Athletics set PBs at Munster Indoors Senior and Masters

THE Munster Indoor Senior and Masters championships took place in Nenagh over the weekend where there was a great turn out from the Kingdom, and no matter the age they all put in fine performances with several setting championship best performances in their events.

Tralee Harriers were again out in force, this time in the senior events. Orla O’Reilly took gold in 60m, followed closely by Elinor Dennison in third. Elinor was very unlucky not to pick up bronze in the long jump, losing out on a medal by just 4cm on the very last jump of the competition. Rachel Bowler was a double silver medallist in both the long and triple jumps.

Cillian Griffin took three bronze medals in the 60m, 200m and long jump, with a new pb of 6.31m, and followed that up with a silver in the triple jump. Cathal Fitzgibbon was 7th in the 800m and Leanne Cronin 7th in the shot put.

Killarney Valley’s Ciara Kennelly returned to take on the senior high jump winning by quite a margin with a clearance of 1.74m. She also finished fourth in the 200m. Dion Marcus of An Riocht Health and Leisure took silver in the senior men’s 400m.

Farranfore Maine Valley’s Rossa Foley was in great form with gold in the U-23 triple jump, bronze in both the senior shot put and weight for distance and fourth place in the long jump.

Tralee Harriers Master athletes Gerald Henry and Patsy O’Connor were also in action. Patsy took triple gold in the O60s age bracket with medals in the shot put, weight for distance and high jump. Gerald took gold in the O35 60m and silver in both the 200m and long jump.

Farranfore Maine Valley’s master athletes were high on the podium, Jim O’Shea in the O-75 category won gold in the long jump, while setting a new championship best, was first in the high jump and second in the 60m. Sean O’Shea, O-45, was first in the shot put, third in weight for distance and fifth in the 60m. Jerome Foley was second in the O-50 400m and Dermot Dineen won the O-40 1500m and was second in the 800m.

Gneeveguilla AC had a strong team in attendance, with Siobhan Daly taking gold in the O-35 1,500m and finishing second in the 800m. Catherine Moynihan O’Sullivan was third in O35 60m, Eileen O’Riordan, O-45, was second in the shot put and third in the 60m.

Brid Stack returned to competition wining the O-45 200m. Sheila Donoghue took top honours in the O50 shot put. Robert Purcell was second in the O-50 3,000m, 1,500m and 800m.

St. Brendan’s Ursula Barrett, took double gold in the O-40 60m and set a championship best in the long jump. Anthony Greaney of An Riocht Health and Leisure took gold in the O-45 60m, 200, and weight for distance with second in the shot put. Teammate Sean O’Sullivan won the O-40 3,000m.

O-35 athlete Colm Lynch of Iveragh AC had a hat trick of medals with gold in the 200m and 400, where he set a championship best, and he won silver in the 60m. Killarney Valley’s Michael A Murphy won the O50 60m and finished second in the 200m. Tom Doherty was fifth in the O-50 shot put.

On the cross country field, An Riocht’s Laura Crowe put in a fine performance at the Great Edinburgh Run on January 6, where she was part of Ireland’s 4 x 1km mixed relay team who finished in fourth place overall.

Best of luck to the athletes who are travelling to Athlone this Saturday to take part in the Irish Life Health National Combined Events, and those clubs who travel back to Nenagh on the 21st for the Munster Inter club Juvenile relays.

Kerry Athletics also congratulate Rachel Bowler of Tralee Harriers who has been selected by the Juvenile Committee of the Athletic Association of Ireland as the Juvenile Star of the Year for County Kerry at the Emerald Crystal National Star Awards. This is great recognition of Rachel’s achievements in 2017, and her second year in a row being selected.