Galway athletes enjoyed considerable success at the Connacht Championships in Sligo IT on Saturday.
Ava McKeon of Galway City Harriers was in formidable form, winning four medals on the day and demonstrating her ability over a range of events. She won the U13 hurdles in 10.72 and the 600m in 1.49, took a silver medal in the 80m sprint, and anchored the 4 x 100m relay team to bronze medals, along with teammates Kelsey Wall, Anna Lee, Isabella Burke and Rachel Fahy.
Richard McGrath and Shane Meagher of GCH teamed up to take gold in the U11 60m with Richard running 9.56 and Shane 9.8. Juno Hayes and Elisa Jaime Stapleton also took bronze medals in the U10 60m, while Isabella Burke had a fine performance to pick up the silver medal in the U13 600m.
Craughwell AC had multiple winners and the most podium finishes of any club on the day. In the U13 , Aoibhe Fahy claimed gold in the javelin with clubmate Millie Geraghty third, Jade Moorhead took silver in the high jump and bronze in the long jump, while Clodagh O'Meara won 600m bronze.
Evan Hallinan produced a stormer with high jump gold, and three silvers in the hurdles, long jump, and helped the 4x100m squad to relay silver. Cian Lavan took high jump silver, and bronze in the hurdles.
At U12 level, Chloe Hallinan won the long jump, and the 4x100m team of Grace Keaveney, Niamh Duffy, Grace Lynch, and Chloe Hallinan also took gold. Niamh Duffy claimed silver in the 60m, as did Chloe Hallinan in the hurdles and Jenny Cloonan in the turbo javelin, while Grace Lynch took bronze in the long jump. There were gold medals for Evan Moran in the 60m hurdles and Conor Gilligan in the long jump, while in the 600m Eddie Silke claimed bronze.
In the U11s, the pair of Ella Farrelly/Jessica Ross won silver in the long jump, and Tara Keane and Mollie Gilligan were also second in the turbo javelin, whileSara Craven and Sophie McIlrath were third in the 600m. Darragh Kelly and Sean Lavan placed third in the long jump.
In the U10s there were silver medals for the pairs of Kelly Hallinan/Katelyn Walsh in the 500m and Katelyn Walsh/Emma O'Donovan in the long jump, while the 4x100m relay squad were third. The boys relay team won gold, while the pair of Ben Moran and Dara Zimmerer won the long jump. There were two silver medals in the 60m for Ben Moran and Dara Zimmerer, and in the long jump for Sean Hoade and Dean McNall. Keelan Moorhead and Alex Ryan won 500m bronze and Sean Hoade and Joseph O'Dwyer also claimed bronze in the turbo javelin.
At U9 level, Saoirse O'Donnell and Lauren Morgan won the long jump, while Tom Malone and Eanna Morrissey claimed bronze in the 60m.
Tuam AC’s juvenile section continues to blossom, claiming four relay medals, with gold in the U9 girls (Kate Halligan, Grace McGrath, Clodagh Gannon and Siofra Phelan ), and three bronze team medals in the U10 boys (Conor Mongey, Taylor Woodham, Matthew Mannion, JJ Oifoh ), in the U11 ( Oisin Kelly, Daragh Kenny, Cian Rafferty, Cian Halligan ), and girls (Danielle Moynihan, Eva Burke Abbi McGrath, Aine McGuire ).
In the sprints, the U9 girls pair of Clodagh Gannon and Grace McGrath claimed silver, U10 boys won gold via JJ Oifoh and Ciaran O'Donnell, while the U11 girls Danielle Moynihan and Aine Maguire claimed bronze. In the U13 80m Ross Cosgrove won bronze.
The U9 300m girls pair of Grace McGrath and Kate Halligan won gold, while there were two silver medal wins in the U11 600m events - Eva Burke and Aine Maguire, and Cian Halligan and Daragh Kenny.
The U9 turbo javelin pair of Jessica Moynihan and Annalyse Nally were third, as were Dylan Comer and Jude Heslin, while Oisin Phelan claimed an individual U12 long jump silver.
Athenry ACs Liam Shaw threw a massive 12 .12 metres to win the U13 shot putt, Cian McNelis won the U12 600m, and Leonore Church won U13 high jump bronze,
South Galway AC athlete David Mannion won an amazing triple gold, winning the 80m sprint, 60m hurdles and the 600m, while his twin Stephen Mannion won the long jump, took sprint silver and 600m bronze. The pair of Amy Rose Kelly and Katie Flaherty won the U11 long jump, while Ellen Birmingham won silver in the U12 high jump and a bronze in the sprint hurdles. The U11 pair of Orlaith Mannion and Sinead Mongan won the 60m sprint.
Loughrea AC athlete Caoimhe Farrell won the U13 long jump and a silver in the hurdles, while the pair Darragh Fahy and Finnan claimed silver in the boys' event. Caolin Griffin won gold in the U13 shot putt and silver in the javelin, Ciara O'Halloran and Hazel Fahy won the U9 60m, and Eanna Cooney and Darragh Fahy took sprint bronze at U11.
East Galway AC had success via gold for Saoirse Coleman in the U12 600m, while Club Luthcleas Connemara won bronze in the U9 300m via Aine NicGhiollaophadraic and Alannah ni Clochartaigh.
Galway Track and Field championships
Day two of the Galway Senior/Masters Track and Field Championships was held in Dangan with Gary Thornton of GCH putting on an exhibition of distance running. He won the county 5000m championship in a fast time of 14.42, with Keith Fallon, just returned from a US scholarship, second in 15.04, and Brian Murphy of Ennis Track third in 16.38. Siobhan Lee of GCH took victory in the women's 3000m in 10.40 after a great battle with Grainne Ni Uallachain, with Aine O Farrell of Athenry AC third. Peter O'Sullivan of Craughwell AC stormed home in a time of 2.44 to win the 1000m race ahead of Cillian Jordan and Barry Murphy both of GCH in second and third.
Fixtures
There are a host of road races on the calendar with the Killeeneen 5k first up this evening at 7pm in aid of the local school. On Saturday the Bullaun 8k takes place at 7pm, while on Sunday the Annaghdown 10k will be held at 5pm.
