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A report from Paul Griffin on Tralee Harriers members at an event at the weekend…
Orla O’Reilly, Rachel Bowler, Aoife O’Carroll and Aoibheann O’Brien at the championships.
The first athletics event of 2017 took place in Nenagh this week, with the Munster Indoor Junior and U23 Championship and the Juvenile Pentathlons.
Tralee Harriers Athletic Club had several entries over the two days with all athletes going home with medals.
It was a flurry of Golds on Saturday with the comeback king, Eoin O’Carroll, competing in the U23 age group. Eoin romped home in the 60m taking the gold in a time of 7.24 before going on to take the gold in the long jump with a leap of 6.70m. Great start to the year for Eoin, with a lot more to come.
Not to be outdone, Cathal Fitzgibbon took to the start of the Junior men’s 1500m, this was Cathal’s first event wearing the Tralee Harriers singlet.
Cathal ran a tactical race and kept his competitors in check taking the last lap at the bell and bringing home gold in his age group. Well done Cathal, more to come from you, looking forward to seeing you on the national stage later in the year.
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Sunday brought the Junior girls to Nenagh and two boys for the Pentathlons.
More Gold for Tralee Harriers and a string of silver medals were brought home.
Cillian Griffin took top position on the podium claiming Gold in the U16 Pentathlon, not one of Cillian’s favourite events, but took to the track and went for it, leading from the start and setting a new personal best in the High Jump, he finished the 800m with a fine sprint coming of the last bend to hold off the rest of the field.
Aoibheann O’Brien left Nenagh with a silver in each hand and another around her neck. Aoibheann took home silver with a very close finish in the Junior women’s 60m and also took silver in the Long Jump.
Jordan Kissane, took part in his first Pentathlon and though slightly daunted by the task he, in true Jordan style, went in and made friends with all the competitors and then sucker-punched them by taking Silver in the event.
He did very well in all events staying in the top three all the way through but he shone in the high jump with a new pb of 1m 51cm.
Orla O’Reilly, Rachel Bowler and Aoife O’Carroll competed in a variety of events and though they did not succeed in gaining individual medals they blew out the winter cobwebs and shock off the dust and are ready to come back stronger than ever.
The three Girls were joined by Aoibheann in the Junior Women’s 4x200m relay and they gave it their all bringing home a silver medal each.
That’s eight athletes 11 medals -4 golds and seven silvers. Not a bad day at the races at all. Scroll down for action from the events…
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