Hat-trick of gold for Flynn and Moore at Connacht finals

Day two of the Connacht outdoor Track and Field championships (U-13 to U-19) was held Saturday last at Sligo IT, with many successes for Galway athletes in a packed programme of events.

Galway City Harriers’ athletes produced some fantastic performances, with Emma Moore and Roisin Flynn the stars of the show. Emma claimed triple gold in winning the U-13 girls’ sprint hurdles, 60m and 600m races; while Roisin also took home three gold, claiming victory in the 100m, 200m and 400m events.

Top sprinter Cillin Greene claimed double sprint gold over 100 and 200m at U-19 level. Robert McDonnell won the U-15 Boys’ 200m; Zoe Moore took the U-15 girls’ sprint hurdles; while Seren O’Toole took two wins over 200m and the long hurdles.

At U-16 level, Eadaoin Langan won the 800m Girls race, while the talented Aaron Brennan doubled up winning both 800m and 1,500m titles in 2.12 and 4.37 respectively.

There was another double victory at U-17 level with sprinter Kacper Poniatowski winning both the 100m and 200m; while Laura Nally claimed the Girls’ 400m and Lydia Doyle took the sprint hurdles.

In the U-18 events, there were wins for Jack Dempsey in the 100 and 200m; Peadar O Flatharta in the 400m; and Aoife King who took 1,500m gold; while at U-19 level, Ann Moroney won the 1,500m in 4.53 and Nicole King claimed 200m gold. In the field events, Daragh Jennings took the U-13 Boys Shot Putt title with a throw of 10.78 metres.

Craughwell AC athletes claimed a huge haul of medals, with the highlight being Jerry Keary’s 2m High jump clearance to win the U-17 boys event, a jump which would rank him in the top two of his age in Ireland and the UK.

At U-14 level Craughwell took the Boys 4x100m relay with Pascal Walsh, Robert Urquhart, Padraic Martyn, Shaun Gilligan, sub Ludaigh Morgan, Jack Farrell won the sprint hurdles; Conor Trehy took the discus; Sean Cahill won the javelin; and Ellie Cronin won the High Jump.

Ryan Gallagher won the U-15 High Jump, while Conor Roberts took the honours’ in the Long Jump. In the U15 girl’s events, Freya Bohan too High Jump gold and Leanagh Gilligan won the Long Jump, while Chloe Casey won the Shot. Craughwell also won the U-15 Girls 4x100m relay.

At U-16 level Siona Lawless won the 100m and took silver in the 200m; while in the U-17 age-group, Laura Cunningham won double gold, claiming the High Jump and Triple Jump, and Daniel Callanan Forde and Aoife Walsh secured victory in the Long Jumps.

Other Galway winners on the day included Chloe Farragher who won both the U-14 Girls 80m and Long Jump events for Loughrea AC; Jack Farrell, who claimed the U-14 Boys hurdles; and Tiernan Conneely of Corrib AC who won the U-14 Boys Walk and Shot Putt.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.