By Paul Griffin
TRALEE Harriers held their awards night on Friday in the Manor West Hotel. Guest of honour was Jim Finucane, Mayor of the Tralee Municipal District.
This yearly Dinner Dance highlights the athletes’ achievements where they receive awards marking their success.
Every year there is an overall Junior and Senior athlete with some honourable mentions.
This year’s senior Athlete was Travane Morrison. Travane had a very good year competing for Tralee IT both nationally and as part of the irish Celtic Team.
His biggest achievement was competing for Tralee Harriers bringing home the National senior 100m title in 10.60.
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Junior Athlete was Luke O’Carroll, having earned a silver and bronze at national level for the club he was honoured for winning the National Schools Senior long Jump with a jump of 7.26, Luke has ambitions of competing at the Junior Worlds in 2020
Receiving a Merit award were Basit Oyebanji and Cillian Griffin. Basit had a good year wining the Munster 100m and 200m, he was a finalist in the National U18 100m and secured a place on the Irish Youth Nation Cup Relay team bringing home a silver medal.
Cillian had a tremendous year, at Munster Indoors he has a hat trick of titles, winning the U18, 60m and 200m and breaking records in both he also went on to win the Junior and Senior 60m and 200m.
He also won the 100m and 200m U18, at Nationals he brought home 3 silver and 3 bronze at the Indoor and Outdoor meets. He was part of the Irish Youth Nations cup team, securing a bronze in long jump and silver in the Relay.
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Speaking on the night Cllr Finucane praised the club for its continued success and its drive to bring a facility like the development of their training grounds to Tralee, where it can be used by the populous as a safe place to exercise.
Facilities along the Dan Spring Road are very important to Tralee and the Harriers are proving that getting the youth of the town involved in sport is a profitable one.
The Club honoured Sean O’Mahoney for his tireless work in overseeing the development of the grounds. Sean gives hours and hours every week on a volunteer basis.
It is with his help the development has come thus far with 300m of running lanes. 2 long jump areas, throwing circles and much more. There is still a lot to do and all support is gratefully appreciated.
Acting Club chair Martin Fitzgerald thanked the parents & the athletes for their commitment to the sport and their support of the club, and is development.
There are big things ahead for the club and I am looking forward to seeing out rising stars conquer the athletic world. The night finished with dancing to Chris Shortt and the all important spot prizes.
Side note: Merit award winner Cillian Griffin partied the night away on Friday night, getting to bed at 1am. At 10am Saturday he was togged out in his Mercy Mounthawk singlet ready to compete at the National Ireland Secondary Schools Combined Events Championships in Athlone.
Competing as a first time senior athlete he took on 15 others from all four provinces and ultimately came away as Champion bringing Gold back to Tralee having accumulated 3197 points. Great finish to his year. Scroll down for photos…
