Drogheda athletes make their mark
ROUND one of Drogheda and District AC’s Summer Track Series takes place this Thursday at Lourdes Stadium and with many of their athletes resting up for this more intense type of running it was a quiet week on the racing front.
Nevertheless, Bernadette Matthews, Carmel Keenan and Niamh Matthews made the short trip to the Cooley Coastal Run well worthwhile when they took home some category prizes and a PB time as well.
This very popular evening 10K saw in excess of 400 runners make their way to the start line and conditions on the night were to make for some fast times.
In the Women’s O-45 category Bernadette Matthews and Keenan had a titanic battle over the quiet rural roads and it was only in the closing stages than Matthews pulled clear to claim the silver medal, with Keenan picking up bronze when finishing just a few yards behind.
Also running was Niamh Matthews who was delighted to run a new PB time for the distance of 47:46.
It was a big weekend in the local juvenile athletics calendar, with the Louth Track & Field Championships taking place in glorious sunshine throughout the weekend in Drogheda and at Bush.
Drogheda & District juvenile athletes were out to impress in events throughout the athletic programme and there were outstanding performances from Ana Drakoulaki who won a thrilling U-14 80m sprint and came second in the long jump.
Moya McCabe collected four medals - second in the U-17 400m, 100m hurdles and javelin and third in the shot putt.
New girl on the block Muirne O’Connor ran a solid U-16 80m hurdles race and was rewarded with a bronze medal.
Abigail Tegart was third in the U-16 800m and 1500m, both in personal best times, while Sophie Kinsella also continued her solid form to earn third in a very competitive U-13 600m.
Kate O’Reilly was third in the U-16 javelin and fourth in the 1500m in a personal best time, while Sophie Kinsella won bronze in the U-13 600m.
There were solid efforts in the throws, with Eamon Canning second in the U-14 shot putt and Eoghan Curran third in the U-16 shot.
Siblings Peter and Daniel Aylward picked up second and third in the long jump, shot and javelin.
Other athletes that impressed included Ciara O’Connor - who just missed out on a medal in the U-11 60m - and Maeabh McCabe who was fifth in a competitive U-12 60m hurdles.
Round two of the Dublin Athletic Board’s graded series took place last Wednesday in Tallaght Stadium and in the grade C 1500m was David Quinn who finished sixth in a lively 4:52.44.
Marathon man Gerard Fay ran the Le Cheile 5K in Leixlip during the week and finished 155th in 24:40.
Last Saturday’s Oldbridge Parkrun was held in beautiful sunshine and this challenging 5K course is starting to quicken up with the recent dry weather.
D&D’s first finisher in 14th place overall was sprint group member Hugh Callan who stepped up in distance and ran the course in a solid 21:53.
In 37th was regular competitor Seamus Roe who finished in 25:30, with Barney Flannery 47th in 26:14, a new PB for him. Also running a new PB time were Linda Bowe - 52nd in 27:13 - and Donal Branigan who was 70th in 30:07.