National Indoor League
Last weekend saw the second qualifying round of the National Indoor League in Athlone IT Arena. Galway City Harriers had a great day as both their Men’s and Women’s teams qualified for the final on February 12thnext
GCH Ladies team placed 7th in Round 2 with some great performances via the likes of Eimear Rowe over 400m, Kathryn Casserly in the 1500m, who along with Laura Nally, Eva McLoughlin, Aoife Sheehy, Majella Loftus, Emma Moore and Nicole Quirke ensured final qualification. GCH Men’s team were fifth overall on Sunday, with strong displays via Robert Meagher, Keith Fallon and Richard Kamson among others to also make next month’s final.
Craughwell AC placed a strong seventh spot on the day with a young squad, just missing out on the final. Lukas Schukat impressed winning the High Jump for the club, with club record performances across the day including a super 1.54 clocking for Kyle Moorhead over 800m and a fast 8.32 by William Fitzgerald over 3000m.
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National Multi Events Championships
Galway athletes excelled at the National Indoor Combined Events Championships in Athlone IT at the weekend. Over a gruelling programme of events, Athenry AC and Craughwell AC athletes had a successful day with five medals going west, alongside a host of great performances
Liam Shaw of Athenry won a superb silver medal in the Youth Men’s Heptathlon, scoring 3,386 points over the arduous seven event programme, which included Shot Putt, Pole Vault, 60m flat and hurdles, High Jump and Long Jump, finishing with a 1000m race.
Hazel Fahy of Loughrea was another Galway winner, taking bronze in the U14 Girls pentathlon over five events with a great all-round display of athletics
The day yielded an impressive gold, silver and bronze for Craughwell with Sean Hoade taking gold in the U15 Boys Pentathlon, Laura Cunningham silver in the Senior Women’s Pentathlon and Emma O’Donovan bronze in the U15 Girls Pentathlon.
Hoade was in blistering form in the U15 Boys event with a superb all-round performance to win the title- as he claimed victory in the hurdles in 9.50 and in the Shot Putt in 11.32m, second place in the long jump with an impressive 5.30m, 4th place in the high jump with 1.55m and won his heat of the 800m with 2:18.77 to round off a winning day
In the Senior Women’s event Laura Cunningham started off her silver medal winning day with the 60m hurdles clocking a time of 11.93. She then moved up the leaderboard as she won the Long Jump with a leap of 4.67m and the Shot Putwith a throw of 8.24m, andcleared 1.52m in the high jump and finished with a 2:55.65 in the 800m to take the silver medal.
Emma O’Donovan wrapped up the medals for Craughwell with a fantastic series of performances to take bronze in the U15 Girls event, with two personal bests in the HighJump, topping out at 1.50m before. O Donovan theclocked 10.46 in the hurdles, threw 6.98m in the Shot and a 4.58m Long Jump had her in contention for the medals going into the final event, the 800m. O Donovan executed her final event superbly, with athird-place finish 2:35.99 which jumped her into 3rd place overall in the competition and secured her the bronze medal.
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Connacht Schools Cross Country
The Secondary Schools Cross Country season kicks off in earnest next week, as South Connacht Schools Cross Country championships take place this January 26th next in Bushfield, Loughrea.
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National Masters Indoor Competition
Next on the National calendar is the National Masters Indoor Competition on the 30th of January at the TUS Arena, Athlone. Galway athletes will travel in numbers, with the likes of GCH’s Sean Breathnach, Jim Phelan and Kathryn Casserly all looking for medals, and Craughwell AC, South Galway AC, and Corofin among other will be well represented
