Juveniles reap rich rewards
Cream of county’s young guns to the fore in Leinster
THE CREAM of the county’s top athletes had another rewarding weekend at day two of the Leinster Juvenile track and field championships.
Yet again there was an abundance of medals and P.B’s, with the young representatives from Wexford to the fore in numerous events.
If an athlete of the meet award was on offer it would have been a toss-up between talented Taghmon multi-eventer Aisling Kelly and St. Killian’s wunderkind Jack Forde.
Aisling won triple individual Under-15 golds - long jump, 200m and 100m - and came away with P.B’s in all three. She picked up another gold as a member of the winning Wexford 4 x 100m relay team.
Jack took the boys’ Under-15 high jump title with a jump of 1:70m. He also won the shot with a new best of 13:50m and the triple jump with 11.01m, another P.B. The icing on the cake was helping the Wexford team to victory in the inter-county 4 x 100m relay.
St. Paul’s golden girl Maeve Hayes was also in scintillating form, bagging a pair of golds and a bronze.
She first took the Leinster Under-16 high jump title in a P.B.-equalling 1.60m. She followed up with victory in the long jump, this time bettering her previous best with a leap of 5.50m. Her bronze medal came in the 80m hurdles.
Saidhbhe Byrne (Enniscorthy) continued what has already been a great year with more podium finishes and more P.B’s.
She first took the Under-14 75m hurdles in a new best time of 12.15s, followed this with second in the javelin in a P.B. of 30.25m, before going on the take silver in the long jump in a P.B. of 4.89. What consistency!
Fellow Enniscorthy athlete Lystus Ebosele took the Under-17 shot putt title with a championship best performance. She also took gold in the discus.
Gergley Pap (St. Paul’s) started the weekend with two Under-16 bronze medals in hammer and discus.
The next day he went one better in his favoured event, shot putt, capturing the gold medal with a fine putt of 12.98m. His clubmate, Milan Kovacs, competing in Under-16 discus, shot and hammer, snatched a fourth place finish in the latter (and qualification to the nationals).
Brónagh O’Hanlon (Taghmon) took the Under-17 hammer title. Nathan Murphy (Menapians), back in competition following serious injury and still with post-surgery pins in situ, won the Under-15 discus with a good series of throws, 33m being his best.
Tara Doyle (Adamstown) won the Under-17 triple jump with clubmate Grace Cloney on her coat-tails in second.
Elaine Oldarrion (Enniscorthy) placed second in Under-14 shot putt and fourth in the discus.
Adamstown ladies put their strong arm tactics to good use with Marguerite Furlong winning gold in the Under-18 discus and placing second in shot putt.
Eadaoin Stafford was third in Under-17 shot putt. Kate Jackman won the Under-16 javelin.
Sammy Delaney (St. Paul’s) won bronze in the boys’ Under-18 long jump. He also qualified for the national finals in the 400m with a solid fourth place finish.
Dylan Patel (Menapians) made the last eight of the Under-15 long jump with a good series of jumps, 4.69m his best.
Amy Forde (St. Killian’s) won bronze in the Under-18 discus with 27.70m and went one better in the hammer to take silver.
Triini Jurisoo (Menapians) took a fantastic gold in the Under-14 hammer with a massive P.B. of 27.59m. Catríona Doyle of Craanford Harriers also won silver in the hammer (Under-15).
In the walks there was Under-16 silver for United Striders athlete Eve Byrne and bronze medals for Adamstown’s Aoibhinn Crean (Under-15), clubmate Triona Mooney (Under-18), and U.S.A.C’s Ciara Murphy (Under-14) and Ryan Kielthy (Under-16).
Taghmon athlete James Hanlon was second in Under-16 walk with Joseph Hanlon going one better to take the gold in the Under-18 walk.
Moving up to middle distance, Conor Doyle (Bree) ran a brilliant, battling Under-14 800m to bag himself a silver, his first Leinster outdoor medal.
In the process he reduced his P.B. from 2.28s to 2.17s. It is worth recalling that just one year ago Conor was out of action with a broken knee cap.
There was also middle distance success for United Striders, with Aidan Shannon taking the Under-14 1,500m title, Conor Murphy winning the Under-17 1,500m, and Aedan Rogers placing third in the Under-18 event.
Adam O’Connor came home a very fine second in the Under-15 800m.
Conor Murphy went on to win a bronze in the Under-17 high jump with his clubmate, Ciara Kelly, doing likewise in the girls’ Under-18 event.
In the girls’ Under-16 1,500m, the talented and versatile Gorey athlete Corrine Kenny (S.L.O.T.) was an impressive winner. Behind her Róisín O’Reilly (Menapians) was one of a chasing trio targeting the last two qualifying slots for the nationals (third and fourth).
She ran out of legs in the last 100m to finish fifth.
Still on the middle distance races, Róisín’s clubmate Danika Gilshinan placed fourth in Under-15 800m, sufficient to get her to the nationals in July.
United Striders athletes put in a good innings in the javelin, with Joshua Hewlett winning the Under-17 title, Cian Flanagan winning silver Under-16, and Cosmo Hewlett placing third Under-13 for the New Ross club.
Adamstown’s Ciara Mooney placed second in Under-13 javelin while clubmate Sonia Mooney was third in Under-17 javelin.
Maxwell Shoyeju (Enniscorthy) placed third in Under-15 javelin. Maxwell was also second in the triple jump.
Well done to young Menapians athlete Jack Halpin on his sixth place in the Under-12 turbo javelin (in a new P.B.).
Enniscorthy’s Karyn Murphy (Under-17) was second in both the long jump and the 100m hurdles, and fourth in the 300m hurdles.
Pádraig Hore (Taghmon) won the Under-18 discus with 45.79m, a new best. He also came second in the shot putt with a throw of 14.06m.
Improving with every event was sister and clubmate Muireann Hore who placed fifth in both Under-16 shot and discus.
Menapians once again showed their strength in depth over the shorter distances.
In the Under-18 100m hurdles, Aaron Tierney-Smith ran a P.B. of 14.88s to take the gold.
Clubmate Shane O’Neill placed second in the Under-16 event. Aaron went on to win the 200m with a massive P.B. of 22.83s.
Ciarán Maher won the Under-19 100m in a new best time of 11.21s. He also placed third in the 200m. Competing at Under-18, Aaron Tierney-Smith also ran a P.B. of 11.34s as did Brandon Sinnott (11.94s).
Susie Brennan placed fifth in the Under-16 200m in a new best time. Both Susie and April Keeling qualified for the Under-16 100m, April finishing fourth with Susie fifth (P.B. 13.17s).
Shane O’Neill and Leon Sinnott also qualified in the 100m with Shane third and Leon fifth.
Enniscorthy’s sprinters also had good results. Ross Daly won a good silver medal in the Under-18 100m and 200m, getting a P.B. of 22.91s in the latter.
David Obasahan placed second in both the 300m hurdles and the 200m (Under-17).
Blainaid Fogarty made the final of the Under-16 100m with a new best time.
And, as mentioned above, Karyn Murphy picked up a silver in the 100m hurdles.
Bree also impressed at the shorter distances. Gracie Kehoe earned her second medal of the championship with a super run in the hurdles, bringing home a silver. Sophie Codd had the race of her life, earning her a P.B. and a silver medal in the hurdles.
Olivia Howe had a super run in the 200m, crossing the line in third place.
Both Sophie Codd (250m hurdles) and Grace Donohoe (javelin) qualified for the nationals with fourth place finishes.
Jack Hayden (Menapians) ran a good tactical race to place second in Under-18 400m.
In the inter-county 4 x 100m relays there was plenty to cheer about from a Wexford perspective with gold for boys Under-19 and boys and girls Under-15, silver for boys Under-15, and bronze for boys and girls Under-17.
The girls’ Under-17 team were beaten to the silver medal position by 1/100 second. It doesn’t get closer than that!