Fruitful trip for Wexford athletes to open sports
GREYHOUNDS, ATHLETICS
THE FIRST of the year’s open track and field meets have been good to the athletes of County Wexford. Kilmacow was the destination on the Easter Bank Holiday Monday as St,. Senan’s A.C. celebrated their 40th anniversary with a cracking open sports day.
This is one of those traditional early summer meets to which everyone looks forward. As a community-organised event it has all the qualities of a good old fashioned field day. Old acquantances are renewed and past battles recalled. And when the sun shines, as it did, one might be forgiven for thinking that summer had come early this year.
The local team, which includes former international athletes Bill Lacey and Perri Williams, and the affable Ned Williams on starter’s whistle, run a wonderfully relaxed but effective organisation which ensures that the day appears to run itself!
One should not, of course, forget the athletics! As with Ferrybank the previous weekend this was another rewarding trip for Co. Wexford clubs, not least United Striders who picked up best club award. U.S.A.C. has made major strides in recent years. Not only do they regularly bring large numbers to events, they have a growing number of committed and ever-improving athletes.
Individually there were plenty of noteworthy performances by Model county athletes. The following highlights will give you a flavour of how the day went for them.
Young Leah Bolger (Bree) started the gold rush with a win in the Under-9 80m. Indeed, Bree did very well in the younger age sprints with Shane and Ciara Laffan, Jayden Kenny and Abbie Doyle all medalling.
In the boys’ Under-11, Kevin O’Mahoney (D.M.P.) took the bit between the teeth as he led from the gun in both the 80m and 300m to bag himself a pair of golds.
Orla Byrne won the Under-13 100m. Bree’s Abbie Doyle settled for silver in the Under-12 80m. Talented multi-eventer Saidhbhe Byrne (Enniscorthy) won gold and bronze respectively in the Under-14 long jump and 100m; she also placed third in Under-15 shot putt, an event won by Taghmon’s multi-eventer Aisling Kelly.
Aisling made it a full suite of medals, winning silver in the long jump, behind Maeve Hayes (St. Paul’s), and gold in Under-15 100m with Ciara O’Connor (Enniscorthy) taking 100m bronze. Jack Forde (St. Killian’s) won silver and bronze in Under-15 100m and long jump respectively. Dannon Long (Enniscorthy) won the Under-13 long jump while S.B.R’s Orlaith Deegan won the Under-13 high jump.
The county had a 1-2-3 in three of the 100m events: girls’ Under-16 (1, April Keeling, Menapians; 2, Susie Brennan, Menapians; 3, Hannah Roche-Kelly, Taghmon); boys’ Under-16 (1, D.M.P’s Conor Brennan (also second in long jump); 2, Aaron Browne, U.S.; 3, Dawid Miodzionowski, U.S.); boys’ Under-17 (1, Paul Freeman, St. Killian’s; 2, M. Walkden, U.S.; 3, Joshua Hewlett, U.S).
Indeed, there were 1-2-3s in other events also including the following: Junior women’s high jump (1, Rebecca Bowden, U.S.; 2, Ciara Kelly, U.S.; 3, Alannah Byrne, U.S.); boys’ Under-17 700m (1, Aaron Browne, U.S.; 2, Cian Flanagan, U.S.; 3, Conor Brennan, D.M.P).
Rebecca Bowden also placed second in the sprint. In middle distance events, Paul Freeman added to his Under-17 100m gold with a win in the 700m.
He was followed home by U.S. athletes Nic Walkden (second) and Joshua Hewlett (third). Conor Doyle (Bree) won the Under-14 700m with Darragh Flannelly taking bronze.
It was a 1-2 in the Junior men’s 3k with U.S.A.C’s Aedan Rogers hauling in and passing Liam Turner (D.M.P.) on the final lap. Aedan’s clubmate, Gavin Kelly, finished second in the Masters category of the same race.
The final events of the day were the relays. U.S.A.C. really came in to their own at this point, taking first and third in the boys’ Under-14 event and first and second in the boys’ Under-16.
Menapians athlete Sinéad O’Reilly, who was pipped for gold in the Under-13 700m earlier in the day, produced a super last leg to take the club’s Under-14 team into the medals (joint third).
The track and field season starts in earnest next weekend with the Mr Oil Co. Wexford Juvenile track and field championships in Enniscorthy. Programmes for day one (May 7) and day two (May 14) are now available to view or download at http://wexfordathletics.com.
All clubs are required to supply three officials for both days. A club may choose to provide two people for one, or all three, of the posts. This job-sharing approach may make it easier to get volunteers. The championships cannot go ahead without this help.
Clubs should send a list of officials to the Track and Field Secretary at wexfordathletics. trackandfield@gmail.com giving an individual’s expertise in any particular event.
In relay races in age categories up to and including Under-16, a minimum of two athletes per team must be from that age category only and no other. Hammer athletes can move up a year where the weights are the same.
This year’s Tón Le Gaoithe meet takes place at Waterford R.S.C. on Saturday, May 13 (12 noon). The event, organised by national coach Shane McCormack, deliberately sticks to a very limited programme.
The one thing nearly all items on the programme share is the potential for improved performances when there is a tail-wind as all events are run with the wind. Thus the tagline ‘Wind Sprints Meet’.
Athletes love the day because they get to compete against their peers in a relaxed environment. And, of course, there is the chance to come away with a new P.B., albeit wind-assisted. The sprintsheavy programme has 100m, 200m, 100/110m hurdles, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays, javelin and high jump.
The entry fee per event is €8. E-mail mcwexford@gmail.com or telephone 087-9955505.
Diary: April 28, South Leinster Schools track and field, Waterford R.S.C., 10.45 a.m. (Junior hammer events 9.30 a.m); April 30, Taghmon A.C. 10k road race, Taghmon; May 1, Leinster Novice and Masters road race championships, Gowran; May 5, Masters road race, 4k and 6k, Crossabeg, hosted by St. Killian’s A.C.; May 7, Juvenile track and field day one (11 a.m.), Enniscorthy track; May 12, hammer and discus, hosted by D.M.P.; May 14, Juvenile track and field day two (11 a.m.), Enniscorthy track; May 17, Irish Life Health Leinster Schools track and field, day one, Santry.