Week ending Saturday 7th June
All-Ireland Schools title for Lily Walsh
One of the toughest underage T&F Championships in Ireland, the All-Ireland Schools T&F, took place last Friday and Saturday in Tullamore. Top billing goes to Lily Walsh (Loreto Mullingar) who stormed to victory in the Junior 1,500m. Congratulations also to Gareth Glennon (St. Finian’s College) who took silver in the Junior 1,200m Walk, and to all the Mullingar athletes competing with great spirit for their schools and colleges, several fine recording personal bests too.
With such a big programme of events, to avoid a very long day for athletes and officials on the Saturday, some events were held on the Friday evening, including the race walks and steeplechase. First into action on Friday evening was Gareth Glennon (St. Finian’s College) in the Junior boys 1,200m walk. Gareth went with the leading group from the gun and by the bell it had reduced to two as he closely tracked his training partner Conor Brennan (Moyne SC, Longford). Conor made his move with 300m to go and opened a gap that despite his best efforts Gareth was unable to close and had to concede on the home straight and finished in second place in 5:58.87, just outside his personal best. As a measure of the quality of the competition, Conor had to produce a big 7 second personal best to beat Gareth. Next up was Daniel Glennon (St. Finian’s College) in the Intermediate boys 2,000m walk. Daniel slowly moved into second place and pulled clear of third with two laps to go. Still in second place at the bell and looking good for a big personal best, disaster struck when Daniel was stopped and had to incur a time penalty. The time lost cost him a place and he emerged to finish third but unfortunately was subsequently disqualified, always a risk in this very taxing and technical event. There was bad fortune too for John Glennon (St. Finian’s College) in the Senior boys 3,000m walk where he tried very hard and was locked in a battle for the bronze medal from early on, but had to concede over the closing laps and came in strong but out of the medals in fourth place, but he too was subsequently disqualified. It took Ailbhe O’Farrell (St. Finian’s College) to lift our spirits in the Senior girls 1,500m steeplechase, a very tough energy-sapping event, but Ailbhe ran a terrific race and battled all the way and though she finished out of the medals in fifth place, was delighted to record a new personal best of 5:30.95, a big 10 second improvement.
Saturday was the turn of our middle-distance runners to challenge for honours. Competing in his first All-Ireland final, Oisin Clarke (Colaiste Mhuire) showed no fear in the Junior boys 800m and competed brilliantly to finish fifth, out of the medal places but was very happy to run 2:07.02, a new personal best by 2 seconds. Conor Walsh (Colaiste Mhuire) contested the Intermediate boys 3,000m and was right in the mix for nearly 2k but just couldn’t recreate the form he found in the Leinsters and finished out of the medal places but the experience of competing at this level will surely stand to him in the season ahead.
Eleanor Kiernan (Ursuline Thurles) led the field in the u/16 girls mile over the first two laps until she was passed. She led the chasing group and was in the mix for silver and bronze until the final stages of the last lap but couldn’t sustain the effort and ran in fifth, but this was a brilliant performance all the same and she has to be very proud of her efforts.
Keeping the best for last, Lily Walsh (Loreto College) ran a very clever race in the Junior girls 1,500m always staying right up with the early leaders and covering every move up front. With 200m to go Lily swept to the front and began to pull away, rounding the final bend into the home straight with an ever-widening gap and stormed to the finish to win well clear in 4:35.49, a big 6 second improvement on her personal best to claim the All-Ireland Schools Title [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 and it was great to see a big Mullingar squad of nearly 50 taking part, well up on the 29 that competed last year. The day was mild but breezy at times, and we had intermittent very heavy thundery showers, but our athletes coped admirably with the conditions. The younger under 9, 10 and 11 year olds competed as a “pair”, meaning that the best two times by our 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 medals won or not they all thoroughly enjoyed the day and the fun of competition.
The first track event was the u/12 girls 600m where Helen McGrath ran very well to finish well up in her heat but just missed a place in the final. In the u/12 boys 600m, Olly Wright and Killian Hardman finished second and third in their heat to advance to the final, to join Mel Bohan who was second in his heat, but unfortunately they weren’t to be joined by Senan Clinton who finished out of the qualification places in his tough heat. In the later final, Mel, Olly and Killian ran very well but finished out of the medal places, but top marks for making a Leinster track final. Daniel Cummins won his heat of the u/13 boys 600m to book his place in the final but unfortunately wasn’t to be joined by Cillian Gavin or Cillian Martyn despite the two boys running well in their heats. In the final, Daniel was unlucky to finish out of the medals but no fault for effort. Emily Rose Coyne, Leah Flynn and Elsie Hegarty ran very well in the u/11 girls 600m, but finished out of the medal places.
Tara Coyne, Alana Spain, Laila Morgan, Grace Cummins, Ruby Johnson and Ciara Beirne competed in the u/9 girls 300m and all gave great accounts. When the times were added for the pairs from each Club, it was silver medals for Tara and Alana to win Mullingar’s first medals of the day. The other Mullingar girls also scored well but finished out of the medals. In the u/9 boys 300m we saw great running from Tiernan Clinton, Robert Bohan, Joe Hickey and Senan Byrne but unfortunately they finished out of the pairs medal places. With the second and third fastest times overall in the u/10 girls 500m, Cara Hickey and Mia Barry easily won the gold medals for their fine efforts. Also competing really well was Sarah Cummins, Zoe O’Donoghue, Meabh Doyle, Cliodhna Fitzpatrick and Isobel O’Brien but they finished out of the medals. We finished the middle-distance events with the u/10 boys 500m where Shay Gavigan and Tiernan Martyn gave good accounts but finished out of the medal places.
Of course it wasn’t all track events and Mullingar athletes were very busy in the various field events and while there were no medals won, they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. In action was Lucy O’Connor, Helen McGrath, Roisin Keane and Ellen Cummins (u/12 girls high jump), Senan Clinton (u/12 boys high jump), Daniel Cummins, Aaron Robinson, Conor Gavin, Cillian Martyn and Cillian Gavin (u/13 boys high jump), Senan Clinton (u/12 boys shot putt), Ellen Cummins (u/12 girls shot putt), Meabh Doyle and Fodhla Hughes (u/10 girls long jump), Shay Gavigan (u/10 boys long jump), Rachel Robinson, Leah Flynn and Sophie Doran (u/11 girls long jump), Tiernan Clinton (u/9 boys long jump), Nuada Algar Quinn and Arthur Hegarty (u/9 boys turbo javelin). Finally, special mention to Adele Bertolo who threw really well in the u/10 girls turbo javelin, finishing well up overall and it’s a a shame she didn’t have a club mate to pair with as they might have challenged for medals.
Moving back to the track for the sprints, in the u/9 girls 60m, Alana Spain and Tara Coyne finished well up overall and combined to win the silver medals, their second set of medals of the day. Also competing was Grace Cummins, Ruby Johnson, Laila Morgan and Ciara Beirne who ran well but didn’t win any medals. Lucy O’Connor won her heat of the u/12 girls 60m to qualify for the semi-final. Roisin Keane and Ellen Cummins ran well in their heats but didn’t advance to join Lucy, Lucy won her semi-final too and blasted from the blocks in the hotly contested final to finish third and win the bronze medal in a very close finish with mere hundredths of a second separating the medal places.
Cillian Martyn was unlucky in his heat of the u/13 boys 80m not to advance to the semi-finals with Daniel Cummins and Aaron Robinson who did. Despite running quicker in the semi-finals, Daniel and Aaron were unlucky not to qualify for the final. With Cara Hickey and Mia Barry finishing well up overall in the u/10 girls 60m, when their times were combined the girls were delighted to win the silver medals. Also competing very well in their 60m races were Adele Bertolo, Sarah Cummins, Fodhla Hughes, Cliodhna Fitzpatrick and Isobel O’Brien but they didn’t finish in the medal places.
Also competing extremely well in the fast and furious 60m sprints but not winning medals was Mel Bohan, Killian Hardman, Luke Wallace and Olly Wright (u/12 boys 60m), Joe Hickey, Senan Byrne, Robert Bohan, Nuada Algar Quinn and Arthur Hegarty (u/9 boys 60m), Aaron Crowley and Tiernan Martyn (u/10 boys 60m), and Emily Rose Coyne u/11 60m (a brilliant fourth quickest time overall), Eimear Wakefield, Rachel Robinson, Sophie Doran and Elsie Hegarty (u/11 girls 60m).
The day finished with the excitement of the Inter-County sprint relays where Mullingar fielded two teams. Emily Rose Coyne, Rachel Robinson, Eimear Wakefield and Holly Walshe ran extremely well in the u/11 girls 4x100m relay but finished out of the medals. Daniel Cummins, Aaron Robinson, Conor Gavin and Cillian Gavin combined brilliantly in the u/13 boys 4x100m relay where they battled well to finish sixth, out of the medals, but the experience will stand to them [GD].
Coralstown 5k
The Coralstown NS 5k was held last Wednesday on a breezy but cool and dry evening. Almost 300 took part, a record for the event which continues to grow year on year thanks to all the hard work put in by the local organising committee. Being so local, it’s no surprise that Mullingar Harriers was out in force and nearly 60 club members took part. Having placed well up but never winning in previous years, James Keegan put that right this year and was a clear winner of the race in 16:14. In the women’s race, Sinead Whitelaw finished very strong to place second woman in 18:42, just ahead of Susan Glennon third in 18:43. Mullingar athletes were prominent in the results, filling 6 of the top 10 places and winning category prizes from u/16 to master men and women, including Alan Crowley (17:39), Jason McKevitt (19:39), Mary Stuart (20:06), Criona Reid (20:29) and Paul Ginnell (21:33) all winning first prize in their master categories, and Scott Cogan (18:09) first u/16 boy and Liadan Gavin (23:32) first u/16 girl.
Also competing was Andrew Glennon (17:09), Oisin Kehoe (17:16), Luke Greene (17:17), Matthew Glennon (17:49), Kieran Nolan (18:45), Darren Carroll (18:46), Aideen Tansey (19:14), Orlaith Flanagan (19:35), Dean Keogh (19:45), Cillian Gavin (19:48), Mick Fagan (19:50), Conleth Mullen (19:51), Sharon O’Dowd (20:02), Dara O’Shea (20:19), Cormac Finnerty (20:25), Joe Curley (20:26), Aeilish McGovern (20:28), Kieran Dodrill (20:31), Mark Dunne (20:34), Brian Collentine (20:50), Patrick Finnerty (20:52), Patrick Muldoon (21:18), Robin Jackson (21:23), John McNamara (21:28), Senan Clinton (21:58), Shaun Mills (22:04), Brendan Rice (22:19), Michael Purdue (22:27), Claire Ross (22:33), Philip Burke (22:36), Gerard Flynn (22:51), Claire Lennon Gavin (23:27), Muirin Dunne (23:33), Gareth Glennon (24:19), Brigid McCabe (24:21), Gerard Heraty (24:23), Kevin O’Brien (24:44), Richie Clinton (24:52), Barry McDonald (25:23), Nicky McCabe (26:13), Ray Smyth (26:34), Pauline Troy (27:08), Marna Groenewald (29:43), Bernard Groenewald (34:23) and Senan Whelehan (40:32) [GD].
Cork City Marathon
Dara O’Shea was one of almost 2,000 runners that took part in the Cork City Marathon last Sunday morning. In dry windy conditions, the race took a wide loop through the streets and suburbs of the city. It was warm and humid throughout, but satisfied with a very strong training block for the past 3 months, Dara was always able to maintain his pre-race planned pace. He finished in a very good time of 3 hours 12 minutes 30 seconds. In the 10k event, run in conjunction with the marathon and half marathon, in a field of over 600 runners, Niamh Doherty was delighted with a new personal best of 45 minutes exactly, placing eighth in her category [MO’S].
Ballyskenach 5k
The Healthy Offaly 5k series had its latest staging, the Ballyskenach 5k, last Friday evening. With showery conditions ever present, it was at times a challenging course for the 410 runners. The race took runners through the picturesque grounds of Cistercian College, Roscrea. Among them were Orlaith Flanagan who was very pleased with another sub-19 minute run giving her second place in the women’s race in a time of 18:54. Eddie Lynch was always to the fore in his master category and came home a winner in 18:40, almost a minute clear of second place [MO’S].
Fastlane Half Marathon
We missed it a two weeks ago (Sunday 18 May), but the Fastlane Three Quarter Marathon, Half marathon and 10k were held on the banks of the Grand Canal in Dublin. In the half marathon, among the 962 runners, Mullingar Harriers was represented by Aideen Tansey, who described the conditions as very difficult with high temperatures and its impact on the ability of the runners to keep hydrated and able to manage their pace. Aideen eased off after the opening 3k but held her pace well overall to come home third woman in a time of 1:37:13 [MO’S].
Closing dates for Leinster T&F
Entries for Leinster juveniles under 14 to 19 T&F close this Friday (June 6). Don’t leave it too late to submit your entry in case you have problems with the online entry system. The link to entries and the relevant competition number can be found on the Club website. 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.
PRO
