m final.
Stephen Scullion claimed fourth in the men's steeplechase (9:27.48) while Noel Pollock was eighth in the men's mile (4:17.64).
Meanwhile, Abbey AC's women's team finished seventh overall in the European Club Championship event in Istanbul.
The Newtownabbey outfit rounded off the event by winning the 4x400m relay where Leigh Whiteside, Michelle Rodgers, Elaine McCaffrey and Christine Long were in action.
Earlier in the meeting, McCaffery claimed a fine second in the individual 400m in 55.51.
Christine Long took a third place in the 800m in 2:13.17 while 1500m runner Lyndsey Freel (4:35.60) and long jumper Mary Devlin (5.63m) also earned third places.
Hengelo 800m result: 1 Dmitrijs Milkevics (Lat) 1min 46.37secs, 2 Bram Som (Ned) 1:46.73, 3 Edwin Letting (Ken) 1:47.56, 4 Amine Laalou (Mar) 1:47.65, 5 James McIlroy (Gbr) 1:48.21, 6 Kevin Hicks (USA) 1:48.39 , 7 William Yiampoy (Ken) 1:48.47, 8 Joseph Mutua (Ken) 1:49.15, 9 Alfred Kirwa Yego (Ken) 1:50.14, 10 Pawel Czapiewski (Pol) 1:54.75, Ismael Kombich (Ken) DNF
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