Kerryman Article 20/7/09

It was an extremely busy weekend in Irish athletics with the SIAB Schools
Intrnational in Antrim, the u12-u19 individual track and field and the
inter club and inter county relays in Tullamore last weekend.
     Kerry had five athletes on the Irish team for the schools
international with Emma Prendiville,Mary Theresa Moynihan,Jonathan
Foley all Farranfore Mainevalley with Ailbhe Courtney and Luke O
Keeffe St Brendans.Emma was the top Kerry performer finishing in
second place in the 3km walk where the winner broke the international
record by over a minute.The others performed with distinction for
their country with Mary 5th in the Javelin,Ailbhe 5th in the 300m
hurdles,Jonathan 7th in the pole vault and Luke 7th in the 400m.
     As always medals are hard to come by at the national juvenile
championships but once again a nice haul returned to Kerry in one of
its most successful years at these championships.Cillian O Donovan of
Iveragh AC got the day off to a fantastic start winning the u14 1500m
in a fantastic time of 4.34 minutes and always in control.Also in the
1500m Mary Fitzgearld picked up a silver in the u18 category in
another excellent time of 4.51 minutes.
   Emma Prendiville was back down to Tullamore on Sunday to compete in her
3000m race walk after her heroics from the day before and once again
looked comfortable in winning her event.Her clubmate Jonathan Foley
also made the journey from Antrim but this time for the u16 discus and
picked up bronze with a fine throw.Shane Hand in his last year as a
juvenile in the u19 category picked up a well deserved silver medal in
the hammer also representing Farranfore Mainevalley.
     Mairead O Neills of Gneeveguilla’s season finished on a fantastic
high when she blew away the opposition in the u16 hammer with a throw
well over 40 metres to take gold.
Gavin Crowley of Gneeveguilla also medaled in the u18 3km walk finishing
in third place.
   Tralee harriers athlete Cian Foley brought home the only sprint medal
of the day in the u19 200m in very close race.His clubmate Sinead O
Connor had a huge PB of 10.89 to win silver in the u17 triple jump.
   Silver medals went to Conal O Callaghan Spa Muckross in the u19 long
jump where he leaped to 6.13 metres and Emma Leen St Brendans with a
throw of over ten metres in the shot.Other athletes to compete well and
finish just outside the medals include Ashling Geurin u14 walk,Jack
Regan Kirwan u16 triple jump,Conor Slattery u16 walk all St
Brendans,Philippe Barnett u17 javelin,Ciara Walshe u17 High jump,Louise
O Connor u15 200m,Kate Boyd u15 shot all Tralee Harriers and Siobhan
McGillycuddy u17 hammer Gneeveguilla.
   The Inter club and Inter county relays were held on the Saturday in
Tullamore with an early start of 10am.Tralee Harriers boys u15 team
took the only club gold of the day with Eoin O Carroll,Brian
Barry,Fearghal O Nualainn,Danny Pierce and Sub Ger Browne.Silvers came
from the St Brendans boys u17 teams in the 4x100m and 4x400m.The teams
were made up of Stewart Nolan,David Hogan,Luke Evans,Ciaran Deane and
PJ Galvin.The last medal came from the Gneeveguilla girls u12 team of
Danielle O Connor,Siobhan Fitzgearld,Beatrice Casey and Sinead Horgan.
   In the Inter County relays the Kerry u15 girls team of Hannah O
Sullivan,Catherine Coffey,Siobhan Donegan,Rebecca Lynch and sub Annie
Sheehan took a tight but well deserved gold.The girls u17 team took
bronze with Darragh McDonnell,Julie O Sullivan,Aodain Wall and Roisin
Considine.

On an international note Laura Crowe of An Riocht represented Ireland in
the U23 Championships in Lithuania. She ran a time of 2.07 in the semi
final of the 800m

The Kerry Senior T&F Championships will take place on Friday 24th of July
at 6pm in Castleisland. The event is open to guests and electronic timing
will be available
The Kilgobnet 4 mile walk and run (Fr. Michael kelliher memorial cup)will
take place at Kilgobnet, beaufort, Killarney on Friday July 31st 2009 at
8.00pmthere will be prizes for all finishers.