TRACK AND FIELD
As everyone probably knows by now the Irish mixed and women’s 4 x 400m relay teams both won their heats at the World Relays in the Bahamas in national record times booking themselves places at the Paris Olympics. Not only that, but the mixed team took bronze in the final. Special congratulations to the entire squad including the Dublin athletes involved — Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers). Well done!
TUTALL THE START OF OPENING ROUND OF DUBLIN GRADED LEAGUE
Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) produced the star performance of the afternoon at the first Dublin Graded Track and Field meet hosted by UCD at the Belfield track. Competing on her home track, Tuthill flung the hammer out to 68.70, a new Irish U23 record which improves on the personal best 68.65m she set last month at the Irish University Championships in Belfast. To underline her consistency, Tuthill, aged only 20, also had two other throws over 68 metres. Eileen O’Keeffe’s Irish record stands at 73.71 and is surely within reach over the next few years.
Sprinters were having a busy day with two outings over 100m, both of them on the back straight and assisted by following winds of up to 4m/s. Marcus Lawler (St LOT) clocked 10.25 secs in the first race, followed by Bori Akinola (UCD AC) in 10.45, Colin Doyle (Leevale AC ) in 10.46 and and Chris Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers) in 10.53. Lawler didn’t race in the second round, with Doyle fastest in 10.53, Akinola second in 10.54 and Sibanda third in 10.73. The wind for that race was 2.7 - closer to the legal limit.
Fastest in the women’s 100m series was Alana Ryan (Sli Cualann AC) in 11.82; next was Lauren O’Leary (Leevale AC) in 11.89. In the second round of races, Ryan ran a time of 11.88.
In the middle distances, Conall Rogers (Raheny Shamrock AC ) was fastest in the men’s combined A/B 800m in 1:55.25, followed by Andrew McGilton (Dundrum South Dublin AC) in1:56.78 and Sean Carrigg (Clonliffe Harriers) in 1:58.41. David Carroll (Liffey Valley) sprinted home for victory in the C race with a time 2:08.23. Race of the day was the men’s D 800m, where Diarmuid Collins (Lucan Harriers) looked well out of it with about 60 metres to go at which point he made a mad dash to catch the leaders. He ended up beating Tom Monaghan (Raheny Shamrock AC) to the line — just. Their times were 2:16.81 and 2:16.90. Winner of the combined women’s A and B 800 was Rachel Hosey (Emerald AC In 2:22.06. Second fastest was Cliodhna Nolan (Ace AC) while third was Molly Brown (Metro St Brigid’s AC) in 2:27.74.
Just six women turned out for the women’s 3000m, with Clare Sullivan (Crusaders AC) the fastest in 10:41.64. Philip McKee (Letterkenny AC) won the men’s 3000m in 8:39.63. Alex Cunningham (Bros Pearse AC) was second in 8:40.70 and Sean Quinn (DSD AC) third in 8:43.52. The 100m, 800m and 3,000m were all championship races.
The day had started out with the 2,000m steeplechase with Dearbhla Allen and Abbie Sheridan, both St Peter’s AC, finishing first and second of five competitors in the women’s race in times of 7:13.82 and 7:17.32 respectively. In the men’s race, with an entry of four, Sean Lawton (Durrus AC) was the winner in 6:25.62 and Matei Ursachi (Clonliffe Harriers) second in 6:31.41. In the Dublin Championships shot, Ciara Sheehy (Emerald AC and DCU) was the women’s winner with a 13.45 effort. Isabella Mullarney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC), competing in her first event for some years, finished second with 9.54. Conor Quinn (Crusaders AC) proved best of the men with a 15m effort. Siun Quinn (Bros Pearse AC) jumped 1.68 to win the high jump, while in the long jump a leap of 5.72 from Sarah McCarthy (Mid-Sutton AC) proved the best of the day. Luke Hanley (Donore Harriers) was the only competitor in the men’s high jump recording an effort of 1.82m. Ryan Onoh (Leevale AC) won the long jump with a 6.90 leap in the second round; Rolus Olusa(Clonliffe Harriers) was second with 6.52.
Highlight of the Irish Milers Club/GV Ryan/Louis Vandendries Track and Field Meet held in Santry on Saturday (May 4) was a cracking men’s 800m with five athletes breaking 1 minute 47 seconds. Polish visitor Filip Rak was the winner in 1:46.47 while behind him, Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) and another Polish visitor Filip Ostowski were both given times of 1:46.75, with Doyle edging it for second place. Cillian Kiran (Raheny Shamrock) was fourth in 1:46.84 and Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) fifth in 1:47.40.
In the A grade men’s 1500m race Philip Marron (DCH ) finished second in 3:45.47. Emily Bolton (Donore Harriers) still aged only sixteen, won the women’s A 1500m in 4:24.31, with Niamh Keating (Raheny Shamrock) second in 4:25.41
Pictures from the Graded Meeting are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720316712230/
ABROAD
Gavin Cougle (Clonliffe Harriers) recorded a time of 47.16 when winning a 400m race in Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday.
ROADS
At the the Limerick Marathon, there was a Clonliffe Harriers double with Tudor Mircea Moldovan winning the race in in 2:24.12 and Yuliya Tarasova first woman in 2:55.46. Crona Clohisey (Sportsworld AC, W35) was fourth woman in 3:13.15, while Team Esker Running Group finished third of the relay teams in 3:00.23. Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers, M35) was second in the half marathon in 68:46 and Kevin Donagher (Rathfarnham WSAF AC, M35) fourth in 72:54.
Fiona Roche (Raheny Shamrock, W40 ) was first woman at the Drogheda 10km in Co Louth on Sunday in 36:34, followed by Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF, W40) in 37:29.
At the West of Ireland Women’s 10km Mini Marathon in Ballina, Co Mayo on Sunday (May 5), which attracted an entry of 1,373, Serena Tuffy (DSD AC) who is a native of Ballina, finished third woman in 39:02
A number of Dublin club athletes and a large Sportsworld AC group travelled to the Leinster Novice and Masters Road Championships, held in Gowran, Co Kilkenny on Saturday (May 4). In the women’s masters 3km, Breda Smyth (Lucan Harriers) was second W50 in 12:03, while Donore Donore Harriers, led by Grace Kennedy in 12th place, finished third of the teams. In the W50 team category, Rathfarnham WSAF, led by Vanessa Sallier, finished third.
In the men’s 6km race, Karol David Cronin sixth and Eoin Fitzpatrick seventh helped Sportsworld to third place among the teams. Sportsworld also finished fourth in the M50 team category and in both men and women’s novice races.
