Galway athletes secured multiple medals at the National Masters Track and Field Championships in Dublin's Santry Stadium on Sunday.
Galway City Harriers secured 13 individual medals and four relay medals - the highlight was gold in a quality 4x400m women's race from Sinead Foran, Niamh Hennelly, Karen Quirke and Kathryn Casserly.
The women’s squad also earned silver in their 4x100m relay with Linda Nally, Foran, Hennelly and Quirke all contributing, while GCH men’s relay squads chipped in with a great second place in their 4x400m event and bronze in the 4x100m race.
In the sprints Linda Nally produced a superb performance to win double gold in the 100/200m V50 women's events, while Karen Quirke also excelled, winning two bronze medals over 100m and 200m at V40 level.
In the men’s sprints, Jim Phelan won V45 silver over 400m, while in the distance events there were more national titles for Martin McEvilly with wins at V70 level over 1500m and 5000m. Deirdre McRae over 3000m at V40, and Kathryn Casserly at V40 level, and Sinead Foran in the V45 category over 1500m were also gold medalists.
Also, on the track Niamh Hennelly won bronze at V35 in the 1500m, as did Lloyd Malcolm in the V45 category over 5000m, while in the field, Richard O'Hanlon secured double silver in the discus and shot put.
Craughwell sprinters had a great run of success via their Masters squad of Cormac Kearney, David Mulligan, Brian Malone, John Walkin and the inspirational Ronnie Warde. This crack squad won double gold in the 4x100m V40 relay via Kearney, Warde, Mulligan and Malone, as did the 4x400m squad of Walkin, Warde, Mulligan and Malone. Individually, David Mulligan won 200m V35 silver, and Ronnie Warde won bronze over 200m at V40 level.
Castlegar Athletics Club athletes won on the double, with Reiner Botha superb in winning gold in the Masters V35 long hump, and Stephen Casserly powering home to silver in the men's V40 1500m, securing a personal best in the process.
Mary Barrett of Loughrea AC continued her winning streak with double gold in the V60 discus and shot putt events , and Andy Talbot struck silver for Clare River Harriers in the V70 5000m.
East Galway 5km
East Galway AC hosted its annual 5k on Saturday over a fast course in Skehana. David Carter won for GCH in 16.09, with Gary Scully of Nenagh second in 16.29 and David Bohan, also of GCH, home third in 16.34. The first woman home was Aine Kenny of Crusaders in 20 minutes flat, ahead of Monika De Almeida and Lisa McGrath of Ennis Track.
Also on the road, Eoin Molloy of Castlegar had a superb run at the weekend, placing second in the Seamie Wheldon 5km in Ardee, Co Louth, in a great time of 15.42.
Fixtures
There is a host of events taking place over the coming months with the return to open road races and cross-country fixtures in Galway and nationally.
First up is the Castlegar AC sponsored Cross Country event, which takes place in the Racecourse in Ballybrit on Saturday September 18.
Several Galway athletes have been selected as team members for Connacht at the prestigious Tailteann Games (for under 17s ) , which will be held this Saturday. Athletes include Margaret Nnadi over 100m and 200m, Nicole Quirke in the 100m, Ava McKeon over both 80m and 300m hurdles, Sean Duggan in the 200m, and Mathieu Madden in 400m hurdles and high jump.
The Connacht squad will compete against the selected athletes from Munster, Leinster and Ulster. From that event, an Irish team will be selected to take on the best from England, Scotland and Wales in an international competition.
