Kya’s shot in the arm for Ardee club
ARDEE & District athletes made the long trip home from Tullamore with medals of every colour after some fine performances at the Under-9 to Under-11 Leinster Pairs and Under-12/13 Individual Track & Field Championships.
With the sun peeping from behind the clouds and only a slight breeze blowing, conditions on the track were almost perfect for competition.
In the individual events Kya Mothiram got the day off to a great start when her throw of 7.58m in the Girls Under-12 shot put earned her the Leinster title.
Rob Kelly competed in the Boys Under-12 shot put and his throw of 7.06m put him in the top eight for a further three throws where he finished sixth.
In the Girls Under-13 shot put Orlaith Carolan finished in the top eight, with clubmate Ava McNally just behind her.
James Maguire was entered into the Under-13 high jump and a clearance of 1.35m was enough to secure the silver medal for finishing in second place, while Hallie Sands ran well in the Girls Under-13 600m but was unlucky not to proceed to the final.
In the pairs competitions Fintan Kelly and Isaac McKenna proved a force to be reckoned with. With their mighty throws combined, the boys were rewarded with a silver medal for second place in the Under-9 turbo javelin.
The Boys Under-10 team of Senan Lundon, Ashyn Mothiram,
Tom Maguire and Arthur Sands all ran well in the 60m, with Tom and Arthur finishing sixth. Tom and Senan then paired together for the long jump and their combined jumps placed them third, earning the boys the last spot on the podium. Mere centimetres saw Ashyn and Arthur finish just outside the medals in fourth place in the turbo javelin.
Paulina Kelly and Sarah Lynch competed well in the Under-12 80m sprint and they joined forces a second time for the turbo javelin, where their combined results earned the silver medals.
Jack Dowdall and Cormac Lundon ran well in the Boys Under-11 80m and also competed in the Under-11 long jump.
Finishing off the day’s events, James Maguire joined his county’s peers to wear the red and white of Louth in the Boys Under-13 4x100m inter-county relay. A close contested race saw each of the boys run a super leg to win bronze.
The championships continue next weekend when the older juvenile athletes get their chance to compete.