Young Wexford stars steal indoor spotlight in Athlone tests
A NUMBER of Wexford athletes competed last weekend at the re-scheduled Athletics Ireland national Masters indoors at Athlone I.T.
Gavin Kelly (United Striders) was third in the Over50 long jump (4.50m).
Anne Gilshinan of Slaney Olympic had double Over-50 middle distance success, winning the 800m (2.44.05) and 1,500m (5.06.21).
Paul Crowe (Menapians) won the Over-40 shot putt with a throw of 13.40m and took silver in the weight for distance.
Clubmate Jimmy O’Neill took gold in the Over55 200m (27.23s) and was second in the 60m. Margaret O’Connor (Slaney Olympic) was fourth in the Over-45 60m.
Jackie Carthy (Kilmore) took the Over-45 3,000m title in 10.35 minutes. Clubmate Fidelma Rossiter placed fourth in the Over-40 3,000m.
With Storm Emma and the Beast from the East causing day four of the Leinster indoors to be re-scheduled to last Sunday, Wexford athletes were raring to go as they descended upon the A.I.T. Arena in Athlone.
To say that Wexford athletes lit up the stadium on an otherwise dreary day would be an understatement.
The county’s formidable middle distance contingent provided just the start that was required to light the fuse.
Kevin O’Mahony, already the Under-12 boys’ 60m champion, stepped up to the 600m. In his heat Kevin finished only two seconds outside a championship record.
When it came to the final and when he needed it most, he delivered a gutsy performance and clinched a bronze medal.
His clubmate Con Mernagh, who is not afraid to front run as displayed in the heat, once again used the tactic as he led out the Under-13 600m final. However, he faded and was disappointed not to medal.
Also in that race, Rob Sterling of St. Paul’s was second in his heat but unfortunately, like Con, finished outside the medals.
United Striders constantly display fantastic middle distance stars, who regularly win national titles. For that reason it was no surprise that once again Myles Hewlett stormed to victory in the Under-14 800m, in the process picking up a P.B. of 2:14.
His clubmate, Darragh Flannelly, running in the Under-15 800m, showed superb tactical knowledge to come third in his final after a slow first lap.
Our female middle distance athletes produced some stellar performances. Sinéad O’Reilly (Menapians) took home a silver medal for her club after a tactical race in the girls’ Under-14 800m. This was impressive as it was her first-ever individual Leinster medal with only All-Ireland Minor schools cross-country champion Sophie Quinn ahead of her.
Danika Gilshinan was fourth in the Under-16 girls’ 800m and qualified for the nationals. Eimear Fortune (Kilmore) reached her first individual Leinster final in the Under-14 girls’ 800m.
In the hurdles, Aaron Tierney-Smith (Menapians), who regularly mixes it with Ireland’s elite, was a very convincing winner of the Under-19 boys’ 60m.
In the Under-16 boys’ 60m hurdles, Darra Casey (Bree) was second while multi-eventer Jack Forde (St. Killian’s) added a bronze to previous wins in the high jump and shot putt.
Shane O’Neill (Menapians) was third in the Under-17 boys’ race after a couple of errors over the hurdles.
Maeve Hayes (St. Paul’s), already Leinster champion at high jump and long jump, was fourth in the Under-17 60m hurdles and will compete at all three events at the upcoming national championships.
Clubmate Sammy Delaney, also a Leinster long jump champion, made a costly stumble at the start of his Under-19 200m heat and, despite a good recovery, narrowly missed out on the final.
Katie Doyle (Bree) won gold in the Under-12 60m hurdles, while a newcomer to competitive athletics, Ruby Reynolds (Menapians), was quick to put a slow start behind her as she blasted her way to a silver medal in the Under-13 60m hurdles.
Oisín Cloke-Rochford Bree) made the final of the Under-12 boys’ 60m hurdles. Indeed, there was quite a medal rush for Bree in the spring hurdles races: Abbie Doyle was third in the Under-13 60m hurdles in a close race; Seán Rowley (Bree) also had to fight hard for his silver in the Under-14 boys’ race; and Sophie Codd was second in the Under-17 girls’ race.
Saibhe Byrne (Enniscorthy) was second in her Under-15 60m hurdles with a new P.B. of 9.68. Saibhe also was fourth in the high jump with a best of 1.45m. S.B.R’s Orlaith Byrne won gold in the Under-14 60m hurdles.
Fair play to Finn Cullen of Menapians who, despite coming a cropper at one of the hurdles in the Under-14 race, got back on his feet and finished,
Aisling Kelly (Taghmon) won the Under-16 60m hurdles and was fourth in the long jump and 200m.
Olivia Howe (Bree) was third in the Under-19 200m final. Blanaid Fogarty (Enniscorthy) agonisingly missed out on a medal in the Under-17 girls’ 200m with a new P.B. of 27.18.
In the field events, Jack Halpin (Under-13) and Eimear Halpin (Under-15) both attained P.B’s for Menapians in the shot putt.
Grace Donohoe (Bree) threw over 7m in the Under-13 girls’ competition. Elaine Oldrain (Enniscorthy) took silver in her Under-15 competition with a new P.B. of 10.75m.
In the long jump, Karyn Murphy (Enniscorthy) won bronze in the Under-18 event, with a best of 4.68m. Her clubmate, Dannan Long, was fifth in the Under-14 boys’ competition with a best leap of 4.29, a new P.B.
Attention now turns to the national indoors which kick off next weekend.
D.M.P’s Ciara Wilson placed second in the national duathlon, held last weekend in Letterkenny. The event, which demands oodles of speed, endurance and pacing, consists of a 10k run, 40k cycle, and 5k run. Ciara completed the 10k in 37.20m, a P.B.!
Paddy Morgan, Chairman of Wexford Athletics, has announced that the county Novice road championships, and other road races, will only go ahead if a roads and cross-country Secretary is in place by 5 p.m. this Wednesday, March 14.
The position has been vacant for the past year following the decision by former incumbent John Moore to step down following many years of service. Notwithstanding that decision, John continued, through 2017, to perform the role with the assistance of the officers.
The matter was discussed at the recent A.G.M. and a deadline was set for the filling of the position. That deadline has now passed.
A decision at that meeting to oblige clubs to have one of their members undertake the role of road and cross-country Secretary for a term has yet to be put into practice. Officers hoped that such a step might be avoided. As things now stand the county’s road race calendar is in danger of not happening.
Fixtures: March 18, Irish Life Health national Juvenile indoor championships day two, Athlone; March 19 (12 noon), Mr Oil Wexford Novice road race championships, Camross, hosted by United Striders (the race only goes ahead if the roads and cross-country Secretary is in situ); March 19-24, European Masters indoor championships, Madrid.