HIGHLIGHTS: In the final DUBLIN OPEN GRADED MEET Barbara Cleary and Kane Collins were 1st and 3rd respectively in their Dublin 10,000m Open Championship races. Caoimhe Mackey 1st in Women’s 400m A race. John Travers and Ray Hynes placed 2nd and 9th in the KILBEGGAN 10. Andrew Kinane 6th in the DROGHEDA & DISTRICT AC 5km. Zion Osawe claims Donore Harriers only medal in the first three days of the NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, as Mario Omozee, Ruby Blake, James Bolton, Emma Stacey, Liam Morris, Luke Hanly and Roisin Kirby put in sterling performances.
REPORT: The 5th and final DUBLIN OPEN GRADED MEETING took place on the Lucan Harriers track on Wednesday evening (04.08.2021) and incorporated the Dublin Senior 10,000m Open championships.
Donore Harriers came away with two medals. Barbara Cleary won the women’s category in an excellent time of 35.42.66, whilst Kane Collins (32.34.43) came 3rd in the men’s race.
Collins knocked more than 20 seconds off his previous best time set at the national senior race at the end of June. He was with the leaders through the halfway point reached in 15.50, but gradually lost ground in the second half of the race.
Long-term member Ken Nugent (34.08.10), making a welcome return to competition, placed 5th. He was followed home by three first season members, as Daragh Keegan (35.28.77) came 7th, Evan Hurley-O’Dwyer (36.14.02) 8th and Gavin White (40.14.96) 9th, all setting a benchmark for this season with the target to make to improve in 2022.
The race was won by David Carter (31.44.62) of Galway City Harriers in a personal best time.
Earlier in the meet Caoimhe Mackey (59.21) had a couple of strides to spare over Ella Duane (59.72) of Naas AC to win the women’s 400m ‘A’ race.
In the 1,500m races, Audrey Gahan (5.38.54) came 7th in the ‘C1’ race and Cliodhna Carthy (5.51.09) was also 7th in the ‘C2’ race. Donal Iremonger was 8th in the men’s ‘A’ race, whilst Club Secretary Peter Nugent (5.14.0) and his training buddy Tom Fagan (5.23.0) came 1st and 4th in the ‘D’ race.
Warm, dry conditions greeting the athletes on Sunday morning (08.08.2021) to contest the KILBEGGAN 10-MILE ROAD RACE. A slightly undulating course started on the Moate Road and took in the villages of Horseleap and Clara, before the athletes turned around and headed back to the Kilbeggan GAA club.
John Travers completed the course in 49.12, to place 2nd behind Ryan Creech (48.50) of Leevale AC, with Jake O’Regan (49.23) of St. John’s Ennis in 3rd.
Ray Hynes (53.22) ran a fine race to cross the finish line in 9th place. Also among the 195 finishers were marathon specialist Sean Fox (55.59) in 22nd place, David McConn with a personal best of 59.21 for 56th, and Paul Cummins (59.58) in 64th.
In the DROGHEDA & DISTRICT A.C. CAPITAL MASTERS 5km ROAD RACE, also on Sunday (08.08.2021), Andrew Kinane came 6th in 16.45, with Dean Fullston (21.15) knocking nearly a minute of his previous best to place 44th from 75 finishers. This was the 2nd running of the summer 5km and the D&D AC club used a fast, flat course – out and back from the townland of Newtownstalaban.
Donore Harriers registered just one podium place in the first three days of the NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS held at Tullamore over the weekend (06-08.08.2021). Zion Osawe, described by Juvenile Section Secretary as a “little star in the making”, won a silver medal in the Under 13 Girls High Jump with a best effort of 1.40m.
Mario Omozee had a busy weekend and was unfortunate not to come away from the championships with a bronze medal. In the final of the Under 14 Boys 80m sprint on Sunday the photo-finish timing system recorded 10.366 seconds for the young Donore Harriers star, whilst Jack Barry of Galway City Harriers was timed at 10.364 and thus claimed the bronze medal by the narrowest of margins. Omozee qualified 2nd from Heat 1 in a time of 10.47. On the previous day he placed 5th in the final of the 200m in 26.35 after qualifying 2nd from Heat 1 in 25.82. Mario failed to register a height after 3 attempts in the High Jump, with the cold, windy and rainy conditions making the technique of jumping much more arduous.
Fiona Jackson was the first Donore Harriers juvenile member to compete in the championships when she lined up in Heat 2 of the Under 16 Girls 250m Hurdles on the Friday evening. Inclement weather meant that conditions were extremely difficult for young athletes, so great credit to first-season athlete Fiona who placed 6th in 48.91. The result meant that she failed to progress to the final, but it was a noteworthy effort for a relative newcomer to athletics.
It was a similar story on Saturday morning as athletes had to endure incessant cold winds and rain. It was particularly tough for field event competitors. Amber Lynch threw a best of 15.33m to finish 12th overall in the Under 13 400g Javelin as the contest proved a battle of attrition as well as throwing prowess due to the severe weather conditions. It was a similar story for Ruby Blake, who placed 6th in the Under 12 Girls Shot Putt with a personal best throw of 6.76m – and Melody Omozee (5.75m) who came 13th in the Under 13 Girls Shot Putt. Also, in the morning session Roisin Kirby (28.82) came 4th in Heat 2 of the Under 15 Girls 200m narrowly failing to progress to the final.
The weather settled in time for the afternoon’s 800m races. In the Under 14 Girls 800m final Emily Bolton placed 9th in 2.31.43, with Liam Morris (2.16.93) 7th in the Under 14 Boys and Lorraine O’Connor (2.30.36) 14th in the Under 15 Girls.
Emma Stacey (2.17.75) knocked 3 seconds of her previous best time in the Under 18 Girls 800m. She made a strong start and challenged for a medal place as she reached the bell in 4th place in 65 seconds. However, she was unable to match the speed of the lead group on the 2nd lap and had to settle for 5th position. In the Under 18 Boys Sean Kinsella started strongly and led at the bell reached in 57 seconds, but he didn’t have the endurance base to ‘stay the pace’ and got relegated to 9th in a time of 2.06.26.
Sunday and Day 3 of the championships saw James Bolton (9.06.12) run close to his best time to come home 4th in keenly contested Under 18 Boys 3,000m won by the new European Under 20 champion Nicholas Griggs of Mid-Ulster AC.
Earlier in the day Under 15 athlete Roisin Kirby came 6th in the Long Jump with a best of 4.49m and 15th in the Shot Putt with 6.64m. Daniel Browne (4.01m) came 11th in the Under 13 Boys Long Jump and Isabella Kelly was 6th in Heat 2 of the Under 16 Girls 100m sprint.
Another club newcomer Luke Hanly made clearances at 1.40m, 1.45m and then 1.50m, before he failed his 3 attempts at 1.55m. He had to settle for 5th position in the Under 17 Boys High Jump, but his raw talent augurs well for his future in the event.
The championships conclude next Saturday with Day 4 at Tullamore.
—————————————————-
DUBLIN OPEN GRADED MEETING NO. 5 at Lucan Harriers track (04.08.2021)
Women’s 400m ‘A’ Race: 1st Caoimhe Mackey (59.21)
Women’s 1,500m ‘C1’ Race: 7th Audrey Gahan (5.38.54)
Women’s 1,500m ‘C2’ Race: 7th Cliodhna Carthy (5.51.09)
Men’s 1,500m ‘A’ Race: 8th Donal Iremonger M50 (4.28.53)
Men’s 1,500m ‘D’ Race: 1st Peter Nugent M50 (5.14.0), 4th Tom Fagan (5.23.0)
Women’s 10,000m inc. Dublin Open Championship: 1st Barbara Cleary (35.42.66)
Men’s 10,00m inc. Dublin Open Championships: 3rd Kane Collins (32.34.43 PB), 5th Ken Nugent M35 (34.08.10), 7th Daragh Keegan (35.28.77 PB), 8th Evan Hurley-O’Dwyer (36.14.02 PB), 9th Gavin White (40.14.96 PB).
NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 at Tullamore (06.08.21)
Under 16 Girls 250mH Heat 2: 6th Fiona Jackson (48.91)
NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2 at Tullamore
(07.08.21)
Under 12 Girls Shot Putt Final: 6th Ruby Blake (6.76m PB)
Under 13 Girls Javelin (400g) Final: 12th Amber Lynch (15.33m)
Under 13 Girls High Jump Final: 2nd Zion Osawe (1.40m) SILVER
Under 13 Girls Shot Putt Final: 13th Melody Omozee (5.75m)
Under 14 Girls 800m Final: 9th Emily Bolton (2.31.43)
Under 14 Boys 200m Final: 5th Mario Omozee (26.35) qualified 2nd from Heat 1 in 25.82
Under 14 Boys 800m Final: 7th Liam Morris (2.16.93)
Under 14 Boys High Jump Final: =10th Mario Omozee (no mark)
Under 15 Girls 200m Heat 2: 4th Roisin Kirby (28.82)
Under 15 Girls 800m Final: 14th Lorraine O’Connor (2.30.36)
Under 18 Girls 800m Final: 5th Emma Stacey (2.17.75 PB)
Under 18 Boys 800m Final: 9th Sean Kinsella (2.06.26)
NATIONAL JUVENILE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 3 at Tullamore
(08.08.21)
Under 13 Boys Long Jump Final: 11th Daniel Browne (4.01m)
Under 14 Boys 80m Final: 4th Mario Omozee (10.37) qualified 2nd from Heat 1 in 10.47
Under 15 Girls Shot Putt Final: 15th Roisin Kirby (6.64m)
Under 15 Girls Long Jump Final: 6th Roisin Kirby (4.49m)
Under 16 Girls 100m Heat 2: 6th Isabella Kelly (13.90)
Under 17 Boys High Jump Final: 5th Luke Hanly (1.50m)
Under 18 Boys 3,000m Final: 4th James Bolton (9.06.12)
DROGHEDA & DISTRICT AC CAPITAL MASTERS 5km (08.08.2021)
6th Andrew Kinane (16.45)
44th Dean Fullston (21.15 PB)
75 finishers
KILBEGGAN 10-MILE ROAD RACE (08.08.2021)
2nd John Travers (49.12)
9th Ray Hynes M35 (53.22)
22nd Sean Fox M40 (55.59)
56th David McConn (59.21)
64th Paul Cummins (59.58)
196 finishers
