GCH men’s team hope to make a big impact in Portugal

GALWAY City Harriers Junior men’s cross country team travel to Mira in Portugal for the European Clubs Championships which will be held on Sunday next on an historic first outing at European level for the club.

GCH qualified by virtue of their win at the National Championships in November in the Junior (U20) event. The GCH squad will be among a field of 14 teams, all respective National champions, with the likes of Italian club Torino, defending champions Castellon of Spain, Turkish team Fenerbache and Sporting Lisbon of the host country among some top-class opposition for the Galway club.

The squad is coached by Matt Lockett, and is of great calibre, comprising five of the country’s top Junior athletes in Eanna Folan, Aaron Brennan, Thomas McStay, Michael Healy and Gary Martyn, all of whom have multiple National team and individual medals to their credit. James Frizzell and Joe Tannian who were on the original winning squad are overage this year, with Frizzell travelling also in support of the squad.

The team will travel with expectations of a strong performance in their debut at this level. The race will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube site, and will start at 10.40am Sunday Irish time.

Indoor League

All three Galway teams have made the final of the National Indoor league following the second qualifying round of action last weekend in Athlone IT. GCH men’s team finished in third place after a good second round, led by Michael Breathnach with a win in the high jump, with big points also scored by Robert Meagher in the 200m, Darragh White in the 400m, Alvaro Garcia in the 1500m, and Henrique Nkolovata in the triple jump.

Craughwell women’s team were placed second after qualifying with a win from Sarah Finnegan in the triple jump, and good performances from Arlene Earls over 400m, Sinead Treacy over 200m, Laura Cunningham in the high jump and Caron Ryan in the 1500m.

GCH women also qualified, in fourth, with good runs via Nicole King in the 400m, Kathryn Casserly in the 1500m, and double points from Laura Ann Costello over 200m and in the high jump. The Indoor League final will take place on Saturday in the National Indoor Arena in Dublin.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.