Galway athletes scooped 15 medals at the 2011 Irish Juvenile Indoor Championships at Magherafelt, Co Derry, at the weekend.
Galway City Harriers and and Craughwell AC athletes returned with a tally of three gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals.
The first of the golds came from GCH’s Tara Hession who claimed the u-19 years 400m title in a time of 61.78s. Simon Callaghan regained his 60m hurdles title, winning the u-19 event in 9.04s. and Alanna Lally continued her winning streak on the track, winning the 1500m girls u-16 title in 4min 48.21s.
Craughwell’s Aisling Keady-Cummins took double medals in the u-13 long jump and high jump, winning bronze with six jumps close to or exceeding four metres, and silver in the high jump, clearing 1.25m, 1.30m and 1.35m - the same height as the winner, Alanna Gannon from Westport.
Craughwell's u-12 boys had a historic day when taking second and third in the high jump – Cillian Doyle claimed the silver with a 1.23m leap and Jerry Keary grabbed the bronze with a 1.20m clearance. However, it was hard luck for Tara McNally who took fourth place in the u-14 high jump with a leap of 1.40m, losing out on count-back for the silver and bronze medals.
Craughwell AC's Conor Gillen won his first national track medal when taking the silver in the u-16 1500m in a PB time of 4.25.75, while Evan McGuire was second in the u-17 boys 60m hurdles. Jack Dempsey won his first individual All Ireland medal, a silver in the u-13 60m in 8.37. Laura Ann Costello had double bronze medal performance in the u-15 girls 60m and 60m hurdles. Amy Rohan also won her first All Ireland individual medal with bronze in the u-19 girls 60m hurdles.
Kevin Dooley’s PB was enough to seal bronze in the u-18 triple jump, while Ronan Kelly won bronze in the 400m.
