European Junior Cross Country
On Sunday last (12th December) the European Cross Country Championships
took place in Heringsdorf on the Baltic coast of Northern Germany. Mark Christie finished a magnificent fifth in the Junior
race which was a brilliant performance, and he led the Irish team to silver medals in the team competition. This was excellent
running from Mark, following on from his sixth place finish in this race last year. Competing against the very best Junior
athletes in Europe, he once again showed why he is one of the most talented young athletes in the country at present. He has
had a great year, winning both Interclub and Intercounty Cross Country titles; representing Ireland at the World Junior Cross
Country and Track & Field Championships; and setting a new National Junior record for 3000 metres. Winning a European
Silver medal is a great end to the year for Mark, and is thoroughly deserved for a very committed and dedicated athlete.
Novice and Juvenile Cross Country Championships of Ireland
Also
on Sunday (12th December) we hosted the A.A.I. Novice and Juvenile Cross Country Championships of Ireland in the grounds of
Belvedere House. These championships saw the best young and up-and-coming athletes in the country competing, in the quest
to win coveted All-Ireland medals. On a perfect day for running, the testing course proved to be a good challenge for all
competing. Athletes travelled from all four provinces, with huge numbers competing in all events; and a huge crowd of spectators
witnessed a very exciting day’s competition.
The organisation and facilities came in for praise from athletes,
officials and spectators alike. We would like to thank: Westmeath County Council, the management and staff of Belvedere House,
Gardens and Park, the Civil Defence, an Garda Siochana, Bloomfield House Hotel, Westmeath Development Board, Westmeath Local
Sports Partnership, the officials of the Athletic Association of Ireland, and the members of Mullingar Harriers for all their
assistance with the running of the championships.
Medals were always going to be very hard won at this level, but there
were some excellent performances from Mullingar athletes across all the age groups.
The Girls Under 12 race was the first
race of the day, and the Mullingar Harriers team put in a super performance to win the gold medals. These are a great group
of girls who thoroughly deserve this success. Arlene Coughlan led the team home, finishing in an excellent fifth place, a
great individual performance. Next came Cliona Daly, Faye Kearney and Joy Kearney in quick succession, having great runs.
They were followed by Lisa Darby, Corina Murtagh, Eadaoin Daly and Emer Flynn all running really well and deserving of their
All-Ireland medals. Arlene and Cliona also won silver medals with the Leinster team.
Our Girls Under 14 team finished out
of the medals but they gave of their all in a very competitive race. Maud-Annie Foley was our first finisher, followed by
Aoife Hogan, Niamh Spellman and Claire Flynn.
In the Girls Under 16 race, Ruth Kearney ran superbly to finish seventh,
this was a great performance from a very talented athlete. She also won a regional medal with Leinster.
Next came Grace
Kearney, Sarah Drew, Louise Darby, followed by Maria McGivney, Jessica Lynch, Aishling Bannon and Tracey Coughlan. All ran
very well in what was a very competitive race.
In the Girls Under 18 race our team finished just out of the medals in fifth
place, but they will benefit from the experience ahead of the Leinster Junior CC after Christmas. Sarah Mescall was our first
finisher, just a few places ahead of Ellen Colton. Next came Antoinette Brady and Amy Drew.
One of the most talented young
athletes in the club at present is Shane Fitzsimons, and he had another super run last Sunday, finishing second in the Boys
Under 12 race. He also led the Leinster to gold medals in the regional competition, and is a great prospect for the future.
The
performance of the day from a Mullingar Harriers perspective was that of Shane Boggs in winning the Boys Under 14 race. Going
into the race as Leinster champion, he was always in contention from the start, and after a tough battle with the leading
contenders, he strode impressively to victory in the final straight. Winning a national title is a magnificent achievement.
Ciaran
Sheridan, David Moran and Alan Fitzsimons will all benefit from the experience of running in such a competitive race.
In
the Boys Under 16 race, Lee Stenson had an excellent run finishing in sixteenth place, and won a regional medal with the Leinster
team. Next Mullingar athletes to finish were Andrew Boyhan, Timmy Mescall and Simon Maher, followed by Damien Palfreyman and
Paul Flynn.
Unfortunately we had only three athletes in the Boys Under 18 race, it was disappointing not to finish
a team but nonetheless Tomas Devaney, Shane Donohue and Kevin Duggan all ran well in a very competitive race.
With
the Juvenile races over, the attention turned to the Novice events.
Louise Moore was our only competitor in the Novice
Women’s race and she had an excellent run finishing fifth in a very tightly contested race. This was a great run by
Louise who is in very good form at the moment.
The Novice Men’s race saw a field of almost 200 runners assemble at
the start, in what was probably the most competitive novice race in quite a while. All of our athletes will have benefited
from the experience of competing. Damien Shaw had a very good run finishing eighteenth. He was followed closely by Ben Vaitevichius,
also running strongly. Next came Steve McKeigue, Matt Glennon, Brian Boyle, John Bannon, and Liam McGlynn.
All in
all it was a very successful day, and once again thanks are due to the many people who helped in any way.
Congratulations
to Melanie Lynch and Stephen Moran (Juvenile) and Damien Shaw (Senior) who have been selected as the recipients of Leinster
Star Awards for Westmeath for 2004. They are thoroughly deserving of their awards, which are based on their performances at
Leinster events throughout the year.
Jingle Bells 5k
There was a very large turnout for the Jingle Bells 5k Road Race in
the Phoenix Park last Sunday. Cormac Finnerty had a very good run, finishing third as did Ben Vaitkevichius who won his Masters
category. Brian Boyle, Liam McGlynn, Geraldine and Des Walsh also ran well.
Westmeath Schools Cross Country
The inaugural National & Secondary Schools Cross Country which
was held at Belvedere House, Mullingar on Wednesday December 1st, was greatly enjoyed by competitors ,teachers & organisers
alike. The field of 1,000 runners shows that students are still very interested in keeping fit and do recognise the connection
between a respectable level of fitness and and their general health and well being. results...
Intercounty and Juvenile C.C. Championships of Ireland
Last weekend the club made the long journey to Waterford to compete
in the Intercounty and Juvenile Cross Country Championships of Ireland, which took place in St. Augustine’s College,
Dungarvan on Sunday (28th November). The programme for the day included the Juvenile Uneven Age championships with races for
Girls and Boys Under 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19, along with the Junior and Senior Intercounty championships for Men and Women.
These
championships saw the best athletes from every part of the country competing and medals were always going to be very hard
won. Conditions were ideal for running and on a fast flat course we witnessed some very competitive races across all the age
groups.
Our very first athlete into action was Shane Fitzsimons in the Boys Under 11 race who put in a superb performance
to finish second, and also led the Leinster team to silver medals in the regional competition. This was a magnificent effort
from Shane, and considering he is only new to the sport, he certainly is a great prospect for the future.
Our Girls Under
13 team were very unlucky in finishing just outside of the medals in 5th place, but it was a very committed effort from the
girls in a tightly contested race. Arlene Coughlan led the team home followed by Cliona Daly and Lisa Darby. Next came Faye
Kearney, Joye Kearney and Corrina Murtagh all running very well.
Both our Girls and Boys Under 15 teams finished outside
of the medals but all of our athletes gave it their all, in what were very competitive races.
In the Girls Under 15 event,
Maud-Annie Foley, Louise Darby, Jacinta Brady, Grace Kearney, Aoife Hogan, Maria McGivney, Jessica Lynch, Tracey Coughlan
and Cindy Nugent all ran well, it was good to have both club and county teams in this race.
In the Boys Under 15
race Shane Boggs was the leading Mullingar finisher, followed closely by Joey Cleary, next came Nial Darby, Andrew Boyhan
and Alan Killian, all running strongly.
Both teams will benefit from the experience of competing strongly at this
level.
In the Girls and Boys Under 17 races, our club teams finished outside of the medals, however all put in a very determined
effort, and will gain from the experience.
In the Girls Under 17 race Mullingar were lucky to finish just outside the medals
in fifth place. Sarah Drew had a very good run leading the team home, and was also part of the Leinster team that won silver
medals. Next came Ruth Kearney, Aishling Bannon and Amy Drew, all finreceishing well up.
In the Boys Under 17, Alan Stenson
was our first finisher just ahead of Shane Donoghue and Lee Stenson, followed by Kevin Duggan, Paul Flynn, Timmy Mescall and
Simon Maher, who gave it their all.
In the combined Girls Under 19/Junior Women’s race we had some excellent results
with our Under 19 team winning silver medals for Mullingar and the county team taking third place in the Junior event. Louise
Moore was our leading finisher in the Junior race in 11th place, just ahead of Sarah Mescall in 12th and Ellen Colton 17th.
They were quickly followed by Aine Devaney and Elizabeth Brady. Sarah and Ellen finished 9th and 13th respectively in the
U19’s, both getting silver medals with Leinster, and along with Aine and Elizabeth, they claimed the silver medals.
In
the Junior Men’s race we witnessed another fantastic performance from Mark Christie, as he recorded another impressive
victory, leaving a quality field behind. In the last three years Mark has won 2 Intercounty titltes and 3 Interclub titles
in the Junior ranks, which is a super achievement. He now leads the Irish team at the forthcoming European Championships in
Germany on December 12th.
Also Tomas Devaney, also running Under 19, had a very good run.
As in all the events a quality
field assembled for the Senior Men’s race. We had a strong Westmeath team in action, the first time in quite a while
that we have had a team. Tom McGrath had an excellent run finishing in 16th place, closely followed by Noel Kelly and Cormac
Finnerty both running very strongly. Next came Damien Shaw, Ben Vaitkevichius, Pat Muldoon and David Burke all packing sufficiently
well for the team to win the bronze medals, which was a great result. Unfortunately John Burke had to withdraw due to injury.
All
in all it was a great day’s competition, and we now look forward to hosting the second round of the Juvenile Championships,
together with the Novice Men and Women in Belvedere on Sunday 12th December.
5 Nations Masters Cross Country International
Congratulations to Paula Murray, Geraldine Walsh and Christy Creagh,
on their excellent performances while representing Ireland in the 5 Nations Cross Country International in Croydon, England
on Saturday last. Paula was part of the Irish team that won silver medals, while Geraldine's team won bronze medals, and Christy's
team were unlucky in finishing just outside the medals. Well done again to all three, it is a great honour to represent Ireland.
Hollymount 10k
Last Sunday the annual Hollymount Road Races took place in Hollymount,
Co. Mayo. The Men's 10k event attracted a very good field with many teams from around the country competing. The Mullingar
Harriers team finished in an excellent third place in the the team competition. Noel Kelly had an excellent run, finishing
in fourth position in a very good time of 32.10.. Next came Ben Vaitrevichius in ninth in a time of 33.32, (with Ben also
taking first place in the masters race) and Pat Muldoon Junior in tenth (33.41), both running strongly. Pat Muldoon also had
a very good run (37.56) to complete the team scoring. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day's competition and was good preparation
for the upcoming championship races.
Leinster Cross Country Championships
The second
round of the Leinster Cross Country Championships took place in the picturesque grounds of Belvedere House on Sunday last
(7th November). On a fine winter's day, conditions for running were ideal and the course and facilities came in for excellent
praise from competitors, spectators and officials alike.
We would like to thank the staff of Belvedere House, Park and
Gardens and Manager Bart Darcy; Westmeath County Council; Civil Defence; An Garda Siochana; Bloomfield House Hotel; the officials
of Athletics Leinster; the many members of our club who acted as stewards on the day and especially those who helped in the
preparation of the course.
It was another very successful day for the club with the majority of our Juvenile teams qualifying
for the National Finals which will also take place in Belvedere in four weeks time. First into action were the Girls under
twelve. This was an excellent team performance from Mullingar with four of the girls in the top twelve, and they will be also
be on the Leinster team for the All-Ireland finals. Arlene Coughlan was third, just ahead of Cliona Daly in fourth place,
two excellent individual performances. They were quickly followed by Faye Kearney and Joye Kearney in eleventh and twelfth
places respectively to secure a comprehensive victory for Mullingar in the club competition. Next came Lisa Darby, Corinna
Murtagh and Emer Flynn to help secure gold medals for county as well. While we did not have a Boys under twelve team, newcomer
Shane Fitzsimons again underlined his enormous potential when he finished in an excellent third place. Aaron Glynn and Odhran
Daly also ran well. Our Girls Under 14 team finished third club and booked their place in the National finals. They were led
home by Maud Annie Foley who had a very good run, just ahead of Aoife Hogan, next came Jacinta Brady followed by Anna Broderick
and Claire Flynn, all running extremely well. Our only title of the day came in the Boys under 14, where Shane Boggs had an
outstanding run to record an excellent victory, and will also have the honour of leading the Leinster team in the National
finals. Shane was supported by Alan Killian, Ciaran Sheridan, Alan Fitzsimons, David Moran and Padraic Maher, who all ran
well. Expectations were high for team medals in the Girls under sixteen race and we were not disappointed, with Mullingar
being convincing winners of the club competition and just beaten into second place for county. It was great to see three of
our athletes in the top twelve, Ruth Kearney in 5th place, Sarah Drew 6th and Grace Kearney 11th, who will all be on the Leinster
team. Excellent performances from all. The vital fourth scorer was Louise Darby just ahead of Maria McGivney, Aisling Bannon,
Jessica Lynch and Tracey Coughlan, all running well and deserving of their medals. Our Boys under sixteen team put in a very
good performance, finishing third club, thus also qualifying for the finals. Lee Stenson led the team home in tenth place
and earning his place on the Leinster team, quickly followed by Joey Cleary, both running strongly. Next came Andrew Boyhan,
Damien Palfreyman, Timmy Mescall and Simon Maher, followed by Paul Flynn, Nial Darby and Bernard Sheridan. Sarah Mescall led
our Girls Under 18 team to victory finishing a very good fourth, she was closely followed by Ellen Colton in tenth place,
both will be part of the Leinster team for the Nationals. Next came Antoinette Brady and Amy Drew running strongly to secure
team victory. Our Boys under 18 team also got into the medals finishing third. Alan Stenson had a fine run finishing sixth,
he was followed not far behind by Shane Donohoe and Tomas Devaney both running very well. Next came Brian Melody, Stephen
Moran, Kevin Duggan, David Hynes and Ciaran Newman who all gave good support. With the Juvenile competition complete, attention
turned to the senior races. Our Intermediate Women's team finished in second place which was a great result. Louise Moore
had a super run finishing in third place. It was great to see Eva Ross back competing again, next came Joan Dillon, Aine Devaney
and Caroline Mooney all running well together to secure team medals. In the Men's Intermediate race, Damien Shaw ran another
very well judged race, and with a magnificent sprint in the closing stages claimed second place, an excellent run. Ben Vaitkevichius
also had a very good run. Next came Steve McKeigue, Fr. Mark English and Brian Boyle, all finishing well up the field in a
very competitive race.
All in all they were excellent results all round for the club and we now look forward to the National
Championships in Dungarvan and Belvedere over the coming weeks.
Well done to Mark Christie who had an excellent victory
in the Junior International Cross Country race in Ghent, Belgium on Sunday last.
Leinster Cross Country Championships
Last Sunday (24th Oct) we made the long journey Wexford for the
first day of the Leinster Cross Country Championships, with races for Boys and Girls under 11 to 19, and Novice and Masters
men and women. The day was cold and very windy but stayed dry. The course was a challenging course with plenty of long hills, made
tougher by the wind, but our athletes coped extremely well, as hills hold no fear for them after the tough hill training
sessions in Belvedere of late. It was the first taste of Championship running at this level for our younger athletes and first
in action were Caitriona Murtagh and Eadaoin Daly who ran very well in the girls under 11. In the boys u/11, newcomer
Shane Fitzsimons booked his place on the Leinster team in the National Finals by finishing an excellent 3rd place, all the
more noteworthy by the fact that he is only u/10. Shane was supported by Aaron Glynn who had a fantastic run, followed home
by Odhrain Daly and Jack Kearney. Expectations were high for team medals in the girls u/13 race and we were not disappointed.
Arlene Coughlan led the team home with a great 5th place finish, followed by Cliodhna Daly in 9th place, and both booked their
places on the Leinster team. Next in were Lisa Darby, Faye Kearney, Joye Kearney, newcomer Corinna Murtagh, and Eimear Flynn
to take 2nd Club medals and book their places in the National Finals. These girls are all u/12 so their performances were
all the more fantastic. Unfortunately, we only had one competitor in the boys u/13, where Alan Fitzsimons had a fine run.
The girls u/15 team were led home by Grace Kearney (6th place) and the fast "returning to form" Aoife Hogan (12th) who earned
their places on the Leinster team and were very well supported by Maria McGivney, Louise Darby, Jessica Lynch, Jacinta Brady,
Cindy Nugent, Tracey Coughlan and Claire Flynn who all ran very well to take 1st Club and 3rd County medals and book their
places at the Nationals too. It was fantastic to see such a large number of Mullingar athletes in this race, all running extremely
well. Shane Boggs had a storming finish in the boys u/15 race where he finished 7th and Joey Cleary also finished fast in
12th place. The boys were supported by strong team running by Andrew Boyhan, Damien Palfreyman, Alan Killian, Niall Darby
and Ciaran Sheridan to take 2nd Club medals and advance to the National Finals. In the girls u/17, Sarah Drew just got the
better of Ruth Kearnay in the final run-in to the finish to take 4th place to Ruth's 6th. They were followed in by Margaret
Brady, Amy Drew and Aisling Bannon to win 1st Club. Our only individual title of the day came not surprisingly in
the boys u/17 where the very talented Alan Stenson gave a tremendous kick with 150m to go and win his Leinster title
in great style. His cousin Lee Stenson gave great support and finished well up the field and together with Stephen Moran,
Kevin Duggan, Paul Flynn, Simon Maher, Brendan Sheridan and Timmy Mescall, secured the 3rd Club medals for Mullingar.
It was great to see three Mullingar athletes in the top 12 finishers in the girls u/19 when Sarah Mescall led the team home
in 4th place, followed closely by Ellen Colton in 7th and Aine Devanney in 12th. Elizabeth Brady provided the vital 4th score
to win 1st Club and 2nd County medals for the team. The final juvenile race of the day saw Tomas Devanney book his place in
the Nationals with the Leinster team by finishing a brilliant 12th place. It was great to see Ciaran O'Meara in action again
running in support of Tomas. In all, a total of 6 Club teams and 2 County teams won medals, and together with 2 individuals,
have all qualified for the National Finals in Dungarvan, where 14 Mullingar athletes will also feature on Leinster teams.
Attention then turned to the Senior races and it was great to see
Louise Moore return to some of her form of old in finishing very well and full of running to take 6th place in the Novice
women's race. Damien Shaw ran a very clever tactical race in the Novice men and after a quiet first lap began to work his
way slowly through the field as the 4 laps unfolded and finally burst through to take 3rd place with a spectacular sprint
finish. Mullingar had three runners in the Masters women's race, where Paula Murray, Vera McCool and Maura Dervin finished
2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively to win the Club title. A great performance by these dedicated ladies. The final race was
the Masters men, where Ben Vaitkevicius finished a great 4th overall and 2nd in his age category. Next in was John Bannon
making a return to competition, followed by Christy Creagh (2nd in his category) and Greg Duggan. A special word of thanks
to the very many parents and friends who braved the cold and wind to lend support to the athletes who took part. It is
a long way to Wexford and the support was very much appreciated.
Gerry Farnan Cross Country
The Gerry Farnan Cross Country took place in the Phoenix Park on October
17th. Well done to Christy Creagh, Paula Murray and Geraldine Walsh who all qualified to represent Ireland at the 5 Nations
C.C. in the coming weeks, a brilliant achievement. Well done also to Vera Flynn, who had a great race and just missed out
on selection, while Sean McMullin also ran well. Cormac Finnerty had a very good run to finish 11th, and Pat Muldoon was 34th.
Westmeath Cross Country Championships, Belvedere House, Mullingar, 10th October -Results
Place Senior Men
Place Senior Women
1.
Mark Christie 1.
Paula Murray
2.
Tom McGrath 2.
Louise Moore
3.
Noel Kelly
3. Michelle
O’Halloran
4.
Cormac Finnerty 4. Caroline Mooney
5.
Damien Shaw
6.
Pat Muldoon
7.
Tomas Navickas
8.
Ciaran Nolan
9.
Brian Boyle
Place
Masters Men
Place
Masters Women
1.
Ben Vaitkeviuchius 1. Marese Collins
2.
John Bannon
3.
Christy Creagh
4.
Greg Duggan
5.
Sean McMullin
Star of the Sea Cross Country
On Sunday last (26th September), the Star of the Sea Athletic Club hosted their annual cross country meeting
in Greenanstown, Stamullen, Co. Meath. We travelled in numbers and had teams
in most races. Our athletes were tested on a tough course, and the competition
will be of enormous benefit as we prepare for the upcoming races. In the girls under nine race, Stacey Darby was our first finisher in seventh place having
a very good run, ahead of Jennifer Coughlan, running well. In the boys under
ten race we had two competitors. Aaron Glynn finished a very good fourth while
Odhrain Daly also ran well. Eadaoin Daly was our sole runner in the girls under
eleven event. In the girls under twelve Mullingar athletes dominated the race. Arlene Coughlan was a well deserving winner of the race, just ahead of Cliodhna Daly
in second place, and with Lisa Darby fifth, they won the team prize. Next came
Faye Kearney and Joye Kearney in sixth and seventh, and along with Eimear Flynn they finished third team. In the girls under fourteen race, Aoife Hogan ran very well to finish fifth, next came Emily McCormack
and Claire Flynn, running strongly. Grace Kearney had a very good run, finishing
in seventh place in the girls under fifteen. She was followed by Louise Darby,
Maria McGivney and Tracey Coughlan, who all ran well. Joey Cleary ran very well
in finishing fourth in the boys under 15 race. Padraig Maher and Alan Killian
also ran well, and the team finished in third place. Our girls under seventeen
team finished third. Sarah Drew ran very well finishing fifth individual. Next came Grace Kearney and Amy Drew both running well. The boys under seventeen team also finished third, with good performances from Alan Stenson, Stephen Moran,
Paul Flynn, Simon Maher and Kevin Duggan. Sarah Mescall finished second in the
junior race and fifth overall, a very good performance, and with both Ellen Colton and Aine Devaney running well Mullingar
finished second team. In a very competitive combined junior, senior and masters
men’s race, Ben Vaitrevichius had a great run finishing fourth overall and second in the masters race. Patrick Muldoon finished eighth, followed by Tomas Devaney, Ciaran Nolan and Greg Duggan, with the team
getting third prize. Overall it was a very enjoyable and successful day’s
competition and many thanks to the parents who travelled to support our athletes.
Longford
Marathon
The Longford Marathon
and Half Marathon took place on Sunday last (29th August). It is great to have an event of its kind in the Midlands and the
many participants enjoed the scenic course. Paul Buckley from Ferbane was the winner of the Marathon. Steve McKeigue had an
excellent run finishing 4th and also getting under 3 hours. Des Walsh also ran very well. In the Half Marathon Matt Glennon
and Maura Dervan (3rd) ran strongly, finishing well up.
National Half-Marathon
Championships
Last Saturday
(28th August) the Half-Marathon Championships of Ireland took place, over a scenic course in Castlebar, County Mayo. It
was a very competitive championships with medals hard won, but once again there were some excellent performances from Mullingar
athletes. New member Ben Vaitrevichius continues to show great form, and won the gold medal in his masters category. The ever
consistent Christy Creagh ran another excellent race and also took first place in his category of the Masters Men, while Geraldine
Walsh ran another great race ensuring that she too won a coveted gold medal in her Masters women's category. It was a great
achievement from all three athletes to win national gold medals.
Unfortunately
our Senior Men's team finished just outside the medals in 4th place, but it is looking like we will have a strong team for
the cross country. Tom McGrath ran very strongly to finish in 11th, which was an excellent placing against such high
class opposition. Next came Tomas Navickus followed closely by Cormac Finnerty, both having very good races with Pat Muldoon
not far behind also running well.
Castlepollard 5k
On Wednesday evening last (August
11th), the annual Castlepollard 5k road race, promoted by North Westmeath Athletic Club, attracted one of the biggest entries
in any race in the midlands in recent years. The host club are to be complimented on the excellent organisation of the the
event. The new course which included running a loop in the grounds of Tullynally Castle;
combined with excellent prizes and refreshments afterwards were very well received by all the
athletes. From a Mullingar viewpoint, there was a huge contingent in both the Juvenile and Senior races. The underage events
were well contested. In the Girls Under 9, Elizabeth Carr led from start to finish to win narrowly from clubmate and
fast finishing Mairead Sayeh, Stacey Darby and Maria Joyce. In the Boys Under 9, Aaron Glynn had a fine race to finish fourth
ahead of Jack Kearney and Budeya Sayeh. The Girls Under 11 race saw Arlene Coughlan dominate, again leading from start to
finish with Joy and Faye Kearney close behind her. Mark Dennigan ran well to finish sencond in the Boys Under 11. Jacinta
Brady finished third in the Girls Under 13; Grace Kearney was first in the Girls Under 15, with Andrew Boyhan second in the
Boys Under 15 race. A very competitive Senior race saw Ger Heery of St. Brigids AC emerge victorious, just ahead
of Andrew Ledwith (Fr. Murphys) in second. Tom McGrath was our top finisher in fourth place and led the club to the team prize,
with Tomas Navickas fifth, Cormac Finnerty sixth and Ben Vaitrevichius seventh. Next came Steve McKeigue and Pat Muldoon,
followed by Alan Stenson (first Junior Under 17), with Paul Flynn, Matt Glennon, Shane Fitzpatrick, Greg Duggan, Brian Boyle
Damian Shaw, Ciaran Nolan, Mark Tierney, John Bannon, Christy Creagh, Tomas Devaney, Sean McMullin, Des Walsh and Jimmy Nolan
all running well. The Ladies race saw Mullingar also winning the team award, with Maura Dervin our top finisher, followed
by Grace Kearney, Ruth Kearney, Sarah Mescall, Ellen Colton, Louise Moore, Michelle O' Halloran, Aine Devaney, Elizabeth
Brady, Ruth O'Meara, Caroline Mooney and Geraldine Walsh, all running very well.
National
Masters Track and Field Championships
The Masters Track
and Field Championships of Ireland took place in Tullamore on Sunday 8th August last. These championships saw some excellent
performances from our athletes. Greg Duggan was in flying form, rounding off a great season with three national medals. He
finished second in the very competitive 100 metres
and 400 metres events, and won a well merited bronze medal in the 200 metres.
There were also
great performances from Sean McMullin who won a silver medal in his category of the Walk
and finished 4th in the 5000 metres, and Christy Creagh who finished third in his category of the 5000 metres. Again
well done to all three athletes.
Daingean 5k
The Daingean 5k road
race on Friday evening last (July 30th) attracted a fine turnout of athletes from all over the country. The race itself turned
out to be one of the most exciting seen for many a day, with a great tussle between Martin Fagan and Gerry Ryan of Galway
City Harriers. In a thrilling finish Martin won by 2 seconds. Martin is in great form at the the moment and full of confidence
as he returns to Providence College in the U.S.A. where he is on an athletics scholarship. Behind Martin, Mullingar athletes dominated
the race, with newcomer Tomas Navickas running very well to hold off Tom McGrath for third place. Ben Vaitkus another newcomer
was fifth, followed by Patrick Muldoon, Steve McKeigue, Fr. Mark English, Pat Muldoon, Christy Creagh who won his masters
category, Paul McCool and Des Walsh. Also in the ladies event we had some excellent performances with Vera McCool our top
finisher and second in her category. Louise Moore was third in the senior ladies race, while Ruth Kearney was most impressive
when winning the Junior Ladies event ahead of Sarah Mescall, Grace Kearney and Ellen Colton. Geraldine Walsh had her usual
solid run in her masters category. All in all an excellent race and a great turnout of Mullingar athletes.
Leinster Senior Road Championships
At the Leinster Senior Road Championships in Edenderry, Co.
Offaly on Wednesday 21st July, Martin Fagan was a very convincing winner of the Senior Men's 10k event. Next came Ben Vaitrevichius, Pat Muldoon and Mark English, winning first club for Mullingar,
followed by Ciaran Nolan and Paul McCool ensuring Westmeath finished second county. Also running was Des Walsh. In the Women's
5k event Maura Dervan finished 4th, directly followed by Vera McCool, Michelle O'Halloran and Geraldine Walsh resulting in
Mullingar winning the team event and Westmeath finishing first county. Great running from all the Mullingar athletes. results...
World Junior T&F Championships
Well done to Mark Christie on a very brave performance in the 5000m
in Grosseto, Italy on Sunday 18th July. Condititions were very testing, with temperatures soaring to the mid 30s. Mark has
had a great season.
South O'Hanlon 4 Mile road race
This race took place in Navan on Wednesday, 14th July. Martin Fagan
ran really well finishing second in a very fast time. Martin together with two newcomers to the club Tomas Navicki & Ben
Vaitkevichius, both from Lithunia and recently arrived in Ireland secured the team prize. Also running well were Pat Muldoon,
Ciaran Nolan, Pat Muldoon (snr), Sean McMullin, Christy Creagh, Paul McCool and Des Walsh. In the Women's race Paula Murray
was an excellent 4th, followed by Vera McCool, Maura Dervin both of them getting in to the prizes in their own category, and
Geraldine Walsh finished second in her category. Grace Kearney had a great run finishing first Junior, followed by Louise
Moore and Sarah Mescall.
Dublin Graded Meeting
At the Graded Meeting in Santry also on Wednesday, Greg Duggan ran
very well finishing 4th in his heat of the 100m, while Kevin Duggan had a very good win in his heat of the 100m. Great running
by both.
National Juvenile (under 14-19) Track & Field Championships
Last week-end (10th and 11th
July) was the culmination of the domestic track and field season for some of our older juveniles at the National Juvenile
(under 14-19) Track and Field Championships held in the magnificent Tullamore Harriers Stadium. The standard, as always
with these Championships every year, was exceptional and medals were always going to be very difficult to win. Mullingar
had a small contingent in action, who in the main, performed and very well and were a credit to themselves and the Club.
Ruth Kearney battled bravely in the u/16 girls 1500m and just faded
off the pace on the last lap but finished a very good 5th place. Meanwhile, Stephen Moran was having great difficulty
getting his rhythm in the u/17 boys long jump. This is a very technical event and Stephen who is usually a very solid
performer just couldn't settle and had too many foul jumps to really stamp his mark on the competition. He made the
last 8 but finished down the field out of the medals. No such problem for Justin Collins in the u/19 boys discus where he
snatched victory with his last throw to take a truly well deserved National Title. The dedication and effort that Justin
puts in to his training should serve as an example to all other Club members. Stephen Moran and Kevin Duggan
came safely through the heats of the u/17 boys 100m and it was a good sight to see two Mullingar athletes in a National
sprint final. The final was a terrific race and despite a great effort by Stephan, he couldn't quite match the form that
won him the Leinster title a few weeks ago, and he finished in 4th place, just 3 hundredths of a second off a medal. Kevin
followed him home in a blanket scramble to the line where just 2 hundredths separated 3 runners. A great sprint and
full credit to Stephen and Kevin for their efforts.
Day two saw Louise Darby in action in the u/15 girls 200m where
she came agonisingly close to qualifying for the final but missed out by only one place by the narrowest of margins. Louise
gets better all the time and will have gained greatly from the experience. Justin Collins was in action again on day
two, in the u/19 shot putt where he took the silver medal in a great contest to add to his discus title. Hopes were high
for medals in the 800m events, where Aoife Hogan (u/14) and David Hynes (u/18), always great bankers for medals, were
in action. Unfortunately, it was not to be and Aoife trailed off in her race inexplicably while a similar fate befell
David who just seemed to lose all of his recent form suddenly and suffered in the 800m. Stephen Moran and Kevin Duggan
were in action in the u/17 boys 200m and again did themselves proud by qualifying from tough heats for the final. Again,
it was good to see two Mullingar athletes in a National sprint final, as Mullingar is usually seen as a cross-county
or middle distance Club. Very few clubs had two sprinters and any of the sprint finals, and Mullingar had done
it twice - 100m and 200m. Despite great starts and good bend running, the two Club mates just faded near the finish
and no medals were won. Great performances though.
By the end of the week-end Mullingar had one Title and
a silver medal, both achieved by Justin Collins. The other Club athletes competed well and deserved their place
in the finals, where they battled well. They came away knowing that medals are very difficult to win in the Nationals
but doubtless their experiences will make the re-double their efforts for next year and hopefully win Titles or medals.
Worth mentioning is the brilliant performance by Kieran Dermody
of North Westmeath AC who finished 4th with a personal best in the u/18 boys shot putt. Kieran is a training partner
of Justin Collins and clearly Peter Collins' and Andy McKeon's coaching magic is rubbing off on Kieran. His performance
is particularly noteworthy because he is only throwing the shot since last October.
Leinster Juvenile (under 14-19) Track & Field Championships
The second day of the Leinster
Track and Field Championships for our older Juveniles (under 14 to 19 years) took place in Tullamore last Sunday
(27th June). Stephen Moran jumped very well to take 2nd place in the u/17 boys long jump and qualify for the National Finals.
He added a bronze later in the afternoon in the 200m where he finished just ahead of Kevin Duggan in 5th place. Meanwhile,
Justin Collins added another Leinster Title to his growing collection when he won the u/19 shot putt in convincing style.
Louise Darby was very unlucky in the u/15 girls 250m hurdles when she came off the last hurdle in third place but got caught
up in a sprint to the line and 3 athletes crossed the line together. It took a long time for the photo finish camera
to separate the finishers and to our disappointment, Louise finished outside the medals but only by hundreths of a second.
Aoife Hogan won the u/14 girls 800m with an exhibition piece of front-running and continues to get stronger and stronger and
put recent injury behind her. Ellen Colton was the surprise silver medallist in the u/18 girls 300m hurdles and clearly thoroughly
enjoyed her journey over the hurdles. She was not so lucky later in the 800m when she fisished outside the medals, as was
the fate for Paul Flynn in the u/16 boys 800m and 3000m.
Morton Mile
Mark Christie must have justifiably very proud of his outstanding
performance in the Morton Invitation Mile in Santry last Friday (25th June) when in very difficult weather conditions - cold
and very windy - he finished third in a brilliant time of 4 minutes 3.78 seconds, a new personal best, and the fastest mile
by an Irish Junior for many years. In better weather conditions, and more sensible early pacing by the race pacemakers, there's
little doubt that he would have run sub 4 minutes. The race was won by Athens-bound James Nolan and Mark was hanging in with
him until the final 150m, which is a fantastic performance by any standard. Mark really is an extraordinary talent
and someone to watch for the future.
Leinster Juvenile (under 14-19) Track & Field Championships
Last Saturday (19th June), the first day of the Leinster
Track and Field Championships for our older Juveniles (under 14 to 19 years) took place in Navan. Amy Drew
(u/17 girls 3000m walk) was first in action for Mullingar and came away with a well deserved silver medal and booked her place
in the National Finals in July. This set the tone for the day when many of our athletes qualified for the National Finals. Louise
Darby was unlucky in the u/15 girls 80m hurdles and finished out of the medals but made amends later in the day when finishing
very strongly to take 4th place in the 200m final and qualify for the Nationals. Sarah Mescall (u/18 girls 3000m) ran
a fine race to take 2nd place, as did Alan Stenson in the u/17 boys 3000m. Not so lucky was Shane Fizpatrick in the u/18
boys 3000m when he finished out of the medals. Alan Stenson had the unenviable task of trying to run the u/17 boys 800 very
soon after the 3000m. It was obvious that even someone of Alan's undoubted ability and determination would find the task
too much and he finished in 5th place, but only one place off qualification for the Nationals.
The medal haul continued when David Hynes finished 3rd in the u/18
boys 800m and later finished 2nd in the 400m to qualify for the Nationals in both events. Shane Fitzpatrick and Ciaran
Newman (u/18 boys 800m) found the pace too fast and despite good efforts finished out of the medals. Likewise Ellen Colton
finished out of the medals in the u/18 girls 800m and 300m. Melanie Lynch ran very well in the u/19 girls 800m and 400m
and took bronze in each race.
Our sprinters were in great form and Stephen Moran (u/17 boys
100m) took gold in a very close finish to win his first Leinster sprint title. Stephen was followed by Kevin Duggan in
4th place and both therefore qualified for the Nationals. Kevin later took 4th in the 400m too. Amy Drew was eliminated
in a very fast heat of the u/17 girls 100m, but her sister Sarah finished 4th in the u/16 girls 200m. Claire Flynn had
a very tough afternoon's competition and had to run a heat and semi-final of the u/14 girls 200m but despite a fantastic bend
just faded a little in the home straight and couldn't finish amongst the qualifiers for the 200m final. A great effort
though and she showed great determination.
After the sprints, it was the turn of our milers. Maria McGivney
(u/15 girls 1500m) was hampered by injury and couldn't find the form needed to get into the medals despite a brave effort. No
such problem for Ruth Kearney (u/16 girls 1500m) who finished 4th followed closely by Sarah Drew, but Sarah was outside the
qualification places for the Nationals. Joey Cleary (u/15 boys 1500m), Paul Flynn (u/16 boys 1500m) and Lee Stenson (u/16
boys 1500m) found the pace too quick in their races and couldn't get into the medal positions but they all made great
efforts and ran well.
While there was great excitement following the efforts of our track
athletes, Justin Collins (u/19 boys discus) was in tremendous form and showed once again what a formidable talent he
is in winning his event in a new Championship best performance and bettering the previous record by an amazing 11m.
He truly is awesome to watch as he winds up in the circle and launches the discus with a great shout. His performance was
clearly one of the highlights of these Championships and he once again showed what a tremendous talent he is.
By day's end, Mullingar had won 9 medals and 5 boys and 6 girls
had qualified for the National Finals in a total of 14 events; and this was only Day 1! Hopes are high of more medals
in Tullamore next week. A final word. Many of our athletes had only just finished or were still to take exams in Junior
and Leaving Certificate so their performances were all the more noteworthy. Meanwhile Pat & Patrick Muldoon and Maura
Dervin had good runs in the Ferbane 4 Mile Road race.
Na Fianna 5k Road Race
The Annual Enfield 5k Road race took place on Sunday last (June
20th). Our Senior Women's team had another fine victory. Newcomer Ruth Holton ran a great race finishing 3rd,
just ahead of Caroline Harney in 4th place. Vera McCool also had a very good run, finishing 2nd in her category and Michelle
O'Halloran also finished well up.
Steve McKeigue finished well up in the Men's race, while Ken Whitelaw,
Paul McCool and Sean McMullin all ran well.
Rathowen 5k Road Race
The Rathowen 5k Road race took place on Wednesday evening last (June
16th). The race was a tremendous success with over 80 competitors taking part. Thanks to our club officials who
assisted with the running of the event. Tom McGrath was having his first race in a while and finished a very good second,
while Cormac Finnerty also had a very good run finishing 4th. Next came Steve McKeigue, Patrick Muldoon, Fr. Mark English,
Matt Glennon, Ciarán Nolan, Pat Muldoon, Paula Murray who was 2nd Senior Lady, John Bannon, Vera McCool who was first in her
Masters category, Sean McMullin who was second in his category, Michelle O'Halloran, Paul McCool, Maria McGivney who was first
Junior Lady, Orla Sheridan and Breeda McDonnell. Rathowen 5k Results
Leinster Juvenile (under 9-13) Track & Field Championships
Last Sunday (13th June) the first round of the Leinster Track
and Field Championships were held at the excellent St. Abban's AC stadium in Co. Laois. This round of the Championships
included the Award Scheme for boys and girls under 9 to 11 and Championships for boys and girls under 12 and under 13.
Our youngest competitive members did themselves and the Club proud. The Award Scheme is an ideal introduction to
competition for young athletes. Points are awarded for achievement in each event and the points total at the end of the
competition determines the type of Award. In this way, the young athletes are not really conscious of competition with
others but are more interested in accumulating points. Stacey Darby (girls u/9) won a Bronze Award for her efforts in 60m,
long jump and ball throw, Aaron Glynn and Odhrain Daly (boys u/10) also took a Bronze Award for 60m, long jump
and ball throw, and Eadaoin Daly (girls u/11) won a Bronze Award for 60m, 500m, long jump and ball throw. Congratulations to
them all on their fine achievements. After the Awards competition was over it was the turn of the other juveniles in
u/12 and u/13. Unfortunately there were no medals won and therefore no-one will advance to the National Finals. However,
all the youngsters competed very well. Mark Dinnegan (boys u/12) competed in 60m, 600m and ball throw, Lisa Darby (girls u/12)
in 60m, 600m, Arlene Coughlan (girls u/12) finished outside the medals in 5th place in the 600m, just ahead of the fast-finishing
Cliodhna Daly in 6th place. Cliodhna also competed in long jump. Aisling Duggan (girls u/13) competed in 60m and long
jump and then combined with Cliodhna Daly, Arlene Coughlan and Lisa Darby in the girls u/13 Inter-County 4x100m
relay, but the girls finished outside the medals. It was a very long day for these young athletes but they certainly
reveled in the excitement of competition and will be very keen for further competition. Many thanks to the Coughlans,
Dalys, Darbys, Duggans and Glynns for providing the transport.
Well done to Mark Christie
who posted a P.B. of 3.46 in a BMC Meeting in Watford at the weekend, an excellent run.
Another outstanding performance that went unnoticed was that of
Paula Murray who finished 15th in the Women's Mini Marathon last weekend (Monday 7th June). When you consider that over 40,000
took part, it was a brilliant run.
Dublin Graded Meeting No. 4
The Dublin County Board graded series in Santry continues and
a few Mullingar athletes were in action at the fourth meeting on 2nd June. David Hynes and Damien Shaw were in action
in the Men's 800m A and both ran very close to 2 minutes. For David, this is close to his personal best and as it is only
early June, augers well for a convincing break through the 2 minute barrier this season. In the Men's 100m C, Greg Duggan
was in fine form and was a convincing winner and continues his preparations for Masters Championships this season.
All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships
Congratulations to Justin Collins who took a bronze medal in the
Senior Boys shot putt and just missed out on a medal in the Senior Boys discus where he finished 4th last Saturday (5th June)
in the All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships. He threw close to his personal bests in both events so must be
well pleased with his performances. Congratulations too to Ruth Kearney who took bronze in the Intermediate Girls 3000m.
The medals won by Justin and Ruth are just rewards for the tremendous training efforts put in by these dedicated athletes
over the winter months. Well done also to Amy Drew and Louise Moore who also competed for their Schools last
Saturday, and to Mark Christie who finished 5th in the Irish Milers Club Mile, running a pb 0f 4.05, an excellent performance.
Leinster Senior & Master Track & Field Championships
A sunny and humid Tullamore was the venue for the Leinster Senior
and Master Track and Field Championships last Sunday (6th June). First in action was Greg Duggan who tore the field apart
in the Master's 200m and was a very convincing and clear winner. Greg followed up with an excellent sprint in the Master's
100m to win by a very close margin and record a sprint double for Mullingar. David Hynes competed in the Senior 400m
where he ran an excellent race to take third place. David clearly has a lot of speed and strength and should do very well
over 800m this season. Damien Shaw took bronze in the Senior 1500m, and was very close to a silver medal. Finally, Sean McMullin
was in action in the Master's 1500m, and despite the distance being a lot shorter than Sean is used to, still took a well
earned silver in his category. So, all in all a fine day for Mullingar with medals aplenty.
Dublin Graded Meeting No. 3
Mullingar athletes continued to make their presence felt at the Dublin
County Board graded series in Santry. For the third meeting (19th May), weather was warm and humid but quite windy on the
back straight, which some of the middle distance athletes found challenging. Caroline Harney shook off the disappointment
of the previous meeting's race over one mile to turn in a much improved performance over the Women's A 3000m and finished
a very good 4th. She looked more comfortable and with exams behind her will continue to improve with more training and races.
The Women's A 1500m was dominated by Mullingar's Sandra Gowran, running for Sportsworld in Dublin, who took an early lead
and led the field home with a quality race and finish. It was good to see David Burke in action in the Men's A 3000m,
and while admitting the distance is a bit short for his liking, ran a very good race and was just beaten into 4th place
having battled very competitively to the line with the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Damien Shaw used the Men's A 1500m as
a warm-up race for the Leinster Juniors and looked strong against some very stiff competition. Greg Duggan took to the longer
than customary distance of 400m in the Men's C. He got the pace wrong in the early part of the race, which resulted in
a very difficult last 70m when he was clearly tiring fast, but nonetheless finished fastest Master on the night, which augers
well for the Masters Championships ahead this summer.
Leinster Schools Championships
Well done to Amy Drew (Inter. Girls 2000m walk), Ruth Kearney (Inter.
Girls 3000m), Louise Moore (Senior Girls 3000m) and Justin Collins (Senior Boys discus) who represented their Schools with
great distinction in the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships (22nd May) and qualified for the All Ireland Schools
Championships on 5th June coming. Also competing very well but unfortunately not advancing to the All Ireland were Stephen
Moran, Ellen Colton, David Hynes, Kevin Duggan, Alan Stenson, Sarah Mescall and Joanne Harney. Many of them are under-age
again next year.
Leinster Track & Field Championships
Justin Collins continued to show that he one of the best discus
throwers in the Country by winning the Junior title in a new Championship Best Performance of 41.01m at the Leinster Championships
in Kilkenny (May 23rd), the day after the Leinster Schools. Justin's winning throw beat the previous record by a staggering
2.77m, which is a just reward for the hard work he puts in, assisted as always by Peter Collins and Andy McEoin. Damien
Shaw was just pipped for the 1500m Junior title and finished in second place, just one second behind the winner. Congratulations
to Justin and Damien on their fine performances.
All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships
An important date for the diary for all fans of athletics is Saturday
5th June when the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships takes place in Tullamore. This is probably is
one of the best athletics meetings of the year, where the best of the Country's young athletes are in action. With
all the qualifying rounds at Regional level completed, anyone with a few spare hours will be well rewarded if they make the
journey to Tullamore. As well as seeing the best young athletes in action, they can support Amy Drew, Ruth Kearney, Louise
Moore and Justin Collins who as referred to previously have qualified for these prestigious Championships. All
four Club members are wished the very best of luck.
Kilcormac 5k
Last Friday evening the Kilcormac 5k road race took place. A large
Mullingar contingent participated on what was a lovely summer evening for running. Noel Kelly was in fine form, when finishing
second. Paula Murray ran very well to win the Senior Women's race, as did Michelle O'Halloran who finished second. Vera McCool
was a clear winner in the Masters Women's category.
Alan Stenson and Shane Fitzpatrick were first and second in the
Junior Men's category; while Sarah Mescall and Ruth Kearney were first and second in the Junior Women's category. Also running
were Matt Glennon, Patrick Muldoon, John Bannon, Christy Creagh and Paul McCool
Dublin Graded Meeting
At the second Dublin County Board graded meeting in Santry last
Wednesday (12th May), Mullingar had a few representatives in action. Greg Duggan was in fine form and won his heat of
the 200m to continue his return to racing fitness for this season. Mullingar's Sandra Gowran, running for Sportsworld in Dublin
ran a great 1500m to take 2nd place, well ahead of the rest of the field and was very satisfied with her performance. Caroline
Harney was not so fortunate in the same race and struggled near the finish but will improve with more training and races.
Highlight of the night was the performance of Mark Christie in a development 3000m where he was up against some of the best
middle-distance runners in the Country. Conditions were ideal, and Mark finished a very close second to Robert Connolly who
featured prominently in the last under 23 European Championships and in the process Mark smashed the National Junior record
for 3000m, which now stands at 8mins 4.48sec. The manner in which he ran the race had the crowd on their feet and shouting
for him all the way to the finish.
Inter County Track & Field Competition
On Friday evening last (14th May), the Annual Inter County track and field competition
between Laois, Offaly and Westmeath for the younger juveniles aged under 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 years at the magnificent
Tullamore Harriers Stadium, provided one of the most enjoyable evenings athletic entertainment anyone could wish for. We
had a wonderful turn out of young athletes from around the County, most of whom were having their first taste of running on
the all-weather tartan track. There were so many outstanding results that it would be impossible to record all the prizewinners
but almost every Westmeath athlete picked up at least one medal and some of them won four medals. Mullingar Harriers also
won the all-round team competition. Some of the Newcomers showed amazing talent and hopefully they will continue
in the sport. A very special word of thanks to the many parents who helped officiate at the sports and provided
transport for the children to Tullamore. The following were those who took part: Michelle Murtagh, Lisa Darby, Stacey
Darby, Amy Darby, Emma Glynn, Shane Murtagh, Barry Murtagh, Fergus Murtagh, Aaron Glynn, Jake Byrne, Lisa Byrne, Mairead Sayeh,
Arlene Coughlan, Jennifer Coughlan, Faye Kearney, Joye Kearney, Cliodhna Daly, Eaoidean Daly, Orlaith Daly, Odhran
Daly, Mark Dinnegan, Dean Stensen, Elizabeth Carr, Jack Kearney, Cy Cleary, Bydue Sayeh, Tom Gavin and Sinead Nolan.
St. Abban's AC
Open Sports
Last Sunday (18th April) a small contingent travelled to Carlow for the 9th Annual St. Abban's AC Open
Sports. The event was particularly interesting for the younger juveniles because St. Abban's is the venue for the Leinster
Track and Field championships for under 9 to 13 on 13th June, so this was an ideal opportunity for them to try out the cinder
track. Stacey Darby was in action in the under 9 girls 60m but this distance is much too short for her liking and did not
advance to the finals. Later in the afternoon, Stacey ran a very good 300m but didn't finish in the medals. Maireid Sayah
also found the u/10 girls 80m distance too short and didn't advance to the final. She was also unlucky not to get a medal
later on in the 300m when after a terrific heat she just ran slightly out of steam in the final and finished out of the medals.
Lisa Darby also didn't like the short 80m sprint in the u/12 girls and was eliminated in the heats. Lisa was in action later
on in the 300m but despite a fine run did not get into the medals. Aaron Glynn had a very busy afternoon and had to run a
heat, semi-final and then a final in the u/10 boys 80m but just missed out on a medal by inches to finish 4th in a very fine
race. Hopes were high of a medal for Louise Darby in the u/15 girls 100m when she looked very impressive in qualification
for the final but in the final she was just pipped into 4th place. Louise made amends later in the u/15 girls 700m when she
found a great surge of energy on the back straight and set about closing down on the leaders. A very determined finish saw
her snatch 3rd place on the line. Louise continues to make her mark in both sprints and middle distance races in open sports.
It was up to Kevin Duggan to capture a sprint medal and he took 2nd in a very close race in the u/17 boys 100m when he was
right on the shoulder of the current Leinster Champion as they crossed the line. Kevin continues to improve with each race.
Anna Broderick had a good race in the u/14 girls 700m but lacked some edge and would benefit by a bit more training. Many
thanks to the Darbys, Duggans and Sayahs for providing the transport and lending vocal support on a very cold and at times
wet afternoon.
London Marathon
Mullingar was represented in the London Marathon last Sunday (18th April) by among
others, our own Fr. Mark English. Most of us were watching the action on the television, and conditions for running appeared
to be very bad. Mark ran an excellent race, running a very good time of 3 hours and 5 minutes. Congratulations Mark.
Crookstown-Millview AC Open Sports
Last Easter Monday (12th April) a small
contingent travelled to Kildare for the Crookstown-Millview AC Annual Open Sports, which for some years now has marked the
unofficial opening of the outdoor season. Young Stacey Darby was first in action for Mullingar, in the under 9 girls
80m but found the sprint distance too short for her liking and did not advance to the finals. Later in the afternoon, Stacey
ran a great 300m to finish very strongly and closed fast on the medal positions but just missed out. A little bit longer distance
and she would have got a medal. Maireid Sayah made the final in the u/10 girls 80m but despite a good run finished out of
the medals. She was also unlucky not to get a medal later on in the 300m when she finished very strongly but had too much
ground to make up. Eadaoin Daly ran in the u/11 girls 100m but did not advance to the final. It was the same for Lisa Darby and
Cliodhna Daly in the u/12 girls 100m and for Aisling Duggan in the u/13 girls 100m. Eadaoin was in action later
on in the 300m but despite a fine run did not get into the medals. There was better news in the u/12 girls 600m when Cliodhna
Daly literally fell over the line in a close battle for second and third place to clinch 3rd place for her efforts.
She was closely followed home by Lisa Darby in 5th place who ran a very good race. Odhrain Daly was very unlucky to lose out
in a very close finish in the u/9 boys 300m when he just missed out on a medal by a matter of a few metres in a very close
race and finished 4th despite using every ounce of energy he could muster. Louise Darby rounded off her day with a fine tactical
race in the u/15 girls 800m when she burst from the following pack 150m from home to chase the leader and take a
well deserved 2nd place in a very unfamiliar distance for her, to add to the 2nd place she had finished earlier
in the day over the more familiar 100m. Louise showed great pace and determination and has clearly benefited from her training
over the Winter. Finally, Kevin Duggan was a comfortable winner in the u/17 boys 100m when he was able to coast through the
finish to take 1st place. Many thanks to the Dalys, Darbys, Duggans and Sayahs for providing the transport and lending vocal
support.
Bohermeen AC Road Race
Last Sunday (28th
March) we made the short journey to Bohermeen (near
Navan), Co. Meath for the annual Bohermeen AC 5km road race. Before the road race there were a number of juvenile
races on the track and Mullingar was well represented with many of our younger athletes having their first taste
of track running for 2004. First in action was newcomer Emma Glynn who tasted competition for the first time in the girls
under 6 and who ran a great race to take second place. A silver medal was also the reward for Stacey Darby in the
u/8 girls who finished with a very impressive sprint. Jack Kearney set a very fast early pace in the boys u/8 race but
was run out in the finish to place 4th. Eadaoin Daly was our representative in the girls u/9 where she ran very well but finished
just out of the medals in 5th place. Our first victory of the day came with Aaron Glynn's win in the u/10 boys when he
tore the field apart and was never gong to be caught. Odhrain Daly ran a very good race but was unlucky to finish out
of the medals in 4th place in his race. Mairead Sayah was in action in the u/10 girls but was unlucky to be caught
up in a vary fast sprint finish and finished 4th, just out of the medals. Cliodhna Daly was very impressive in the girls
u/12 where she ran a very solid race and took bronze. Cliodhna was followed home by Faye Kearney and Lisa Darby
to gain valuable points for the Club in the overall competition. Mark Dinnegan took the field out very fast in the boys u/13
but was caught for a sprint finish at the end and finished 4th. Anna Broderick ran an extremely clever race in the girls u/14
and timed her break perfectly to pull well clear of the others and finished an emphatic 1st place. Alan Killian and Padraig
Maher found the pace a bit too quick and the distance just a bit long considering that they have not been running very long.
Despite this, they finished 4th and 5th and will improve with more training and competition. The Club's best performance of
the day came in the girls u/15, where Mullingar had a clean sweep of the medals as Maria McGivney took 1st, Sarah
Drew 2nd, Grace Kearney 3rd and Jessica Lynch 4th. A very impressive performance. The last race of the day was the
boys u/15 where Lee Stenson showed great class in winning and Niall Darby ran very well to take 4th place. In the overall
competition, Mullingar finished 2nd Club, only 13 points behind the winners. If we had a full turn out we would surely have
taken the cup for best all-round Club. However, 2nd is very good and the great performances in the races by our juveniles bodes
well for some good performances in track competition this Summer.
After the juvenile events were
completed, attention turned to the 5km road race.
As in previous years, there was a very large field but Mullingar was well represented. Weather conditions were perfect
for the runners, being overcast and cool. Noel Kelly was first home for Mullingar who ran a very impressive race to finish
2nd. Noel was quickly followed by Cormac Finnerty, Damien Shaw, David Burke, Fr. Mark English, Matt Glennon
and Ciaran Nolan who all ran very well to support Noel and packed well to give Mullingar victory in the Senior Men's
team race and win the "Patrick Bell Memorial Cup". It was great to see Mullingar field a Senior Men's team and
their performances showed what can be achieved when they all compete. They showed that it will be hard for most Clubs
to beat them. Also, it was very good to see Cormac Finnerty back in action again after too long a lay off from competition.
The Junior Men's team of Shane Fitzpatrick, Lee Stenson, Paul Flynn, Andrew Boyhan, Michael O'Reilly and Niall Darby ran great
individual races and emulated their Senior counterparts and won the team prize. Paul McCool, Des Walsh and Greg Duggan competed
in the Master's category and ran well and were pleased with their performances. Ruth Kearney was our first lady finisher
and led the Junior Ladies to victory in the team event. Ruth was supported by Louise Moore and Amy Drew. In the Senior Ladies'
race, Caroline Harney led the team home, followed by Vera Flynn and Sarah Mescall to win the "Paddy Murtagh Memorial Cup"
for first team and complete a clean sweep or the major team prizes. Vera Flynn also medalled in her Master's category a
