Galway clubs secured a huge medal haul across day one of the Connacht Juvenile Track and Field championships last Saturday, June 6.
It was a successful weekend across both individual and paired events. Galway City Harriers topped the table with 18 gold and 37 medals overall, Craughwell secured 26 medals, Athenry 19, while South Galway and Castlegar bagged 14 each and Tuam won 10.
Tuam AC’s Will Tighe claimed double gold in the U10 60m and Long Jump. Anabelle Heneghan won the U11 Long Jump and teamed up with Caoimhe Murphy to win the paired event. Cumhall O’Callaghan won gold in the U13 1000m Race Walk, while Casey Burke won the U9 Long Jump. Kate Morris took silver in the U12 60m, Dylan Roddy won silver in the U13 60m Hurdles and Billy Heneghan claimed bronze in the U10 Long Jump.
Athenry AC’s Eliza Mae Dunne starred with double gold in the U9 girls’ 60m and 300m. Emma O’Malley won gold in the U12 girls’ 600m and bronze in the 60m, while Beth O’Kane secured gold in the U12 Shot Put with a championship record. Athenry’s U12 girls’ 4x100m relay team also won gold.
Daithi Nilan won gold in the U9 Long Jump and silver in the 300m, while Dara Crimmins secured silver in the U10 500m. Bronze medals went to Cillian Hurley (U12 600m ), Nathan Daniels (U12 Long Jump ), Holly Hession (U13 Hurdles ) and Shane Higgins (U13 Race Walk ).
Eliza Mae Dunne and Isabelle Noone won gold in the U9 girls’ 300m pairs and silver in the 60m pairs. Saoirse McGann and Riley Kearney claimed bronze in the U10 girls’ 500m pairs. Daithi Nilan and Ben Crimmins secured silver in the U9 300m pairs and bronze in the Long Jump pairs, while Dara Crimmins and Dara Melia took bronze in the U10 500m pairs.
Castlegar AC’s Fionn O’Donnell won gold in the U10 boys’ pairs event, while Alex Lomboto claimed gold in the U13 boys’ 60m hurdles. Silver medals went to Mason Calvey (U10 60m ), Amelia Farragher (U11 60m ), Nicola Grealish (U13 Shot Put ), Ciarán Casey (U13 600m ), and Colm Garvey (U13 Long Jump and 80m ). Farragher and Cassi Healy also won silver in the U11 girls’ pairs.
Bronze medals were won by Mason Calvey (U10 Long Jump ), Hana Faraj Gheziel (U11 600m ), Hana Faraj Gheziel and Niamh Corbett (U11 pairs ), while Cassi Healy, Niamh Corbett, Hana Faraj Gheziel and Amelia Farragher combined for relay bronze.
Galway City Harriers produced several championship-record performances. The U13 girls’ relay team of Katie McGlynn, Elliana Magnetti, Thea Lynch and Maneli Fazaeli broke the championship record, while Magnetti also set a new mark in the U13 girls’ 60m hurdles. Dylan Devitt (U12 hurdles ), Noah Farrell (U12 walk ), James Langan (U11 60m ) and the U11 boys’ relay team also achieved championship bests.
James Langan won double gold in the U11 60m and 600m and helped secure relay gold. Dylan Devitt also completed a double with victories in the U12 600m and hurdles, while Maneli Fazaeli won both the U13 600m and 80m. Other gold medallists included Amy Devitt (U10 500m ), Rachel Fennessy (U12 hurdles ) and Noah Farrell (U12 walk ).
Silver medals were won by Noah Farrell (U12 60m ), Elliana Magnetti (U13 80m ), Matilda McGlynn (U13 High Jump ), Ava Neville (U13 Walk ), Sophie Peoples (U9 300m ) and the U13 boys’ relay team. Bronze medals went to Amy Devitt (U10 60m ), Eoin Devitt (U11 600m ), Jack Frehill (U13 High Jump ), Sophie White (U13 Long Jump ) and Ailbhe Graham (U13 Javelin ).
Craughwell AC’s Katie Considine set a new Connacht record while winning gold in the U11 girls’ 60m before adding a second gold in the 600m. Alongside Aoibhin Gallagher-McKeon, she won gold in the pairs event and bronze in the team 600m. The pair later secured relay silver with Danielle Ryan and Kaitlin Broderick.
Evan O’Flynn won gold in the U9 boys’ 60m, while Evan Burke and Oisin Buckley secured team gold in the Long Jump, with Burke also taking individual silver. Olivia Rooney won gold in the U13 girls’ High Jump, Tom Clarke claimed gold in the U13 boys’ High Jump, and Rhylan Cannon won silver. Cormac Finnerty captured gold in the U11 boys’ Turbo Javelin, while Ross Hoade took bronze in the U13 Shot Put. Nell Callanan won bronze in the U9 girls’ Turbo Javelin and teamed up with Phoebe Kinsella for team bronze. Sam Kiely and Thady Spelman also secured team bronze. Cathal Niland (U13 80m ), Oran Gillespie (U13 hurdles ) and the U13 boys’ relay team all won bronze, while Daithi Colleran claimed bronze in the U10 500m and team silver with Cian Monahan.
South Galway AC saw Anna Mannion win gold in the U13 girls’ 1000m, Iarla Keane take silver in the U13 boys’ race, and James Mannion secure bronze in the U12 boys’ event. Maeve Linnane won gold in the U10 girls’ 60m, Jessica Brennan took silver, and together they won gold. Ryan McHugh claimed silver in both the U12 hurdles and Long Jump, while Tadgh McCarthy and Ben O’Connor won team silver in the U11 600m. Grace Taylor (Shot Put ) and Laoise Rigney (Long Jump ) earned bronze medals.
