Ardee athletes do their county proud at Community Games
STEALING away from the Fleadh Cheoil, 12 Ardee & District AC athletes represented Louth with distinction at the Aldi National Community Games Finals at the impressive University of Limerick facilities.
With the sun shining on day one, the Ardee contingent got off to a flying start, all qualifying through their heats to reach the semi-finals.
The Boys Under-12 relay team of Charlie Sands, Michael Reid, Dylan McCarron and Jack Dowdall and Girls U-14 relay quartet of Samantha McCarron, Ruth Gillespie, Orlaith Carolan and Hallie Sands both ran some of their best times but just missed out on places in the hotly contested finals.
In the individual events the club were represented by sprinters Jack Dowdall (U-12 100m) and Orlaith Carolan (U-14) 100m, Ardee’s distance runner was Rebecca McCarron in the U-16 1500m and the club’s hurdlers were brother and sister Arthur Sands (U-10 60m) Hallie Sands (U-14 80m). Ardee were also represented in the field events thanks to Kya Mothiram in the U-14 shot putt.
There was a misty start on day two, but the temperatures rose nicely and there were some wonderful performances from all the Ardee semi-finalists.
Rebecca McCarron gave it her all, Hallie Sands was fifth in her event after a great fight for the fourth medal position and Kya Mothiram was also placed fifth and just missed out on a National medal.
All the athletes were wonderfully supported by their families and especially by Louth’s Community Games managers Deirdre McMahon and John Roche.
Elsewhere, Michael Lundon flew the flag for Ardee & District AC at the Irish Life Health Masters Championships in Tullamore, winning two silver medals in the Over-45 100m (12.42sec, PB) and 200m and a bronze in the 110m hurdles, as well as finishing seventh in the 400m.
Lundon has had a fantastic track and field season this year, coming away with an outstanding four gold medals (Over-45 100m, 200m, 400m and long jump) at the Louth Masters Championships in July.
And in the Leinster and National Combined Events Championships he won silver and bronze respectively for the Over-40 Pentathlon (long jump, shot putt, high jump, 1500m and 110m hurdles).
Naturally, being a native of Limerick, he was smiling all that weekend and still is following the success of the county’s hurlers.