Five gold medals were won by Donore Harriers athletes on the first day of the Leinster Schools Track & Field championships at Santry with a notable double for the very talented Louis O’Loughlin of Moyle Park College in the Minor Boys category.
O’Loughlin (2.06.5) was always near the front of the field in the 800m. His superior speed over the final 150 metres allowed him to stay clear of pre-race favourite Ben Jones of Pres. Bray. Louis (3.18.7) made it a track double later in the day when he won out in a close encounter in the 1,100m.
Another emerging athlete to shine on the day was Lucy Hurley (1.55m) of Maynooth PP, who beat her previous best mark by 5 centimetres to win the Junior Girls high jump.
Jack Rudden-Kelly and Alex Clarkin made the Inter Boys 100m Hurdles the most exciting race of the day. Rudden-Kelly (14.11) dipped on the line to edge out a victory from his fast finishing Castleknock Community College and Donore teammate Clarkin (14.16).
Louis McDonagh (Castleknock CC) won the Minor Boys javelin by three metres with a best of 34.05m.
A magnificent double by sprint star Sean Lawlor and a championship record for Lauren O’Keeffe were the highlights for the Donore Harriers representation at the second day of the Leinster Schools Track & Field championships at Santry on Saturday. Lawlor (10.89), competing in the Senior Boys category and running in the vest of Kylemore College, ran close to his personal best when winning the 100m. He would later run out a clear winner in the 200m with a time of 22.01.
Lauren O’Keeffe (52.94m) smashed the championship record when winning the Inter Girls Hammer. The Loreta Balbriggan student, who is coached by Gerry Ronan, had to be at her best as the first five all beat the previous championship mark – including her Donore Harriers team-mate Clodagh Read (43.65m) who placed 5th in the colours of Donabate CC.
Belvedere College student Eoin Molloy brought the Donore Harriers tally to 9-gold in the championship when he won the Senior Boys Hammer with a best throw of 47.27m. Silver medals were won by Juvenile Captain Karen Hughes (9.89m) in the Inter Girls Triple Jump and Oran O’Brien (42.05m) in the Inter Boys Discus. Karen was running for Donabate CC and Oran for Belvedere College. Ailbhe Healy (2.50m) and Rolus Olusu (3.00m) both won bronze in their respective Pole Vault competitions. Ailbhe (Castleknock CC) competed in the Inter Girls and Rolus (Kings Hosp) in the Senior Boys.
There were also some promising performances in the middle distance and distance events. Sam Gallagher (16.08) of CBS Lucan again broke his PB when placing 6th in the Senior Boys 5,000m; Ciara Murphy (11.32.3) and Suzanne Masterson (11.41.5) both lowered their PBs when placing 4th and 5th in the Intermediate Girls 3,000m – and Conor Ray (9.54.1) showed his athletic potential when recording a new best time placing 6th in the Inter Boys 3000m.
In the recent second round of the Dublin Juvenile Track & Field league at Tallaght (9/5/15) the affable Kolade Abiodun had a fine ‘double’ with victory in the Boys u/16s 200m and the Shot Putt. Kolade is the clear leader in his age group after 2 rounds, whilst an improving Robyn O’Keeffe lies 2nd overall in the Girls u/16s class following her 2nd place in the 200m and 3rd in the Shot Putt. The club’s other winner on the day was Brooke Fagan in the Girls u/11s Javelin.
Robyn O’Keeffe continued her recent good form by winning the under 16 Girls Discus and placing 3rd in both the 400m and the High Jump in the third round of the Dublin Juvenile Track & Field League also at Tallaght (16/5/15). Her team made Cara Brennan placed 2nd in both the High Jump and Discus in the same age category. Robyn and Cara occupy 2nd and 3rd overall positions with one match remaining.
In the Waterstown 5km Parkrun on Saturday morning (16/5/15) there were a host of personal bests from the Fit-4-Youth development squad coached by Janette Strickland. The most notable was achieved by Kate Lynch (26.50) who took 6 minutes of her previous best time when placing as 7th female finisher. Ben Halpin, Robyn Strickland and Shannon Verdon-Byrne all lowered their previous best marks, whilst Elena Gaina, Justin Maher and Teigan Doran all completed the distance for the first time.
Senior Report
In the Terenure 5 miles road race (17/5/15) collective running brought team victory for the women’s master team. Florence Curley (31.29), the team captain, won the over 40s category and led the team to glory. Alma Hanevy (33.03), runner-up in the F35 class, Caren Grady (37.45) and Mary Murphy (38.31) who placed 12th in their respective F35 and F45 categories were the other team scorers.
Over in London on Saturday evening the Night of the 10,000m PBs event hosted by Highgate Harriers on the Parliament Hill track the Donore Harriers and Ireland star runner John Travers (29.04.66) ran a personal best when placing 4th in a highly competitive ‘A’ race. Indeed the race incorporated the British 10km track Championships and was won by British international Jonny Mellor (28.46.8) of Liverpool Harriers.
In the Athletics Ireland Open Games at Santry (17/5/15) a returning Simon Taggart (15.03) won the ‘A’ 110m Hurdles race, whilst Jaco Oosthuysen (57.11m) came second in the Javelin. In the Senior Women’s Hammer juvenile athlete Lauren O’Keeffe (51.31m) placed 2nd behind Michaela Walsh of Swinford AC. These two athletes are destined to bring Irish Hammer throwing into a new golden era!
The 124th annual Clonliffe Harriers 2 Miles road race (14/5/15) saw good results for Donore athletes with sisters Ide (11.37) & Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (11.39) finishing as 3rd and 4th in the women’s class, whilst Terry Mee (14.04) and Jim McNamara (14.09) won the M70 and M75 age groups.
Niall Lynch continues to press for the overall lead in the Irish Mountain Running Association Leinster League. Lynch (34.02) placed second in the fourth round race at Carrick Mountain (13/5/15) and remains in second overall position. The race was held over a distance of 6km and had a total climb of 427 metres.
Results in brief:
IMRA Leinster League Round 4 (6km) at Carrick Mountain (13/5/15): 2nd Niall Lynch M40 (34.02): 170thSarah Ni Ruairc (1.14.58)
124th Clonliffe Harriers 2 Mile at Santry (14/5/15): 19th Andrew Ledwith (10.37); 39th / 3rd woman Ide Nic Dhomhnaill (11.37); 40th / 4th woman Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (11.39); 47th / 6th woman Maura Kearns (11.57); 48th/ 7th woman Michelle Childs (12.00); 96th / 1st M70 Terry Mee (14.04); 99th / 1st M75 Jim McNamara (14.09)
Night of the 10,000m PBs hosted by Highgate Harriers in London (16/5/15): 10,000m A race – 4th John Travers (29.04.66 PB)
Griffeen 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 34th Peter Bonnar M45 (22.30)
Waterstown 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 26th / 6th female Janette Strickland F40 (26.49)
Calcutta 5km at Phoenix Park (16/5/15): 18th / 3rd woman Julia Hackett (22.23)
Terenure 5 mile (16/5/15): 45th Paul Cummins (29.30); 104th / 1st F40 Florence Curley (31.29); 153rd / 2nd F35 Alma Hanevy (33.03); 166th / 9th Snr Emer Rattigan (33.34); 280th / 1st M65 Terry Mee (36.09); 361st / 12th F35 Caren Grady (37.45); 383rd / 12th F40 Mary Murphy (38.31); 455th / 18th F35 Catherine McKeon (40.02)
TEAM: Women’s Masters team: 1st Donore Harriers <Curley, Hanevy, Grady, Murphy>
Blackwater 10km at Monaghan (17/5/15): 39th / 5th woman Barbara Murray (41.44)
Maynooth 10km (17/5/15): 98th Joan McTernan (48.25); 210th Liz McCurtain (50.47); 211th David Hudson (50.48); 347th Sue Lynch (58.03)
AAI Open Games at Santry (17/5/15): Men’s High Jump – 4th Cathal O’Brien (1.80m): Men’s Javelin – 2nd Jaco Oosthuysen (57.11m): Women’s 4kg Hammer – 2nd Lauren O’Keeffe JNR (51.31m): Men’s 110mH – 1st Simon Taggart (15.03): Women’s 100m – 5th Ailise Keating JNR (13.98): Men’s 400m – 4th Eamon Fahey (49.14 PB)
Juvenile Results in brief:
Leinster Schools Track & Field Championships Day 1 at Santry (13/5/15):
Gold = Minor Boys 800m – 1st Louis O’Loughlin (2.06.5 PB): 1,100m 1st Louis O’Loughlin (3.18.73); Inter Boys 100mH – 1st Jack Rudden-Kelly (14.11); Minor Boys Javelin – Louis McDonagh (34.05m); Junior Girls High Jump – 1st Lucy Hurley (1.55 PB): Silver = Inter Boys 100mH – 2nd Alex Clarkin (14.16): Bronze = Junior Boys 80mH – 3rd Max Carey (12.06); Junior Girls Pole Vault – Lara O’Byrne: u/16 Girls 4 x 300m Relay – Eve Reilly (Castleknock CC)
Also: Senior Boys 110mH – 4th Rolus Olusu (15.61); Senior Girls 100mH – DNF injured Lauren Kennedy; Inter Girls 80mH – 6th Ailbhe Healy (14.05); Junior Girls 75mH – 7th Ciara O’Donnell (13.5); Inter Girls 1500m Steeplechase – 6th Suzanne Masterson (5.59.3); u/16 Girls 200m – 8th Eve Reilly (NT); Junior Girls 4 x 100m Relay – 6th Maynooth PP inc Ciara O’Donnell, Angie Gonia & Lucy Hurley (55.61); Junior Girls Hammer – 4th Eleanor Ronan (23.28)
Leinster Schools Track & Field Championships Day 2 at Santry (16/5/15):
Gold = Senior Boys – 100m 1st Sean Lawlor (10.89); 200m 1st Sean Lawlor (22.01): Inter Girls Hammer – 1stLauren O’Keeffe (52.94m championship record); Senior Boys Hammer – 1st Eoin Molloy (47.27m): Silver = Inter Girls Triple Jump – 2nd Karen Hughes (9.89m): Inter Boys Discus – 2nd Oran O’Brien (42.05m) Bronze = Inter Girls Pole Vault – 3rd Ailbhe Healy (2.50m); Senior Boys Pole Vault – 3rd Rolus Olusu (3.00m)
Also: Inter Girls 100m – 5th Suzi O’Farrell (13.21), 6th Aoife Lynch (13.26): Inter Boys 100m – 6th Kolade Abiodun (11.70): Senior Girls 100m – 4th Ailise Keating (13.10): Inter Girls 800m – 8th Claire O’Connor (2.42.8); Inter Girls 3,000m – 4th Ciara Murphy (11.32.3 PB), 5th Suzanne Masterson (11.41.5 PB): Inter Boys 3,000m – 6th Conor Ray (9.54.1 PB): Inter Girls 200m – 5th Aoife Lynch (27.54) 7th Lauren O’Flaherty (NT): Senior Girls 200m – 6th Karen Hughes (28.21); Senior Girls 1500m – 9th Julia Kazmierczak (5.39.2): Inter Boys Hammer – 4th Ian Darroch (41.87m): Inter Boys Javelin – 4th Alex Clarkin (42.89m): Inter Girls Javelin – 4th Rebecca Power (27.67m): Inter Girls Hammer – 5th Clodagh Read (43.65): Inter Girls Shot Putt – 6th Lauren O’Keeffe (8.84m): Inter Boys Discus – Sean Young (NR)
Senior Boys 5,000m – 6th Sam Gallagher (16.08.0 PB): Inter Inter Girls 4 x 100m relay – 5th Castleknock CC inc Ailbhe Healy & Eve Reilly: Senior Girls 4 x 100m relay – 6th St. Joseph’s Lucan inc. Roisin Rynn-Cahill
Waterstown 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 26th / 7th female Kate Lynch u/15s (26.50 PB); 42nd Ben Halpin u/17s (29.20 PB); 44th / 15th female Elena Gaina u/17s (29.26 debut); 51st / 18th female Robyn Strickland u/15s (32.18 PB); 56th / 22nd female Shannon Verdon-Byrne u/15s (33.00 PB); 71st Justin Maher u/15s (37.17 debut); 85th / 40th female Teigan Doran u/15s (47.26 debut)
Dublin Juvenile T&F League Round 2 at Tallaght (9/5/15): Leading results: Girls u/11s Javelin – 1st Brooke Fagan; 200m – 6th Brooke Fagan: Boys u/11s Javelin – 3rd Oliver Hopkins: Boys u/12s 200m – 5th Sean Kinsella; Long Jump – 5th Sean Kinsella; Girls u/13s High Jump – 3rd Robyn Sweeney; Girls u/16s 200m – 2nd Robyn O’Keeffe, 3rd Cara Brennan: Shot Putt – 3rd Robyn O’Keeffe, 5th Cara Brennan: Boys u/16s 200m – 1st Kolade Abiodun; Shot Putt – 1st Kolade Abiodun, 4th Max Carey
Dublin Juvenile T&F League Round 3 at Tallaght (16/5/15): leading results: – u/10 Boys 500m – 5th Joe Kinsella: Long Jump – Joe Kinsella 6th: u/11 Girls 600m – 5th Grace Raftery: u/11 Boys 600m – 5th Conor Mahony; Javelin – 4th Oliver Hopkins: u/12 Boys 600m – 2nd Sean Kinsella, 4th Michael Barry: Girls u/16s 400m – 3rd Robyn O’Keeffe; High Jump – 2nd Cara Brennan, 3rd Robyn O’Keeffe; Discus – 1st Robyn O’Keeffe, 2nd Cara Brennan