Local athletes shine on top stages
North West Triathlon Club 5k race start with from left Eddie Burton (11th), Paddy Nicell, Conal McBride (first male), Darragh Crossan (6th), Daniel Quigley (3rd) and Miriam Bridge COD Spartans (first female).
A very busy weekend saw local athletes excell on a variety of surfaces at Limavady, Magherafelt, Athlone and Lifford, with a bevy of National and Provincial Indoor age group medals garnered at Athlone and Magherafelt.
A very busy weekend saw local athletes excell on a variety of surfaces at Limavady, Magherafelt, Athlone and Lifford, with a bevy of National and Provincial Indoor age group medals garnered at Athlone and Magherafelt.
Foyle Valley pairing, Scott Rankin and Keith Shields, won at Limavady and Lifford while City of Derry Spartan, Connor Bradley, smashed his 1,500 metres personal best in a classy indoors race in Athlone.
Magherafelt hosted a well attended Provincial Juvenile Indoor Championships on Saturday and a brilliant total of 11 titles were won by young local athletes.
Promising sprinter, Jack McCloskey, clocked an impressive 23.18 secs. to lift the Boys Under-18 200m gold and he then travelled to Athlone on Sunday for the National Under-20 Championships where he posted an even more impressive 23.03 secs. to narrowly miss out on the event final - definitely one to watch as the season unfolds!
Christina Logue won the Girls Under-18 200m gold in Magherafelt with 26.92 secs. just ahead of the 27.04 secs. of Ciara Armstrong and Megan Devine’s 27.23 secs.
Martin McGeady ran 53.38 secs. for the Boys Under-18 400m title; Jenni O’Brien took the Girls Under-19 gold with 60.67 secs. just ahead of the 61.10 secs. from Tamara Boyle and Shane McGowan belied the time lost to a lengthy bout of shin splints by winning the Boys Under-18 800 m. with 2 mins. 4.72 secs. Aoife Laverty took the Girls Under-17 two lapper in 2 mins. 23.31 secs. and 1, 500m silver in 5 mins. 10.08 secs. and Amy Jackson ran 4 mins. 52.88 secs to win the Under-19 1,500m in convincing style.
In the Boys Under-16 200m, Joseph Killen on 25.54s and Stephen McGahey on 25.56s took silver and bronze medals.
Lisa Bradley continued her progress claiming the Girls Under-16 1,500m Walk gold with a 9 mins. 15.63 secs. clocking.
In the field events Naomi Morgan had a terrific 5 metres 25 cms leap to take the Girls Under-18 long jump and Roisin Laverty got back to winning ways in the Under-19 age group in the same event.
In the Girls Under-19 triple jump, Claire Dougherty showed good early season form with a gold medal jump of 10 m. 86 cms.
Big win for Connor
It was Athlone on Sunday and in a specially arranged senior men’s 1500 m. Connor Bradley sped to an impressive new personal best of 3 mins. 44.07 secs. as a late charge saw him pip Letterkenny’s Darren McBrearty (3 m. 44.11 secs,), but just fail to get to winner, John Travers, on 3m 43.53s. Still a timely boost for the local star who will travel back to Athlone this weekend for the much awaited National Senior Championships with medals in mind.
Jack McCloskey’s excellent 200 m. run has already been highlighted but sprint hurdler, Mark McGarvey, was also in Athlone and ran 8.18 secs. for the Under-20 60 m. hurdles silver medal behind perennial rival, Andrew Creamor, of Cavan.
In the women’s Under-20, 1500 m. Amy McDaid was unfortunate, beaten by just half a second for the bronze medal with her 5 mins. 01.79 secs. clocking.
Derry Runners
Dominate
Derry clubs burst to the fore at the annual Roe Valley Trail Run in Limavady on Saturday. Scott Rankin was an impressive winner of the men’s open race recording a time of 26 mins. 40 secs. to hold off the returning Richard Johnston (26m. 58s.) and third placed Chris McPeake (27m 18s). Pius McIntyre completed the local club’s domination, fourth on 28 m. 09 s. and Anne Paul was the top F50 and an excellent fourth overall in the women’s race won by Sperrin Harrier, Karen Alexander, on 30 mins. 38 secs.
City of Derry pair, Caoimhe Walsh and Eimear Stewart, were second and fourth in the Under-16 girls’ 1,600 metres race.
Keith Shields ran 15 m. 34 secs. to take the honours in the third and final race in the Lifford 5 kms. Series on Sunday, ahead of the Finn valley duo Gerard Gallagher 15 mins. 55 secs. and Dean Toland 16 mins. 37 secs. Ann Marie McGlynn led a Lifford cean sweep in the women’s race clocking a fast 17 m. 42 secs. well ahead of Natasha Adams and Claire McGuigan.
Brother and sister, Zach and Hannah McGowan, won the respective junior categories with 18 mins. 03 secs. and 21 mins. 23 secs. respectively while Malcolm McCausland ran 20 m. 06 secs. for victory in the M60 category.
Meanwhile in excess of 120 runners braved the miserable weather on Sunday morning to compete in the last race of North-West Triathlon Club’s Winter 5 kms. Series.
And in what proved a competitive race, Conal McBride was first across the winning line when posting a time of 17 mins. 12 secs., closely followed by Paddy Nicell in 17.20 mins., who won the third of the four-race Series last month.
In third place was North West Triathlon Club’s Daniel Quigley who posted 17:37.
The first female home was City of Derry Spartans member, Miriam Bridge, when clocking a time of 19.32 mins. She was followed by Joanne Doran, NWTC, in 20:32 mins. and Martina Hegarty who finished on 20:36 mins.
Following the event North West Triathlon Club Chairman, Joe Doherty, said due to the popularity of the 5k Series, it may now become a permanent fixture in the city’s race calendar.
“We would really like to make this an annual event and maybe throw in a 10 kms. as the final race next year,” he said.
“May I also take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, Kevin Watson Group, SMC Tyres, Derry, J & K Auto Services, Olt Creggan, Lifestyle Fitness, Templemore Sports Complex, Framed to Perfection, Joe Jackson’s Ice Cream and The Injury Clinic, Cardonagh.
“Also a big thank you to the Coffee House, Atlantic Quay and to all who helped out with registration, marshalling, time-keeping and results compiling.
“Last but not least, thanks to everyone who actually raced. Without these athletes this Series would not have been the success it was.
“We hope to see you all on June 23rd, at probably the biggest and best triathlon in Ireland, the City of Culture Sprint,” he concluded.
Final 5 kms
Series Results
5 kms. Series results - 1, Conal McBride (Unattached) 17.12 mins.; 2, Paddy Nicell (Unattached), 17.20; 3, Daniel Quigley (NWTC), 17.37.
4, Paul Morton (Foyle Valley); 5, Mark Mullan (City of Derry Spartans); 6, Darragh Crossan (Lifford); 7, Brendan Connor (NWTC); 8, Barry Dinsmore (Foyle Valley); 9, Marty Dunleavy (Foyle Valley); 10, Odhran McKane (Bolt).
11, Eddie Burton (Unattached); 12, Chris Ryan (Foyle Valley); 13, Gary McFadden (Bolt); 14, Benny Wilson (Bolt).
15, Seamus McCallion (Foyle Valley); 16, Daniel O’Connor (Unattached); 17, Miriam Bridge (Cityof Derry Spartans); 18, Ambrose Moore (Unattached); 19, John Fisher (Bolt); 20, Peter Lilburn (City of Derry Spartans).
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Derry
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
