The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Plenty of Tailteann Games medals for local athletes
LAST weekend saw Kerry athletes take to the national stage with the Tailteann Games finals in Santry on Saturday and Round 1 of the National League being held in Templemore the following day. The Tailteann Games, an inter-provincial schools competition for Intermediate athletes, is always fiercely contested and this year was no exception.
The Mercy Mounthawk boys again stepped up the mark with gold for Mervyn Shalemba in the 200m and silver medals for Cillian Griffin in the 100m and Luke O’Carroll in the long jump. Cillian, Luke and Mervyn were joined by Marc Jones (Colaiste Mhuire Cobh) to take gold in the 4 x 100m relay. Basit Oyebanji competed in the 400m and won silver as part of the 4 x 400m relay team. Another silver medal came courtesy of Dawid Siegel (Tralee CBS) who came second in the shot. Darragh O’Leary (St. Brendan’s Killarney) competed in the 300m.
Competing for the girl’s team were Niamh O’Mahony (Presentation Tralee) who led from the gun once again to take gold in the 3000m, Ciara Kennelly (St. Brigid’s Killarney) won silver in both the high jump and the 4 x 300m relay and Alyce O’Connor (Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare) who had a great run in the 1500m, finishing fourth overall and missing out on a medal by just 100th of a second. Katelyn Reid (Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhe) was fourth in the javelin.
Round 1 of the National League saw Kerry Athletics field a men’s team for the first time in a number of years. With the successes of our junior men over the last few months there was plenty of young talent to draw from, complementing our seasoned athletes. The women’s team had everything to prove after taking bronze in the final last year and both teams did well to finish in second place, the men on 103.5 points and the women on 116 points.
Competing for the women’s team were Tralee Harrier athletes Fiona Doyle (400m hurdles, high jump and 4 x 100m relay), Orla O’Reilly (100m, 200m, 4 x 100m relay), Rachel Bowler (long jump, 4 x 400m relay), Solane Diogo (triple jump, javelin, 4 x 100m relay), Leanne Cronin (discus). Shona Heaslip (An Riocht) took on the 3000m and club mate Clodagh O’Connor competed in the 400m and 4 x 400m relay.
Team members from other county clubs were Mairead O’Neill (Gneeveguilla, hammer), Aoife Mahony (Lios Tuathail, 1500m, 4 x 400m relay), Ruth Courtney (Killarney Valley, shot), Elizabeth Stack (Killarney Valley, 4 x 100m and guest in high jump).
A large number of Tralee Harrier athletes also made up the men’s team; Cillian Griffin (100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay), Basit Oyebanji (400m, 4 x 400m relay, 4 x 100m relay), Luke O’Carroll (long jump, 4 x 100m relay), Cathal Fitzgibbon (800m), Alan O’Connor (discus).
Athletes from Lios Tuathail were Michael Tony (triple jump, 4 x 400m relay) and Ben Sheehan (4 x 100m relay, guest in long jump).
From St Brendan’s were Darragh Courtney (high jump) and Aaron Malik (pole vault, 400m hurdles, 4 x 400m relay). Rossa Foley (Farranfore Maine Valley) took on the javelin and weight for distance with teammates David Kenny doing the walk, Sean O’Shea the shot and Aidan Cahill running the 1500m.
The next round of the league takes place in Athlone on July 8 with the final fixed for Tullamore on August 19. Tullamore is also the venue this Saturday for the National Junior & U23 Track and Field Championships.