Leinster champ continues good run
DESPITE the holiday season being in full swing, 23 juvenile athletes from Ardee & District AC converged on Drogheda’s Lourdes Stadium on Saturday to compete in the Athletics Louth Setanta Games.
Kicking off the day were the Under-8 girls events and Ardee’s Courtney Commins took silver in the 60m and finished in an impressive fifth place in a photo-finish 200m.
Lily Breen and Jessica McCarron both ran well in the Under-9 Girls 60m and 200m as well as moving up an age and jumping well in the Under-10 long jump. Jessica then went on to run in a mixed club Under-9 relay, taking gold on the podium. Caoimhe Carolan produced some impressive running in the Under-10 Girls 80m and 200m.
Some of the boys from the club took to the track next, with Tom Maguire, Callum Caffrey, Dylan McCarron, Arthur Sands and newcomer Niall McNiece all running well in the Under-10 80m and 200m.
They were followed by the club’s Under-11 boys Tadhg Caffrey, Charlie Sands and newcomers Daragh Murphy and Sean McNiece who all came through heats to make finals, with Tadhg taking third and Daragh a very close fourth in the 80m and all finishing well in the 300m.
Running solo for the club in the Under-12 Boys events was Jack McCarron who narrowly missing out on medals in the 80m and 300m.
Last of the Ardee & District boys competing was their Leinster champion James Maguire who took gold in both the Under-13 100m and long jump.
Next up were the Under-13 girls events and Ardee’s Hallie Sands, Samantha McCarron, Orlaith Carolan and Ruth Gillespie all came through heats to qualify for the 100m final, with Hallie taking second place and Samantha just missing out on the medals. All four ran well in the 500m, with Hallie taking third, but their best result came in their relay which they dominated to take gold. Orlaith also claimed silver in the shot put.
Under-14 girls Rebecca McCarron and Eireann Hoey competed well in their age group, with Eireann taking bronze in the shot and Rebecca and Eireann moving up an age to join clubmates Aoibheann Carolan and Emma Gillespie to take third in the Under-15 Girls relay. Emma won another bronze in the Under-15 800m and Aoibheann claimed silver in the shot.
Last of the Ardee girls to compete was Abbie Sheridan who won bronze in the 800m for Under-17s.
A ‘Tiny Tots’ under-7s race was also held where Ardee & District’s Daniel Murphy and Frank Sands - both under-5 - finished in the top six.