Saturday, Day three of the All-Ireland Juvenile Track and Field Championships, had a successful outcome for a number of Kilkenny athletes. It had special significance for Sophie Parkinson, Gowran, and Paul Manning, St Joseph’s. Both athletes collected their second gold medal of the championships.
Sophie with a throw of 11.55m added the under 17 shot put title to the discus title achieved on the first weekend. Paul, who claimed the 80m victory on the first weekend won the 200m under 14 in 25.41 seconds. There was gold also for Tara Lacey, St Senan’s, who worked hard to secure a win the 2,000m under 14 walk.
Cliodhna Manning, Kilkenny City Harriers, won silver in the 200m under 16 with a superb time of 25.5 seconds. Clubmates, Laura Langton, and Louise Holmes, both won bronze in their respective 200m finals, Laura under 18 and Louise under 19. Diarmuid Hickey, Gowran, competing at under 17 level won bronze in both shot put and discus. A further bronze went to Joseph’s girl, Shauna Power, in the three kilometre walk under 18.
KCH enjoy relay race success
Relay races are always exciting, especially so when young people are involved and the competition is close. Inevitably there are false starts, dropped batons and red flags for zone infringements.
But all of that is forgotten as the final runners come off the last bend and charge for the finish line amidst the roars of excitement and encouragement from parents, coaches and clubmates. All of that and more was present at the national inter-club and inter-county relay finals in Tullamore on Sunday.
Eight sets of relay medals came to Kilkenny on Sunday and with five of them going to city club, Kilkenny City Harriers (KCH ), it was a happy busload that returned to Loughboy on Sunday evening. All KCH teams bar two made it to the finals. And one of those that didn’t make it, the under 12 girls, missed out on qualification by 3/100ths of a second. In team competition it is difficult, and perhaps sometimes unfair, to highlight individual performances but on this occasion some particular instances merit special mention. Eimear O’Donoghue’s cover-up of an injured ankle…injured in the heats… showed increased form in the final and then revealed the injury. The acceleration on the second leg of their respective races by Aaron Barron in the boys under 14 and Cliodhna Manning in the girls under 16 had a major part to play in both teams winning medals. The same two teams were also well served by the determined effort of the runners on the last leg, Aidan Tuohy in the boys under 14 and Margaret Caldbeck in the girls under 16. And then the “Golden Girls” with victory in under 19 4x100m and 4x400m, Laura Langton, Mary Kate Lanigan, Noami NiChleirigh and superb sprint finisher Louise Holmes.
The under 18 boys from St Joseph’s were also impressive making the finals in 4x100m and 4x400m and winning bronze in the latter. Two of their team Jack Saunders and Richard Schoemann teamed up with KCH duo Michael Lanigan and Ian Boland to take the bronze with the County Kilkenny team in the Inter-County race. Another partnership that proved successful was that of Aidan Tuohy, KCH, Sean O’Neill, Gowran and Aaron Fenlon and Paul Manning, St Joseph’s, as they secured silver medals in the Inter-county under 14 race.
