National Indoor League – GCH Take Silver
Galway City Harriers men’s team secured a well deserved silver medal in the final of the National Indoor Track and Field League which was held at Athlone IT last Saturday, scoring 143 points and just being pipped by Clonliffe Harriers for the win. GCH had three individual victories on the day via a superb double win by the ever improving Irish international Keith Fallon, over 800m ( in a time of 1.57) and 1500m ( in 4.03), and a shot putt victory via National champion Sean Breathnach. The whole squad performed admirably , with great shows including second for Cillin Greene over 200m in 22.15, a PB by Luke O Shaughnessy ( 51.18 seconds for third in the 400m ), and a second placing from Bryan Ndego in the High Jump with 1.85m). There were also high scoring performances from the young 4*200m relay team ( comprised of Greene, Sean Kilmartin, O’Shaughnessy and Dempsey) , Michael Breathnach in Long Jump, Henrique Novokolata in the Triple Jump, Jack Dempsey in the 60m , Cliff Jennings in the pole vault and Simon Callaghan in the hurdles. Team manager Brendan Glynn and assistant Igor Muntean deserve huge credit for with their squad performance over the three days of competition, and this showing bodes well for the upcoming track and field season outdoors.
Craughwell AC Ladies squad also made it through to the final and placed a fine fifth team overall. Caitriona Farrell, Aisling Keady, Sinead Treacy, Sarah Finnegan, Aoife Greene, Caron Ryan, Dearbhaile Walshe, Sinead Gaffney, Edel O’Meara, Melissa Mullins and Michelle Duggan comprised the squad over the three days of two rounds and the final
National Cross Country Championships
The National Senior Cross Country championships will be held on Sunday Feb 14th 2016 next in the Palace Grounds in Tuam. This event is the Inter-counties championships and includes Junior and Senior Men’s and Women’s races, with the four race programme kicking off at 12 noon. It is the first time a National senior cross country championship has been held in Galway in over 40 years and a great day’s racing is in prospect.
Galway teams have a realistic chance of medals in all categories, and will especially hope to go well in the blue riband Senior Men’s event over 10km. Team manager Ian Egan has been diligently preparing his charges along with head coach Matt Lockett over the past few months and will hope to bring home some silverware across all races next Sunday.
The Men’s team is led by captain Gerry Carty and includes virtually all of Galway’s elite athletes, including Irish internationals Gary Thornton and Keith Fallon, prolific road race winner Matt Bidwell, Craughwell AC’s Jason Broderick, Peter O’Sullivan, Peadar Harvey and Damien Larkin, Tuam man Brian Furey of Rathfarnham, Castlegar’s Stephen Casserly, and a big GCH contingent of Masters international Fintan Hyland, Brian O’Connor, Brian Bruton, Ruadhri Geraghty, and John Moroney.
Galway women’s squad are also in with a strong team medal chance, and are led by GCH’s Siobhan Egan, with a squad dominated by the city club including the likes of Niamh Hennelly, Grainne Ni Uallachan, Sinead Brody, Eilis Ni Dhuill, Esther Flaherty and Jean O Connor, DSD’s Laura Shaughnessy, Athenry AC’s Deidre Brophy, Kathryn Casserly of Castlegar AC, Anne Marie Miskell of Tuam AC
The Junior men’s team has some athletes of huge potential and it will be interesting to see them in action against the country’s best, led by Damien O Boyle of Craughwell , with Eanna Folan, Joe Tannian and Gary Martyn of GCH , Jack Maher of Connemara AC and Brian Burke of Ballinasloe AC comprising the strong squad. The Junior ladies team is also top class, with Maebh Brannigan, Aoife King and Aoife Sheehy of GCH , and Shannen Lee and Sarah Gilhooley of Athenry on the squad.
AAI Games
Sean Breathnach of Galway City Harriers threw a new stadium record of 17.83 metres in the Shot Putt at the AAI Indoor Games in Athlone, as he continued his superb run of form into a new season. Kathryn Casserly of Castlegar AC ran a very good 3000m at the same event, finishing second in 10.10 .
Maree 8km
The annual Maree AC organised 8km was held place Sunday 7th February last. The consistent Matt Bidwell of GCH took the honours as he came home well clear in 27.35, ahead Damien Larkin and Mark Walsh in second and third. Athenry’s Deirdre Brophy took ladies victory in 32.38 ahead of Catherine Conway in second and Lisa McTigue third.
A big field of almost 250 athletes toed the line in what was a successful event for the local athletics club.
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Galway Athletics Report
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