There is no stopping Conor Dolan in this year's Galway 5km Series. The GHC athlete strode to a fourth successive win in the recent Loughrea event, clocking 16.42 for the win, ahead of Timmie Glavey of Mayo AC and Kevin Bartholomew of Craughwell AC.
The first woman home was Carol Ryan of Craughwell AC in 18.29, with Jane Ann Meehan of Athenry AC, second, and Sinead Brody of GCH in third. Shauna Bocquet of Craughwell AC took the wheelchair race honours in 18.37, on what was a more testing course than the other series races.
Athenry is next up, with the social event after the last race in the Raheen Woods, Athenry.
Galway Athletics Awards
Galway AAI County Board held its annual Galway AAI Athletics Awards in the Westwood Hotel in Dangan on Sunday.
Guests of honour were Athletics Ireland president Georgina Drumm, and new AI High performance director, Athenry man Paul McNamara.
The award winners were: Female Age 12-15: Seren O’Toole (GCH ); Male Age 12-15 Evan Hallinan (Craughwell AC ); Female Age 16-19: Nicole King (GCH );Male Age 16-19: Cillin Greene (GCH ); Female Senior: Niamh Hennelly (GCH ); Male Senior: Sean Breathnach (GCH ); Female Master: Mary Barrett (Loughrea AC ); Male Master: Gary Thornton (GCH ); Outstanding Contribution: PJ Coyle (GCH ); Hall of Fame: Brian Geraghty (GCH ); Female Team: Senior Marathon team (GCH ); Male Team: National Premier League team (GCH ).
Connacht Schools
There were several notable Galway performances at the Irish Life Health Connacht Schools Track and Field finals in Athlone.
Among the highlights were the sprints in which Jack Dempsey of AHC Mountbellew won a closely-fought senior 100m in 10.82 with Cillin Green of Presentation Athenry second in 10.83. Greene went on to win the 200m in 22.2.
Pupils from St Brigid’s Loughrea won all three boys’ triple jump titles. Brendan Lynch proved best of the seniors with a leap of 12.90m and also won the long jump with 6.27m. Conor Leahy was another double winner, with 11.64m in the inter boys’ triple jump and 6.0 in the long jump. Winning the junior triple jump was Anton Tarion with 9.89m. In the senior boys’ high jump, Jerry Keary of St Raphael’s was the winner with a height of 1.90m.
In the distance events Gary Martyn of Galway Community College won the senior 5000m, Ben Ryan of St Raphael’s Loughrea was second in 9 mins 33 in the while GCH athlete James Frizzell held off a strong challenge from Ben Garrard to win the 800m in a time of 2.01.
At intermediate level Kacper Poniatowski stormed home to win the 400m final in a new PB of 53.47, while Diego Brule took the 400m hurdles title in a new PB of 1.00. Aaron Brennan ran strongly to secure second in the 1500m and third in the 800m. Others to qualify for the All Irelands in the middle distances were Eanna Folan of Colaiste na Coiribe; Uyi Uyiosa, Cillian Jordan and Barry Murphy of St Enda's; and Michael Healy of the Bish.
At junior level, Eoghan Jennings was the winner of the pole vault, leaping to a height of 2.30m, and he was also second in the discus.
In the senior girls competition Aoife Sheehy ran a magnificent race to hold off the challenge of Ellie McGeogh in the 400m hurdles in a new PB of 68.0. Laura Nally had a comfortable win in the 400m, running a season’s best time of 60.7. Lydia Doyle ran an impressive time of 12.52 to secure the second qualifying place in the 100m in a highly competitive field, and Caron Ryan of Loughrea took the senior 3000m, while Aine O Farrell of Pres Athenry won the 1500m.
Seren O’Toole dominated both the 300m hurdles and 200m intermediate races, achieving two new PBs (26.2 in the 200m and 48.73 in the 300m hurdles ). Laoise Geraghty ran strongly in the 300m to take the title in 44.1.
Eimear Rowe was a clear winner of the junior 800m in a time of 2.26 and Sinead Duggan was second in the long jump. Paula Crissan won the minor high jump leaping to 1.35m.
Mayfly 10k
Greg Lundon of South Galway AC produced an excellent performance to win the annual Mayfly 10 in Oughterard on Sunday. Lundon clocked 36.54 on a tough course, with Daire Comer of Tuam second and Justin McDermott of South Galway AC third. GCH’s Esther O’Flaherty won the women’s event after a long injury lay off.
