Galway City Harriers U18 girls' team provided the highlight of the day for the county at the final day of the National Juvenile Indoor Championships in the Athlone IT Arena.
The team of Seren O’Toole, Jennifer Hughes, Eimear Rowe, Chloe Casey and Emma Jane Moran took team gold in the 4x200m relay. GCH U17 boys, Niall Breathnach, Conor Hoade, Andrew Sheehy, Shaun Gilligan, Robert Urquhart and Conor Trehy, secured team silver in the 4x200m, while and GCH also took silver at U19 girls in the 4x200m, with the squad comprising Rachel Hughes, Miriam Greene Chloe Casey and Seren O'Toole.
The talented South Galway AC boys' team won silver medals in the U15 relay, via Andrew Horan, David Mannion, Ruairi Dillon, Stephen Mannion, and Sean Kelleher.
Individually Conor Hoade of GCH won long jump bronze, doing so with a best jump of 5.77m in the fifth round of the U16 boys’ competition.
University Outdoor Track and Field championships
NUI Galway had great success at the weekend's Intervarsities Track and Field competition at Athlone Institute of Technology.
NUIG ladies' team placed third overall, with their men’s squad finishing a fine fifth, with the combined team winning bronze.
In the women's events, Aoife O'Brien was the star for NUIG, winning gold in the 3000m steeplechase. Sarah Quinn claimed silver in a fast 100m sprint, behind international Phil Healy, and Nicole Walsh took a fine bronze in a highly competitive 400m.
Both NUIG ladies relay teams took silver team medals, over 4x100m and 4x400m, with Aisling Forkan finishing out the final leg of the 4x100m in a great display of courage. Despite tearing her hamstring, she held on to claim silver for the team.
The 4x400m squad comprised Nicole Walsh, Ellie O Toole, Ciara Barry, and Sarah Lanigan and the 4x100m team was made up of Nicole Walsh, Sarah Quinn, Ciara Barry and the heroic Forkan.
In the men’s races, Damien Landers completed an arduous medal winning double for NUI Galway over the two days, firstly winning silver in a 10000m PB of 30.47, and on Saturday securing bronze in the 5000m in a NUIG record of 14.51. Sligo athlete Finlay Daly again delivered in the steeplechase winning a bronze medal, and Fergus Cox set an NUIG record winning bronze in the javelin with a 56 metre throw.
The men’s relay squads won bronze in both the 4x100m relay, via Shane Mooney, Robert Meagher, Owen Scully and Jonah and the 4x400m with Robert Meagher, Aengus Meldon, Owen Scully and Jonah Erugo.
Galway Athletics Awards
The Galway Athletics Awards were held Saturday in the Meadow Court Hotel in Loughrea with the prestigious senior prizes going to GCH athletes, thrower Sean Breathnach and 400m runner Nicole Walsh.
Special awards were made to Eamonn O' Donnell of GCH and Andrew Talbot of CRH for their services to athletics over the years. Mick Molloy (Irish Olympian in the Mexico 1968 Olympics ) and Christine Kennedy (Irish international marathon runner and multiple national champion ) were inducted into the Galway Athletics Hall of Fame.
Claregalway 5k
Conor Dolan was a runaway winner of the sixth annual Claregalway 5k organised by Clare River Harriers AC on Tuesday. Dolan clocked 16.39 for victory ahead of second-placed Kevin Moore, and third home was Ger Hartnett of Tuam AC. Roisin Golden won the women's section in 20.24, ahead of Rachel Farrell in second and Louise Geoghegan of Galway Triathlon in third
National Spring Throws
Brendan Staunton of GCH made his outdoor debut at the National Spring Throws fixture and placed second in the discus with 34.68 metres. Justin Lane of Tuam AC also placed well in his three events, discus, hammer and javelin.
Fixtures
National 10k:The National 10k Road Race championships will be held next Sunday in the Phoenix Park Dublin at 10.45am. Regina Casey of GCH will aim for a top 10 finish in the women's event, while GCH Masters men, Timmy Jones, Michael Kerrin, and Martin McEvilly will target category medals, with Craughwell's Mark Davis also likely to go well.
Connemara Marathon: The Connemarathon series of races take place on Sunday in Connemara area of Maam Cross and the Inagh valley. There will be an ultra, full and half marathon on the programme, with some 2,000 athletes expected to compete. The ultra marathon runners are first off at 9am, with the full marathon setting off at 10.30am (walkers 9.30am ), and the half marathon scheduled at 12pm (walkers 11am ).
