AAI Juvenile Championships Nenagh

Six National Medals for LAC

March 2010

The AAI National Juvenile indoors were held in Nenagh over the weekend and the two days (sat/sun) were highlighted by great performances of Donegal’s talented young athletes who did their clubs proud and exemplified the great work done by club coaches in the County. Letterkenny squad returned with six National medals, two fourth places and several personal bests in this first weekend of these finals.

Saturday:

SHIELS AGAIN
A two medal performance on Saturday was highlighted by the performance of Lisa Shiels (U/19) in the 60m final. Lisa has performed in many indoor finals over the years with medals a regular occurrence for this young lady who has mastered the art of sprinting since she was twelve. Great credit has to go to her coach Anthony Ward who has worked with Lisa over the years and has produced memorable memories and while Saturday was perhaps touched with nostalgic on Lisa`s last juvenile indoor appearance she still provided the goods In a silver medal performance (8.1). Thanks for the memories Lisa and good luck in your forthcoming exams. Hopefully this talented sprinter will pursue a Junior career over the next few years.

A NEW TALENT
With Lisa’s departure from juvenile ranks a new star has to follows, and certainly Arlene Crossan (U/12) now can carry this mantle over the next several years. Arlene comfortably won her 600m heat (1.53.0) to enter into Sunday final and then started what will be a large collection of National medals with Bronze in the long jump (4.12).

Ciara Finnegan (U/13 600m) 1.56.4 and Monica O Connor (U/18 300) ran bravely in their heats but failed to qualify. Another day for these girls. But the boys took up the cudgel with some great performances. New kid on the block Shane Irwin (U/13) was most impressive winning his way in 60m heat on his debut in Nenagh (8.7) was followed into the final by Darragh Toal (U/13) 3rd in 8.5 in a blistering heat which saw his twin brother Oisin Toal (u13) eliminated 8.7. To have two boys in National sprint finals again underlines the great work done at club training and Darragh (6th) and Shane (7th) can gain great experience from this day.

MIDDLE DISTANCE TALENT
Saturday’s heats of the 600m and 1500m had L.A.C supporters in full swing. Since Sharon Bradley arrived as coach at the club an element of “fun in athletics” has certainly been developed with the added feature of talented youngsters who will dominate the National scene over the next few years. With Crossan comfortably winning her 600m heat qualification for Sundays 600 final followed on with Jordan Ryan (U/12) 2nd (1.49.7), Michael McGrory 3rd U/12 (1.50.3) Oisin Toal U/13(1.49.1) and Ethan Mc Crossan 4th (1.49.6) and 1500m U/17 from Ruari Finnegan 4.31.3 and Gearoid Mc Geehan 4.30.9 easily making Sunday s final and what drama they produced.

SUNDAYS MEDAL HAUL
The first fifteen minutes of Sundays finals produced three National medals for L.A.C with two fourth places thrown in for good measures. U12 Arlene Crossan remember this name, gold medal in first 600m of the day 1.52.02 in a gun to tape all out memorable performance.

U12 boys 600m final was a great race with a great Donegal trio producing the draft. The very impressive Denver Kelly (Finn Valley) 1.46.50 deservedly took gold but L.A.C Jordan Ryan 1.48.15 battled him all the way for the bronze medal with the fast pushing Michael McGrory 1.48.39 in fourth place. The very friendly rivalry between this trio hopefully will produce more great treats like this one for the coming years. U13 boys another medal for L.A.C Oisin Toal 1.43.82 silver medal performance rounded up a memorable morning with Ethan Mc Crossan seventh placing 1.47.10 underlying the great middle distance quality in the club.

While all that drama unfolded on the track Lisa Gibson U15 shot putt produced another P.B of 10.34 just missing out on bronze medal by a few cm. Lisa will be back.

MEMORABLE FINALE
It was very funny that the U/17 1500 m finals drew the curtains down on these championships. All the other actions in the arena ceased to witness Ruari Finnegan spread-eagle his opposition to such effect that he lapped two of his opposition in his gun to tape nostalgic performance. With the championship U/17 record held by Gareth Turnbell (who went on compete for Ireland in later years) set at 4.00.7 in 1995. Ruari`s effort was breath taking, his confident, assumed pounding of the seven and a half laps of Nenagh track was a joy to behold and his winning time of 4.03.00 certainly endorses club coach Teresa McDaid who works with this very talents young lad. A memorable race and Gearoid Mc Geehan seventh place 4.32.2 should encourage his progress at this level. So six National medals, a great performance by all concerned with the promise of more to come at 200m, 800m and relays (9/10 April).