InterVarsities Track and Field
NUI Galway Athletics excelled at the IUAA Intervarsities Outdoor Track and Field championships held in Carlow last weekend. Overall the Mens team were third and the Ladies team fifth in a fillip for coaches Brendan Glynn and Matt Lockett who have built a great squad across the college.
The Mens squad secured three golds via star athlete Robert McDonnell, Aaron Brennan and the Mens Relay squad (pictured) over 4x400m.
The outstanding talent of Robert McDonnell won gold and beat the Championship Record with a superb clocking of 20.67 seconds, with clubmate Andrew Egan gaining bronze in 3rd in the 200m final.
NUIG Relay squads excelled, winning gold in the 4x400m event via the quartet of Robert McDonnell, Andrew Egan, Aaron Keane and Shane Mooney in a time of 3.15. The same squad also took a brilliant silver in the 4x100m Relay event,
Aaron Brennan made it a day to remember on the track for NUIG with a 1500m victory in a quality field, running 3.58 for a well deserved victory.
Shane Mooney won 110 Hurdles silver for NUIG, while Paddy Noonan and Kyle Moorhead won bronze medals in the Steeplechase and 800m respectively, capping a great debut season for the Craughwell /NUIG duo.
NUIG Ladies squad also had some outstanding performances, including gold for Sarah Quinn who won the 100m Hurdles with ease showing her international class . Sinead Treacy of Craughwell AC (pictured below) won 400m gold with a great display in 56.15 , a testament to her dedication over many years . There were other strong top five performances from Maebh Brannigan and Rachael Hughes among others for college.
Galway students Caron Ryan and Aine O Farrell also impressed as they won bronze medals for UL, in the 3000m and Steeplechase respectively.
National 10km Championships
Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club) and Sinead O’Connor (Leevale Athletic Club) secured their respective national 10k titles at a sunswept Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park Saturday last, and Galway athletes also delivered on the National stage with silver coming west via Jamie Fallon.
Clohisey enjoyed a great battle with Jamie Fallon of Craughwell AC which saw the pair crossing the halfway point neck-and-neck, before Clohisey slowly pulled away with 3k to go to cross in 30.49, leaving Fallon to secure his third National medal in 30.57 following his cross country double National haul .
David Carter was 6th overall for GCH with a super 32.10, with GCH Mens team also in the top six via Conor Byrne, Gerry Carty and Tom Breen
Greg Lundon won Masters 45 Mens silver for South Galway AC
Ellen Moran was fifth in the Ladies section for GCH continuing her impressive season clocking a fine 36.37 time.
Abbeyknockmoy 5k
Brother and sister duo Stephen Casserly of Castlegar AC and Kathryn Casserly of GCH were dominant winners of the Abbeyknockmoy 5km held last Sunday , with the former winning in 16.54 ahead of Declan Brennan and Colm Byrne, with Kathryn Casserly first lady in 18.29 ahead of Therese Byrne and Angela Collins.
