CLUB CALL
MENAPIANS A.C.
The sun was shining at Ferrybank A.C. open sports at the Waterford R.S.C. recently.
Few in the club can remember when we were last at this event and not frozen solid, so it was a good day for spectators and our athletes put on quite a show.
Young Orla Crowe was cold! But she is more used to the weather in Australia. She ran a great 60m, finishing third in her heat, and just missed out on a place in the final. She threw well in the turbo javelin and had a great 300m race.
Ruby Reynolds blew the opposition aside to win her Under-13 hurdles. She went on to secure a bronze medal in the 80m. Eimear Halpin was fifth in the Under-15 hurdles.
Jack Halpin had to throw up an age with a heavier shot in the shot putt which he found challenging. He nontheless threw 5.70 to finish fifth.
Our Under-17 girls made it a onetwo in the 100m sprint, with Susie Brennan taking gold and April Keeling second.
It has been a difficult year for field events, contending with ponds instead of throwing circles and wet, heavy sand pits.
In spite of this, both Triini Jurisoo and Eimear Halpin jumped personal bests in the Under-15 long jump. Eimear cracked the four-metre barrier, jumping 4.01, and Triini jumped 4.26.
Triini also got a personal best in the shot putt, her first time to throw the heavier weight, with 7.77.
There was a personal best for Nathan Murphy in the Under-16 high jump where he got a bronze medal, jumping 1.35. He took home a gold for the shot putt, throwing 9.02, and came fourth in the 100m and the 800m, running solid races.
Sinéad O’Reilly won her Under-14 700m in commanding fashion. The result never looked in doubt.
Eimear Halpin ran a cracker of an 800m, taking bronze in the Under-15 race. A bronze medal at Ferrybank sports is not to be sniffed at, but Eimear deserves praise, not for the result, but for the manner in which she ran the race.
She attacked the middle part of the race and put in the hard work when it mattered, and looked like she had the belief she could win the race. She was passed in the finishing stages into third position, but this was a gutsy, confident run from Eimear.
April, Susie and Nathan teamed up with Conor Brennan to run the relay and took home more gold medals.
Menapians spinter Leon Reid won bronze in the men’s 200m at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday, Northern Ireland’s first athletics medal at the event in 28 years.
At the Irish University Athletics Association outdoor track and field championships in Belfast at the weekend, Conor Gaffney had a very strong day in the pentathlon, finishing with a brave run in the 1,500m and winning bronze, his first I.U.A.A. medal.
Conor Wilson and Shaun Donohue made it throught their heats to the 200m and 400m finals respectively, with Wilson running a great qualifying race from lane one.
Mel O’Callaghan was just off his P.B’s in the 100m and 200m also. Dale Murphy-Butler ran a brave 400m in his heats, just missing out on progressing.
Emmanuel Ogbonna put in a solid performance in the triple jump, finishing in fourth.
There was a great turn-out from the club for the Blue 5k fun run/walk in aid of the Rainbow Unit in Scoil Mhuire, Coolcotts, on Sunday, with both adult and juvenile members taking part. Dermot Foley finished third overall and Ciara Dolan was the first Under-16 girl home.
Menapians A.C. will host its annual 5k road race on Friday, July 20, at 7.30 p.m. We guarantee a great evening’s racing, organised for runners by runners, on a challenging course around Park and Carcur in Wexford town.
Online registration is now open, with further details on facebook.com/ menapians5k
WANDERERS RUGBY
Wanderers 20, West Offaly 19: A sensational finish to a sensational Leinster League campaign saw Wexford Wanderers Under-15s crowned Division 2 champions.
Meeting West Offaly in the final in Carlow, it was a tough first-half for Wanderers as they faced a strong wind.
And then, a yellow card five minutes into the match meant that Daragh Brownrigg was sin-binned for five minutes.
Three tries and two conversions by West Offaly had them in a strong lead of 19-0 at half-time.
Wanderers settled into the match after the break, and they began to take control of the play.
A well-deserved try by prop Oran Cleary had the team back in the match.
Ten minutes later another super try by number 8 John Codd was converted by Jack O’Hagan to reduce the gap to 19-12.
One more unconverted try by Oran Cleary saw Wanderers get to within two points at 19-17 with just minutes to go.
Then in stoppage time the referee awarded a penalty with a ten-yard advantage for a foul on the Wexford winger, Seán Cooling.
A tough decision to take the 38yard penalty kick was made by Jack O’Hagan, but with a calm nerve and great technical ability the Wexford centre kicked the ball between the posts at ease for the referee to blow the whistle on full-time.
The sensational one-point win for Wexford Wanderers gives them promotion to the Division 1 league for next year.
Continuing on an exceptional year at Wexford Wanderers, the Under-14s won 31-21 versus Tullow in the Division 1 final of the Leinster League.
That makes it four Leinster titles in the bag for Wexford Wanderers R.F.C. this season.
The women of Wexford Wanderers took to the pitch at Park Lane on Sunday to face Wanderers in the Paul Flood Cup quarter-final.
Having been defeated twice by Wanderers in Leinster League games this season, an ordinary onlooker wouldn’t have held out much hope, but thankfully the Vixens didn’t listen.
Wanderers were first on the board as their tight head prop got over the line to secure a try. They failed, however, to secure the additional two points as the kick missed its target.
Wexford quickly retaliated and just a few short minutes later, full-back Máire Rowe displayed her superb skills and strategy to defeat the defence and secure an equalising five points, which similarly remained unconverted.
Before the half was up, Wanderers’ prop forward struck again, giving the visiting team the advantage going intohalf-time.
The remaining 40 minutes was a cold, hard slog for both sides.
In the last few minutes, the home team were advancing on the line, phase after hard-won phase. A penalty, a re-start, another phase and finally the effort paid off as Fleur Moran’s trademark bingo ball hit the white paint right under the posts.
Out-half Siobhán Cloake gracefully dissected the posts to add the winning two points and the humble crowd erupted.
The game finished 12-10 in favour of Vixens.
The Vixens played for their teammate Emma Shannon, who remains in a stable condition in Beaumont Hospital after a recent road traffic accident.
They will bring the same passion on Emma’s behalf next weekend as they face Balbriggan in the semi-final. All of the team and surrounding club are wishing Emma a speedy recovery.
WANDERERS CRICKET
In spite of the ongoing poor weather conditions, this season’s cricket season has already started with a number of Leinster League fixtures completed at the weekend.
This year Wexford Wanderers have entered a second team into the league after a few years’ absence. Their first game is away to Tyrellstown on Saturday, April 28, with the first eleven away to Bagenalstown on the following day.
The first home fixture is scheduled for Sunday, May 6, when the first team will welcome Malahide to Park.
Following their second place finish last year, the first team are now competing in Division 6 of a 16-division Leinster League structure, with the seconds playing in Division 14, where amongst their opponents will be near neighbours Gorey.
Unfortunately, the cricket field is currently waterlogged but as soon as the long-awaited good weather finally arrives, practice will take place every Wednesday from 6 p.m.
Anyone interested in playing cricket or helping out the club in any way can contact Herbie Honohan (0876535985).