Galway Athletics Report

Day two of the National Juvenile Outdoor Track and Field championships were held on Sunday last in Tullamore, with the U13-19 individual championships taking place. Yet again there were some fantastic medal winning performances from Galway athletes and clubs.

Galway athletes’ really impressed over hurdles, with seven medals across the sprint hurdle disciplines.  Ella Farrelly of Craughwell AC got the day off to the best possible start with a superb victory in the U13 Girls 60m Hurdles in a flying time of 9.98 seconds, Caoimhe Farrell of Loughrea AC followed up with a bronze medal in the U15 Girls 75m Hurdles and Chloe Casey of GCH secured silver in the U18 Girls 100m Hurdles in a dramatic photo finish.

Darragh Fahy of Loughrea continued his incredible season withvictory in the U13 Boys 60m Hurdles in a fast 9.52. Richard McGrath of GCH won bronze behind Fahy.

David Mannion of South Galway AC won gold in the U15 Boys 80m Hurdles, while Conor Hoade of GCH also struck gold with victory in the U16 Boys 100m Hurdles.

In the field events, Conor Trehy of GCH took home bronze in the U17 Boys Triple Jump with a great jump of 11.97m, while clubmate Aoife Waldron also won the bronze medal in the U16 Girls Triple Jump

National Junior and U23 Championships

The Irish Life Health Junior and U23 Outdoors were held in Tullamore on Saturday and Galway athletes secured a major haul of medals.

Galway City Harriers athletes won medals aplenty, with the highlight being the National title victory by the U20 Junior Ladies 400m relay squad. The 4x400m relay ladies’ team was comprised of four very talented athletes, in Rachel Hughes, Aoife Sheehy, Laura Nally and Seren O’Toole.

GCH secured team Silver in the Men’s U23 4x100m relay via the squad of Dylan Corer, Diego Brule, Jonah Erugo and Cillin Greene, and also won silver medals in the Junior 4x400m relay with Diego Brule, Aaron Brennan, Jack Maher and Dylan Corr the squad members. 

Jack Maher won individual silver in the 1500m in 4.06 with a brave front running performance and Cillin Greene also won silver in the 200m in a close finish with Paul Costello in 21.8 seconds.

GCH ladies also won individual medals, with Aoife Sheehy winning silver in the 100m hurdles, Seren O’Toole silver in the 400m hurdles in a new best of 66 seconds and Nicole Walsh also won a superb silver in the U23 400m final in a seasons best time of 55.4.Justoutside the medals were Laura Nally in a fast 57.2 to finish fourth in the Junior 400m final and Aaron Brennan had a strong run in the 3000m to finish 6th. 

There were further medal wins via Brendan Lynch of Loughrea AC, who won silver in the U23 Men’s 400m Hurdles clocking 55.6 seconds and Sinead Treacy of Craughwell AC, who secured a bronze medal in the U23 Ladies 400m race 

World University Games

Galway athlete Alanna Lally of UCD and formerly of GCH competes for Ireland at the World University Games this week in Napoli in Italy. Lally will compete in the 800m with her first race off on July 10th.

International athletics

Some of Galway’s top young athletes compete internationally this week as the summer track and field seasons kicks off in earnest at European level. 

Cillin Greene of GCH will run on the Irish 4x400m relay team at the European U23 Championships in Gavle, Sweden, which will be held this week from the 11th – 14th July 2019, with the relay heats on Saturday morning. Joining him will be Sarah Quinn of NUIG AC who will compete on the Irish 4x100m relay and in the 100m Hurdles, with the hurdles off Thursday afternoon next, and the relays heats Sunday morning

This weekend Kyle Moorhead of Presentation College Athenry competes on the Irish team in the 1500m Steeplechase at the Schools International Track and Field meeting which will be held Saturday 20th July in Swansea, Wales.

In further good international selection news, Laura Nally of GCH has been named as a reserve on the Irish 4x400m relay team for the U20 European Championships in Boras, Sweden which will be held from 18th – 21st July 2019.

Summer Camps

Three Athletics Summer camps kick off next week in Galway. Craughwell AC’s camp will be held from July15th to 19th at their club grounds beside Craughwell national school, Galway City Harriers will hold their inaugural summer camp from July 15thto 19th, in the Regional Sports Centre in Dangan. Loughrea hold a Summer camp at St Brigid’s College from August 5th

Information can be found on club website or the Athletics Ireland website.

Fixtures

This weekend sees more National championships action taking place, with a double header this weekend featuring two days of the Juvenile Track and Field championship programme in Tullamore on Saturday and Sunday next, the 13thand 14th July.