World U20 Championships
Jack Dempsey GCH who competes for Ireland in the World U20 Championship this weekend
Jack Dempsey of Galway City Harriers travels to Tampere in Finland this week to compete on the Irish 4x100m Relay squad at the U20 World Championships, one of the premier global athletics championships. The relay qualifying heats take place Friday next, 13th July.
Top coach Matt Lockett of GCH has been appointed as team endurance coach to the Irish distance athletes competing in Finland.
National Juvenile Championships
Day two of the National Juvenile Track and Field competition was held in Tullamore Sunday last, and featured the Juvenile Relays at U12-19 and the Juvenile B Championships. The events saw great success for Galway relay squads especially.
Craughwell AC U19 Girls became National 4x400m relay champions for 2018 with a squad of Shauna Tobin, Ciana Reidy, Lorraine Delaney, Laura Cunningham, Siona Lawless and Arlene Earls. The U19 team also won bronze in the 4x100m Relay event.
Craughwell U19 Girls National U19 4x400 Relay winning team (L-R): Shauna Tobin, Ciana Reidy, Lorraine Delaney, Laura Cunningham and Arlene Earls.
Galway City Harriers Relay teams also struck gold, winning the National U17 4x400m Relay title with a team comprising of Samuel Madden, Jonathan McGrath, Robert McDonnell and Eoghan Jennings.
GCH 4x400m U17 Relay gold medallists (L-R): Samuel Madden, Jonathan McGrath, Robert McDonnell and Eoghan Jennings.
GCH took double Silver medals at U15 level- in the U15 Girls 4 x 100m relay, the squad of Ava McKeon, Aishling Healy, Leana Nic Dhonncha, Roisin Dalton, Eve Ayo and Emma Moore placed second as did the GCH U15 Boys 4x100m squad of Luke Dahler, Daragh Jennings, Danny O'Toole, Conor Hoade and Mathieu Madden.GCH U17 boys 4x100m team also won silver via Richard Kamsen, Jonathan McGrath, Robert McDonnell, Eoghan Jennings, Eli Sheedy and Samuel Madden
The talented South Galway AC U14 Boys team won Silver medals in the 4x100m relay via the squad of Andrew Horan, Ruairi Dillon, David and Stephen Mannion and Rian Dunne Leavy.
South Galway AC athletes Rian Dunne Leavy, Andrew Horan, Stephen Mannion, David Mannion and Ruairí Dillon who won silver at the All Ireland Track finals on Saturday in Tullamore in the U14 4 x 100m relay.
In individual action, Sarah Oifoh of Tuam AC won bronze in the U14 Girls 80m sprint. Craughwell’s Alicia Locteau won a superb U14 High Jump Silver.
The Juvenile championships continue this weekend with two days of action on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th, again in Tullamore Stadium.
National League
The National Track and Field League’s second and final qualifying round was held on Sunday last in Athlone. Galway City Harriers Men’s team and, Galway Ladies both qualified for the National League Premier Division final to be held August 19th next in Tullamore with Galway Men’s team performing strongly also in Division One.
GCH Men’s squad had wins from Cillin Greene over 200m with a season best time of 21.60 and Brendan Staunton in the Shot Putt with a PB throw. Staunton also placed well with second in the Discus with Brendan McDonnell clocking a fast 15.01 in the 5000m for second also. GCH also scored heavily via Henrique Nkolovata, who performed well in three events over sprint hurdles and in the Long Jump and Triple Jump, Seamus Leddy in the 3k Walk, team manager Cliff Jennings in the Hammer and Weight throws, Jonah Erugo in the High Jump and 400m, Darren Costello in the 100m, Eoghan Jennings in the Pole Vault and 400 Hurdles and James Frizzell and Neil Keane in the middle-distance races.
Galway Ladies placed top of their pool on the day and qualified for the final comfortably. The team secured victories via wins by Maeve Curley in the 1500m Walk, Nicole King over 400m, Emma O’Hara in the Hammer, and by the Relay sprint squad over 4x100m. There were second place scores for team captain Sarah Finnegan over 100m Hurdles, Sinead Treacy in the 200m, Sarah Gilhooley in her debut in the 3000m Steeplechase and Barbara Dunne who also debuted in the 3000m flat. The squad also saw points scores from Aisling Joyce in the 1500m, Aoife Sheehy over 400 Hurdles, Seren O'Toole in the Long Jump, Chloe Casey in the Shot, Cian Reidy in the Pole Vault, Katie O’Donoghue in High Jump, Laura Cunningham in Triple Jump, Sinead Gaffney over 800m and Lydia Doyle in sprints and relay.
Galway Men’s team placed eighth with a solid overall performance, with National champion Brendan Lynch securing victory for the team over 400m Hurdles, alongside excellent second places for Tommy Farragher in the Hammer, Daniel Callanan in the Triple Jump and Ryan Gallagher in the High Jump and a strong all round team performance that cemented their second year in the Division.
Headford 8k
Dariusz Monkewiecz was the winner of this year’s Headford8k held Saturday evening last clocking a time of 28.10 for victory. Daire Comer of Tuam AC was second, with local man David O’Connor, running with Trim AC third.
Regina Casey of GCH was first lady home in 29.43, with Emma Grimes of GCH making her debut with a fine time of 32.04 for second, just ahead of Joan Flynn from Mullingar who placed third.
Close on 200 runners completed the 14th edition of the charity fundraising race, on a great evening for racing.
