Fiona out in front
Menapians put points on the board
FIONA KEHOE of Kilmore Athletics Club won the 1,500m at Saturday’s indoor league at the National Sports Campus, Abbotstown.
Fiona, competing as a guest, opened a good gap on the field from the early stages and went on to take the win in 4.34 minutes.
The Menapians team at the league consisted of just three athletes - David McDonald, Aaron Tierney-Smith and Conor Wilson. The lads threw themselves into the event with abandon, covering as many events as they could so as to maximise the club’s points tally.
Aaron put the first points on the board with a third place finish, and a P.B. (8.56s), in the 60m hurdles.
David had a superb win in the 60m in 6.97s; he then ran 6.94s in the second race. David, competing as a guest in the 400m, clocked a sub 50-second time.
Conor picked up points in the long jump and 800m while Aaron also picked up points in the shot putt.
The result of all this multi-tasking is that the club is in sixth place - not bad under the circumstances. With the second round in two weeks’ time, they will be hoping to have a bigger squad to share the load.
Jackie Carthy of Kilmore A.C. enjoyed her first real test of the year at the Leinster Masters cross-country championships in a dry but windy Gowran on Sunday.
Part of a small early break-away group, Jackie was never too far from the action. In a very tight dash for the line she was edged into fourth place overall, with both third and fourth given the same time, and finished first Over-45. S.B.R’s Ciara Bowe was 16th in F40.
In the Masters men’s race, Wexford’s top finisher overall in 14th place was Joe Lillis of U.S.A.C. (tenth M35). Alex Williams (Croghan) was 19th in M35.
First Wexford athlete home in M40 was Pat Foley (Croghan), in fourth place. Other M40 finishers: Alan O’Connor (U.S.A.C.), sixth; Paul Gibbons (S.B.R.), tenth.
Brendan Lyng (U.S.A.C.) was second M45 with clubmate John McGrath third, Brian Maher (Croghan) fourth, George Delaney (U.S.A.C.) sixth, Michael O’Flaherty (Kilmore) tenth, and Fabian Flood (U.S.A.C.) 15th.
David Barron of Slaney Olympic was sixth Over-50 with Ted Flannelly (U.S.A.C.) 14th, Billy Reck (Slaney Olympic) 17th, Pat O’Callaghan (U.S.A.C.) 19th, and Gavin Kelly (U.S.A.C.) 23rd.
Slaney Olympic stalwart Jim Stafford won the Over-55 category. Just behind him in fifth was the St. Paul’s A.C. mountain running specialist Ger Moloney, while Matt Flannelly (U.S.A.C.) was sixth.
Wexford won the Over-50 title for best county while the club team silver went to Slaney Olympic, with Striders back in seventh place. Overall the both the Striders team and the county team placed fourth.
Striders had six teams competing in the Juvenile relays. The club struck gold in Under-16 boys as the quartet of Darragh Flannelly, Ben Wall, Aidan Shannon and Myles Hewlett took the Leinster title.
And such is the club’s strength in depth at this age that they had sufficient fire-power to also take third and fifth places.
The club had two teams in the boys’ Under-14 race, with one placing third, and the other fifth. Their girls’ Under-16 team were twelfth.
D.M.P’s Claragh Keane is looking forward to donning the green singlet next weekend at the I.A.A.F. international, Celtic and Home Countries cross-country event in Belfast.
Claragh has been selected on the Irish Under-17 women’s development team following her fine run at the All-Ireland cross-country in November. The event is open to any athlete wishing to compete.
Entries, which should be made through the Athletics Northern Ireland website, close at 5 p.m., Wednesday, January 9.
Fixtures: January 19, I.A.A.F. international, Celtic and Home Countries cross-country, Dundonald, Belfast; January 19, Irish Life Health indoor combined events all ages, Athlone; January 20, Wexford Masters, Juniors and Juvenile relays cross-country championships. venue TBA; January 23 (11 a.m.), Mr Oil Wexford schools cross-country (rescheduled), Good Counsel College, New Ross; January 23 (7.30 p.m.), Wexford Athletics A.G.M., Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy.