Lally is Galway’s star turn at schools finals

The talented Alanna Lally  produced Galway’s outstanding performance at the pinnacle of the Schools athletics calendar, the All-Ireland Track and Field Championships, in Tullamore last Saturday.

Lally of Presentation Athenry and GCH, who took the senior 800m title in a sprint finish, just holding off Aislinn Crossey of Sacred Heart School, Newry. Lally ran an excellent time of 2.08.28, which is a B standard for the World Junior championships, for a well-earned victory that endorses her great talent and dedication. This is her fifth schools championship victory .

Sinead Treacy of St Raphael’s Loughrea and Craughwell won a fine silver medal in the intermediate 200m in 25.23 while Ballinasloe girl Veronica Burke also took silver in the senior 3000m walk, competing for Bower Athlone. Ciara Sheehy of Dunmore CS won a silver medal in the junior 800m in a time of 2 .23.22 which was a huge PB.

Galway athletes also took a number of bronze medals, with Jamie Fallon of Calasanctius Oranmore taking an excellent third place in the senior 5000m in 15.26, as did the ever improving  Maebh Brannigan of Colaiste Iognaid/GCH in the senior 1500m in 4.40. Sam Samson of St Mary’s came third in the Inter 400m, as did Laura Ann Costello in the intermediate 200m. Michelle Duggan of Pres Athenry also took third in the Junior 200m in 26.33.

In the Field events, Daniel Johnson of The Bish threw 37.86m in the Junior Javelin for bronze while Caomhan Conaghan of Loughrea VS also came home with a bronze with third in the Senior High Jump with a leap of 1.90m.

Full athletics report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.