Connacht U9-11s Indoors
Over 1,000 juvenile athletes at U9,10 and11 age groups competed at a busy and exciting Connacht Championships held last weekend in TUS Athlone in a thrilling Indoor competition. This was the first year of the event and it was a resounding success, with Galway clubs achieving multiple medals. Among the medals were Castlegar AC with two Relay golds, one Relay bronze, one individual gold, two silvers and one bronze. The Castlegar AC U9 Mixed Relay team of Cathal Neary, Zara Casserly, Lily Coyne, and Mason Calvey claimed Gold in the U9 Mixed Relay in a time of 2..26, and the mixed relay team of Lucy Casserly, Indi Cullinane, Liam Garvey and Saoirse McGuire claimed Bronze in 2.44.3. In the Under 9 boys, Mason Calvey was in terrific form with Long Jump silver and 60m sprint bronze in a great display. In the Under 10 60m Girls Ameila Farragher made history smashing the Castlegar AC cub record, winning the gold in an amazing 9.51. In the Under 10 400m Hana Faraj Gheziel won silver in a time of 1.17. Galway City Harriers secured a big haul of medals, including individual podiums by Dylan Devitt who secured two medals, Amy Devitt, James Langan and the U10 Boys relay team. Clare River Harriers were another club to do well , notably via Emma O Malley winning gold in the U11 60m and then a silver in the 600m, and then went to help her teammates of Darcy Kearney, Hollie Carroll, and Rachel Carney to claim a bronze medal in the U11 relay event.
Irish Universities Championships
The IUAA Intervarsities Track and Field championships took place in Dublin over two days last week, with medal success for both the University of Galway and ATU Galway. For University of Galway AC, it was one of the most successful events in their history, with Women’s Medals coming via Aisling Lane with 1500m walk gold, High Jump silver for Hade Moorehead, bronze medals via Neasa Ní Ainiféin – 1500m in 4:36.98 – a University Record, Ava Rochford with a bronze behind Moorhead in High Jump, and Relay Mixed 4x400m bronze via the quartet of Ella O’Connor, Robert Urquhart, Shauna Leydon (pictured) and David Mannion. Among the Men’s Medals were Andrew Egan with silver over 200m (21.90), silver also for Kyle Moorehead in the 800m (1:54.63), bronze for distance runners Oisín Murray in the 5000m (14:10.71) and Daniel Ryan Ellis over 10,000m (31:38.70), and capped off by a great gold medal win by the Men’s Relay over 4x400m (3:17.61) , with Andrew Egan, David Mannion, Adam Tighe and Robert McDonnell. For ATU Alix Joyce was superb, winning the 3000m Ladies' steeplechase; Claire Kennedy doubled up with two great throwing medals in Weight throw and Discus; Caoimhe McDonagh won Triple Jump bronze; Oisin Thompson won the Long Jump bronze and sprinter Ben Edeh claimed Bronze in the 400m.
