Week ending Saturday 8th June
Cormac & Oisin selected for European T&F
Last Thursday Athletics Ireland announced the final team selection for the European T&F Championships to be held in Rome, starting this Friday. Among the big squad is Cormac Dalton (10,000m) and Oisin Lane (20k race walk). We’re used to multiple representation from Mullingar Harriers at European Cross Country, but this is the first time that Mullingar Harriers will have two members competing in a European T&F Championship, so it’s an historic moment for the Club. Adding to the occasion for the Lane family in particular is that Oisin’s father and coach, Michael, competed in the same 20k race walk event at the European T&F held in Split (Croatia) back in 1990. Congratulations to Cormac and Oisin and everyone at Mullingar Harriers wishes them the very best of luck [GD].
Harriers Walkers strike Gold in All-Ireland Schools
Regarded as one of the toughest underage T&F Championships in Ireland, the All-Ireland Schools T&F took place last Friday evening and all day Saturday, continuing an innovation begun last year to reduce an overly long programme on Saturday by holding some events on the evening before. Friday’s programme included the race walks, where three Mullingar Harriers were competing for their Colleges.
Daniel Glennon (St. Finian’s College) had qualified from a very tough Leinster and lined up for the Junior boys 1,200m walk as a medal favourite. Straight from the gun the best walkers took off at a frantic pace and within one lap the race was down to a two-man battle. Throughout the second and into the third lap Daniel stuck firmly to the leading walker as the two fought hard but with 250m to go Daniel upped the pace into a hard focused sprint and took the lead, which he then held all the way to the finish for a superb victory in the terrific time of 5:25.85. In the Intermediate boys 2,000m walk, the leader went well clear from early on but John Glennon (St. Finian’s College) stayed with the chasing group of four. Over the longer 2,000m distance, focus and perseverance along with good, safe technique means that the best prevail, and the opposition gradually fell back to leave John in second place coming into the home straight but still under pressure from third. However, he drove hard for the line and crossed it in second place in 9:09.84. The timetable then moved on to the Senior girls 3,000m walk. Aisling Lane (Mercy Ballymahon) had won all the schools’ age-groups titles over the years and was determined to complete a full set of wins. This was evident right from the start as by the end of the first lap she was already comfortably leading. Lap by lap she continued to increase her lead until she crossed the finish line to win over 300m ahead of the next finisher and happy to achieve a new personal best of 14:18.44, an excellent time for a solo effort and completing her Irish School athletics career undefeated in all racewalking competitions at all levels.
The next day, Saturday, Grace Byrne (Loreto College) contested the Senior 3,000m where she kept in close contact with the leading group for most of the race but as the pace wound up for the final laps she struggled to hold on to the group. Fighting all the way to the finish though, she finished strong in a very creditable seventh place. The Senior boys 800m went out at a furious pace, but Conor Liston (Colaiste Mhuire) held his nerve and ran his own race. Going down the back straight for the final time, Conor began to move through the field but though he worked very hard the gap to the front was too big and he crossed the line in sixth place. His time of 1:56.56 was not far off his personal best showing that he ran as best a race as he could, so he has to take some consolation from that [ML/GD].
Leinster Children’s Games and u/12 & u/13 T&F
The Leinster Children’s Games and u/12 & u/13 T&F were held in Tullamore last Sunday. The day started cool and fresh but the when sun broke through it was lovely and warm, ideal for athletes and spectators alike. The younger under 9, 10 and 11 year olds competed as a “pair”, meaning their times in a race or throws in the turbo javelin or shot putt or jumps in the long jump were added together to give a team total or score, while the older under 12 and under 13 year olds competed as individuals. The level of competition was fierce and medals were very hard to win but all our young athletes competed to the very best of their ability and they thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Track action got underway with the u/12 girls 600m where Penny Bohan and Katie Bohan ran very well in their heats but were unlucky not to advance to the final. In the u/12 boys 600m heats, Conor Gavin and Cillian Gavin finished well up in their heats but not enough to join Daniel Cummins in the final who won his heat in style. In the final later in the day, Daniel ran an excellent race, keeping in contention for a medal all the way and was rewarded for his efforts by finishing a close third place by just hundredths of a second, diving over the line to win the bronze medal. Mullingar had five girls in the u/13 girls 600m where Liadan Gavin and Alice Hyland were unlucky not to advance from their heats and join Amelie Kelly, Chloe Bell and Clodagh Keane who qualified for the final from their heats. Giving their best in the later final, the girls ran extremely well but finished out of the medal places.
Roisin Keane, Kate Horohoe and Ellen Cummins ran very well in the u/11 girls 600m, as did Mel Bohan, Noah Morgan, Donagh Bourke, Olly Wright and Andrew Bradley in the u/11 boys 600m but finished out of the medal places. It was similar for Cara Hickey, Mia Barry, Sarah Cummins and Robyn Bradley in the u/9 girls 300m where all four of them gave accounts in their races. We finished with the u/10 girls 500m where Emily Rose Coyne, Maisie Walsh, Heather Kelly and Rachel Robinson ran brilliantly, with Emily and Maisie just missing medals by a mere seven hundredths of a second, a very close finish.
Moving to the sprints, Mia Barry, Cara Hickey and Robyn Bradley blasted down the track in the u/9 girls 60m but finished out of the medals. Daniel Cummins and Aaron Robinson advanced from their heats to the semi-finals of the u/12 boys 60m but unfortunately Cillian Gavin and Conor Gavin were unlucky not to advance from their heats to join them. Aaron and Daniel were very competitive in their semi-finals and unlucky not to reach the final. Another semi-finalist was Clodagh Keane in the u/13 girls 80m, where Liadan Gavin was unlucky not to advance from her heat. Blasting from gun in the semi-final, Clodagh finished fourth, just missing a place in the final, but top marks for effort. Donnacha Doyle sprinted to a fine fourth place in his heat of the u/13 boys 80m but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to advance to the semi-final.
In the u/11 girls 60m races, Lucy O’Connor won her heat, Roisin Keane finished third in hers, and Ellen Cummins finished well up but no medals were won. Emily Rose Coyne won her u/10 girls 60m race where her time was one of the fastest of all the races but it was a pity she didn’t have another Mullingar girl to “pair” with or they might have won medals. The sprints finished with the u/11 boys 60m where Mel Bohan and Andrew Bradley sprinted well but finished out of the medals places.
It wasn’t all track of course and Mullingar athletes were very busy in the field events too. Aaron Robinson finished fifth in the u/12 boys shot, only 0.11m off fourth place, which would have been enough to qualify for the All-Ireland finals. Donnacha Doyle also came close in the u/13 boys high jump, finishing an excellent sixth place. Also competing in the field events, where despite not winning medals they thoroughly enjoyed the competitions, was Maisie Walsh, Heather Kelly and Rachel Robinson (u/10 girls long jump), Kate Horohoe (u/11 girls turbo javelin), Alice Hyland (u/13 girls high jump & shot), Donagh Bourke and Gearoid Doyle (u/11 boys long jump) and Sarah Cummins (u/9 girls turbo javelin).
The day finished with the excitement of the Inter-County sprint relays where Mullingar fielded two teams. Amelie Kelly, Liadan Gavin, Chloe Bell and Clodagh Keane were brilliant in their heat of the u/13 girls 4x100m relay where they finished third but with the medals decided on the times over two heats, the girls were unlucky to finish out of the medals. Conor Gavin, Daniel Cummins, Cillian Gavin and Aaron Robinson are all u/12 but moved up an age for the u/13 boys 4x100m relay where they battled well but finished out of the medals, but the experience will stand to them [GD].
Coralstown 5k
The Coralstown NS 5k was held last Wednesday on a perfect summer evening. A record 260 took part, among them 60 from Mullingar Harriers. The in-form Vinny Connolly battled hard right up the closing stage but the effects of running a huge personal best for 5,000m only days before in Brussels were still in his legs and he had to concede and finished second in 15 minutes 24.08 seconds, ahead of Matthew Glennon (third) in 15:49.19. Mullingar took the top three places in the women’s race, with Susan Glennon first (18 minutes 52.47 seconds), Aine O’Reilly second (18:59.50) and Joan Flynn third (19:35.86). Mullingar athletes were prominent in the results, filling 6 of the top 10 places, 9 of the top 20, and winning category prizes from junior to master men and women.
Also competing was Paul Forristal (17:14.82), Andrew Glennon (17:31.15), Conor Walsh (17:45.01), Enda O’Carolan (17:47.23), Gareth Glennon (17:57.60), Darren Carroll (18:36.37), Mick Fagan (19:02.39), Enda Seery (19:18.84), Tommy Byrne (19:33.18), Brian Collentine (19:37.57), Mary Stuart (19:53.40), Jacintha Reilly (19:54.68), Aisling Corcoran (20:07.14), Jason McKevitt (20:08.03), Kieran Dodrill (20:08.75), Padraig Beglin (20:12.35), Orla McLaughlin (20:20.16), Lee Bracken (20:20.73), Criona Reid (20:25.49), Aeilish McGovern (20:37.30), Robin Jackson (20:38.00), Orlaith Flanagan (20:50.24), John McNamara (20:55.78), Conor Gavin (21:07.70), Mark Dunne (21:11.15), Paul Plunkett (21:16.68), Cillian Gavin (21:18.77), John Long (21:19.63), Julie McLaughlin (21:21.36), Mairtin Savage (21:25.39), Conleth Mullen (21:26.82), Claire Ross (21:30.77), Marie Louise Johnston (21:45.60), Philip Burke (21:52.08), Aisling Farrell (21:55.11), Shaun Mills (22:02.78), Gemma Kelly (22:14.21), Catherine Gavin (23:26.43), Avril Keane (23:27.42), Terri Greene (23:29.71), Michelle O’Halloran (23:41.94), Shaynah Mitchell (23:42.60), Liadan Gavin (23:43.24), Michael O’Sullivan (23:53.25), Claire Gavin (23:56.99), Olivia Cronin (23:59.06), Martin Mullen (24:03.71), Gerard Heraty (24:09.95), Ray Smyth (24:51.61), Bridget McCabe (25:12.04), Niala Moran (25:14.28), Kevin O Brien (25:26.11), Anna Martin (25:42.03), Pauline Troy (26:05.11), Patricia Broderick (27:26.37) [GD].
Warning, don’t miss the closing date for Leinster Juvenile T&F
The Leinster Juvenile u/12 to u/19 T&F will take place in Tullamore on 15 and 16 June and the entries close this Friday. There are no late entries, so don’t miss the deadline and as always, if anyone has any difficulty submitting their entries, please don’t hesitate to contact Greg.
Check the Club’s website at www.mullingarharriers.com or its Facebook page for all the latest news.
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