Galway County athletic women’s team has qualified for the August finals of the National Track and Field League finals in Tullamore.
The team placed eighth of 16 teams with notable top finishes from Maeve Curley, second in the walk in 7.14, Sinead Treacy, second in the 200m in 25.52, Alvy Carragher with a strong run for third in the 3000m, and Mary Barrett who took third in the discus.
Other athletes who all scored crucial points included hurdlers Sarah and Rachel Finnegan, relay athletes Nicole King and Liz Maher, sprinters Aisling Ni Fhatarta and Laura Ann Costello, and Michelle Maher and Caroline Whirsikey in the middle distances. In the field, Orla Ryan came fourth in the high jump and Ellen Fitzpatrick fifth in the javelin. The Galway team, managed by Sarah Finnegan, will now focus their preparations on the upcoming final.
A young Galway City Harriers men’s team came agonisingly close to a final place, missing out by only one position, finishing ninth of the competing teams. The club had some excellent performances in Keith Fallon, second in the 800m, and Igor Muntean in the high jump, while thrower Mike Conerney took second in the discus and third in the 56lb weight. Young sprinters James Mitchell, Eoghan Dobey and John Igowu ran well in sprints and relays events, with Mitchell a good fourth in the 100m in 11.19.
European Team Cup
Cathriona Farrell of Craughwell AC represented Ireland in the high jump at the European Team Cup in Estonia where she placed 11th with a jump of 1.70m to earn two points for the Irish team. The Irish team placed seventh overall which matched its best finish in this event from last year. Galway City Harrier Sean Breathnach threw 15.59m for 12th place in the men’s shot putt event
In the England Athletics u-20 and u-23 Championships in Bedford, Galway's Alanna Lally qualified for the final of the u-20 800m where she placed a fine eighth position in 2.09.13. Evan McGuire, also of GCH, ran both 400 m hurdles and 400 flat events, qualifying in the 400 flat for the semis, running a good 49.88 time.
Veronica Burke of Ballinasloe and District AC finished second in an international 10km walk in Belgium in a new personal best for the distance.
Annaghdown 10k
Conor Dolan of GCH took a well-deserved victory in the eighth annual Annaghdown 10k, run on the longest day of the year as is traditional for the event. Dolan is fast becoming one of the top road runners in the west thanks to his dedicated training regime over the last number of years. Owen Byrne of GCH was second in 34.40 and third was Ray Somers of Athenry in 36.25.
Jane Ann Meehan took an excellent win in the ladies’ event with a fast time of 38.04, with 5k series winner Regina Casey having to settle for second in 39.04. Third home was Sinead Foran of Athenry
Tailteann Games
On Saturday in Santry, athletes from Galway made a huge contribution to one of the best days for Connacht athletics at the inter-provincial schools track and field known as the Tailteann Games
In the 4x300m Connacht’s won its second ever gold relay medal at these games in a time of 2.43.20. Tara McNally and Sineád Treacy of Craughwell joined Laura Anne Costello of Dunmore/GCH and Mayo’s Aisling Forkan as the triumphant quartet. Just moments earlier, another Craughwell AC athlete Michelle Duggan partnered Treacy, Costello and Forkan to silver in the 4x100m with 47.81s.
It was a special day also for Sineád Treacy who took a splendid individual silver medal in the 200m in a time of 25.05, while Tara McNally came close to the medals in a super 300m hurdles where she took fourth place in a time of 47.12.
GCH athlete Sarah McDonnell, running for Colasite na Coiribe, was third in the 800m in 2.17. Cillian Greene, Pres Athenry and GCH, was fourth in 22.47 in the 200 metres.
Fixtures
Galway Senior/Junior/Masters Track and Field 2014 Championship Day One takes place next Sunday in Dangan from 1.30pm onwards for AAI Galway athletes, with guest athletes from other clubs welcome.
