Sean Breathnach of GCH produced a fantastic result at Sunday’s AAI Indoor Games in Athlone in the shot put, throwing a lifetime best of 17.14m.
The throw was also a stadium record and places him fifth on the Irish all-time indoor list.
Almost half a metre better than his previous best, the result bodes well for a good season ahead for the Galway athlete.
Craughwell’s Cathriona Farrell won the high jump with 1.75m, while Mary Barrett of Loughrea was third in the high jump 1.30m, and also set a new masters Irish record in the women’s shot W55 category, throwing 10.91m.
At the second round of the indoor national track and field league, the Craughwell AC ladies team performed exceptionally well to score a total of 29 points, bringing the team's total points to 75.5 points after the two rounds of heats and in first place heading into the final on Saturday. Competing on the day for the team was Sinead Treacy (200m ), Sinead Gaffney (400m ), Ciara Greene (1500m ), Aisling Keady Cummins (high jump ) and Sarah Finnegan (triple jump ).
Fixtures
The National Masters and Intermediates All Ireland Cross Country Championships take place in the Palace Grounds, Tuam, Co Galway, on Sunday. This will be run alongside the Juvenile Development events for u-11-u-17 athletes, and are the first National Cross Country Championships to be held in Galway since 1999.
The event is set to attract almost 1000 competitors and similar numbers will attend the venue in support of some of Ireland’s top cross country runners and upcoming juvenile athletes.
The programme includes masters women and over 65 men who run together at 1pm over 4km; master men over 35-64 who run 7km at 1.30pm; intermediate women who run 5km at 2.10pm; and the blue riband event, the intermediate men’s 8km which is off at 2.40pm.
Galway teams and individual athletes will have no shortage of motivation to aim for medals in front of a home crowd, and the masters men’s over 35 team will be one tipped for team and possibly individual medals, with Matt Bidwell and Fintan Hyland of GCH, and Craughwell AC's Peter O Sullivan expected to challenge for honours. GCH athletes Owen Byrne and Brian O’Connor will also be aiming for top 30 finishes.
The intermediate women’s team is another which is highly regarded and contains a number of the bronze medal-winning Galway novice cross country squad of 2014. Barbara Dunne and Niamh Hennelly, both of GCH, top road runner Jane Ann Meehan of Athenry AC, and marathon runner Siobhan Egan of GCH, will be well in the hunt for team medals. Jason Broderick of Craughwell and John Greaney of GCH form two key elements of a strong Galway intermediate men’s team that will be looking to take back a title they last won in knee deep mud in ALSAA in Dublin in 2011.
Galway masters women’s team over 35, led by Helen Corbett GCH, and the evergreen Galway over 65 men’s squad, including legends Roger Rushe of Tuam and Martin Mcevilly GCH, are also ones to watch on what promises to be a great day of cross country running in Tuam.
Maree 8k road race
The annual Maree 8KM Road Race with Amphibian King takes place in Maree, Oranmore, on Sunday at 1pm. Entry is open on active.com This event is organised by Maree Athletics Club in conjunction with the Maree Development Organisation. Entry is €15 and is open to runners aged 16 years and older.
