Indoors bring fine medal haul for Boyne
THE 2020 Indoor season got off to a flying start for Boyne AC, as they scooped a grand total of four gold, three silver medals and one bronze medal at the recent Athletics Leinster Indoor Championships.
The events were held in the impressive indoor facility in Athlone IT where more than a thousand athletes from across the province competed over two packed days of competition.
Day 1 began with the 60m sprints, and in the Under-12 Boys race Calum Byrne got things off to a great start with a clear win in his heat, easily progressing to the semi-finals. Then another fine run from this up and coming sprinter saw him finish second, enough to qualify for the final.
Following an anxious wait, he ran an impressive 8.81sec in the decider to finish sixth overall, a super achievement in his first indoor championship.
Also making an Indoor debut, Caoimhe Martin stepped up to the mark as she took a bronze medal in the Under-12 shot put, throwing a fine 6.37m, and she now progresses to the National finals at the end of February.
The Under-13 Boys were next onto the track, where Harry Devitt just missed out on qualification for the finals, finishing third in his 60m heat.
However, clubmate Ledley King Abor ran a super 8.25 to win his heat, putting him thorough to the final where an improvement in time to 8.20 saw him clinch the silver medal. He too now qualifies for the National finals.
Sean Cummins ran well in his heat of the Under-14 Boys 60m and was unlucky not to qualify for the final, as did clubmate Jack
Devitt in the Under-15 sprint.
And despite a super 8.35 run in his heat of the Under-16 sprint, Adam Byrne also just missed out on a place in his final.
Next to the track, the Under-14 Girls 60m was another competitive race, but Nina King Abor ably rose to the challenge as she fought off tough competition to take the silver medal in the final.
Another fine up and coming sprinter, Sean Strattan, got his weekend off to a great start as he finished second in his heat of the Under-16 60m, and then repeated the performance in the final to take a spot on the podium and the silver medal.
The last medal of the day for Boyne AC was won by the talented sprinter Leon King Abor in the Under-17 Boys 60m, as he ran an amazing 7.24 in the final to claim the gold medal in an exciting photo finish.
Sunday saw another successful day for Boyne, and indeed ‘Super Sunday’ was the well-deserved slogan of the day, with another three gold medals added to the already impressive haul.
Oliver Carolan was first to the podium as he continues to impress as a talented field eventer, this time in the Under-13 shot put. Retaining his title of Leinster Indoor champion from 2019, he threw an impressive 11.18m to take a comfortable win, and he too now progresses to the National finals in a few weeks.
Back on the track, the 200m sprints provided some great displays of talent from all the athletes competing, much to the delight of the huge crowd in attendance.
Sean Strattan was back in action and took a comfortable win in his heat of the Under-16 Boys race, running 24.70sec, the fastest across all the heats. He then ran even faster in the final, clocking a superb 24.31sec to secure the gold medal and the title of Leinster champion.
With barely enough time for the excited crowd to catch a breath, the Boys Under-17 200m heats saw Leon King Abor back for more as he comfortably won his heat, and in an enthralling final he ran an amazing time of 22.94sec to add the title of Leinster 200m champion to his already impressive resume.
The focus for all the medalists now turns to the National Finals at the end of February, with sprint coach Ken Meier hoping to replicate the Leinster successes by this talented group of young athletes.