Offaly athletes crowned All-Ireland champions
On March 29th and 30th the 123.ie National Indoor Juvenile Championships were held at TUS college in Athlone. Four of our track and field U19 girls competed in three events over the two days, bringing home an impressive haul of two gold and one silver medal.
Alisha Maher and Teagan Delaney competed in the morning session on Saturday in the 200m sprint. Alisha won her heat comfortably in 25.13 seconds and Teagan finished 6th in her heat but unfortunately did not progress to the final.
Above: Teagan Delaney and Alisha Maher at the 123.ie National Indoor Championships.
Sticking to her race plan, she exploded out of the blocks with her lightning-fast start, gaining an early lead over the first 40 meters. She then maintained her speed while conserving energy, forcing the chasing pack to work hard. In the final stretch, she surged forward once again, extending her lead and powering across the finish line to claim her second All-Ireland gold medal. She clocked a personal best of 24.82 seconds, to set a new club record in the process.
Sunday’s afternoon session saw Katie Deverell competing in the long jump. Fresh off her recent Leinster Championship victory, Katie has been progressing nicely in training and put together a good sequence of jumps. Her third attempt, measuring 5.20m, proved to be the winning mark, securing her first All-Ireland gold medal.
Alisha was back again competing in the 60m sprint with her training partner Lucy Champ. Lucy, coming back from a minor injury finished 7th in her heat with a season's best of 8.34 seconds but unfortunately did not qualify for the final. In the next heat, Alisha ran a blistering 7.64 seconds, a new PB, to win her race and secure a favourable lane for the final.
The final was going to be close based on the times from the heats and Alisha now was on her fourth race in two days and thousands of seconds can make the difference. Off the gun, all eight sprinters reacted quickly, but Alisha was slightly behind in the opening phase which was uncharacteristic for her. However, she powered through the first 20 meters, gradually closing the gap. By the 40-meter mark she edged into a slight lead, but in an incredibly close finish, she was narrowly beaten by just three thousandths of a second. She claimed a superb silver medal, matching her PB of 7.64 seconds.
Congratulations to all four girls on a fantastic weekend of high standard competition, as well as to their coaches and families for their unwavering support. A huge congratulations to Alisha and Katie for their outstanding achievements. On April 5th, they will be back in action alongside their clubmate Eimear Cotter in the All-Ireland Indoor Relays. We wish them the very best of luck.
Athletics Leinster Indoor Juvenile Championships
The Athletics Leinster Indoor Juvenile Championships took place in Athlone on March 15th and 16th with a large group of Tullamore Harriers middle distance squad competing. There were three medals won.
Under19 1500m- Silver for Andrea Ryan 4:40.89
Under18 1500m – Silver for Niamh Garvey 4:59.09
Under12 600m – Bronze for Max Ivasenko 1:49.51
Andrea Ryan's new PB of 4:40.89 for 1500m also marks a significant step on for the Daingean lady. Also competing in the 1500m were Mia Gallagher, Aoibhe Moore, and Eabhadbh Multaney Kelly.
In the 600m and 800m races in addition to Max's medal, there were some great runs. James Hynes narrowly missed out on a medal finishing fourth in the Under13 600m in a time of 1:46.04. Also competing in finals were Makalaya Maxwell and Shane Cummins. In addition, Cara Cummins, Aibhín Murtagh, Conall Malone, Meabh Boland, Heidi McCarthy, Liam Malone, Jason McKinney, Sarah Whitaker, Roisin Loughnane, Emily Morris, Orlagh O'Brien, Jack Cowman and Samia Akbar competed well.
Dublin City Half Marathon
Three athletes from the club joined 12,000 participants in the inaugural Dublin City Half Marathon on Sunday the 30th of March. The race took runners through the heart of the city and the north side of the capital on a beautiful, sunny Mother’s Day. Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club claimed victory with a time of 65 minutes and 40 seconds, while Nichola Sheridan of Bohermeen AC was the first female finisher, crossing the line in 77 minutes and 59 seconds.
Above: Paul Hensey and John Carroll at the Dublin City Half Marathon.
Fixtures
Saturday 5th April, National Juvenile Indoors, Day 3, Athlone.
Sunday 6th April, Banagher 5K 10am.
Saturday 12th of April, Offaly Juvenile Track & Field, Tullamore Harriers.
Sunday 13th April, Clara AC 5K 10am.
Tuesday 15th April, Club League 3K
Monday 21st of April, Leinster 10 Mile Championships, St Anne’s Park, Raheny
Senior Training
Training Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.40pm to 8.30pm.
For any enquiries contact club captains Glen 0868275228 or Rita 0868386687
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