Eleven medals bagged by Clonliffe at North Leinster Schools T & F (updated)

In the Morton Stadium there were some pretty good performances from the club`s athletes for their schools in today`s North Leinster Schools Track and Field where some 11 medals were won. Seanna Reilly impressed in the senior girls 400 where she took a fine win in sub 60 (59.3). Also in the seniors training partners Ian Guiden and Aaron Hanlon ran away from the 5,000 field after a couple of pedestrian opening laps taking a lap each until Ian struck for home with three to go to win in 15.31 with Aaron 2nd. A fine win also for Adam O`Brien in the inter boy 3,000, his first run over the distance, running well within himself over the first half of the race and making his winning move with maybe 1,000 to go, Brian Flanagan placed 4th with Josh Stubbs impressing in 5th and not looking out of place at all in his first track race. Gold number four came from the always impressive Cathal Doyle in the U/16 mile as he clocked another pb, 4.40.82, a very good run also in this race from David O`Hanlon placing 3rd. The 5th and final gold came from young Ruth Bergin in the minor long jump with a best jump of 3.86m, squeezed in between her 500m heat and final.

Young Fintan McManus ran a clever race in the minor boys 800 biding his time until 200 to go when he moved effortlessly from 4th to 2nd to bag silver. Joey Hutchinson maybe went a little early and finished just shy of Leinster qualification in 4th. A pb also for Paddy O`Hanlon in the inter boys long jump of 5.50m good enough for silver.

In the minor girls 500 Ruth Bergin first negotated her way through her heat and then after a good race place 3rd in the final. 3rd also from Laura Tuite in the inter 1500 after a scare with 500 to go nearly sent her to the deck, an outdoor pb of 5.07.62.

Other impressive runs today came from Kate Hession in the inter 300, an especially fine run in the heat put Kate into the final where she finished strongest gaining over the final 150 to go from 7th to 4th in 47.89. The 800 junior boys also endured heats with both Shane Merrigan and Dara O`Boyle progressing to the final where Shane was unlucky to place just out of the medals in 4th, but with a pb of 2.15 in his pocket, and Dara 6th. Inter 800 saw Niall Norman have a solid run in 11th with Alex Gibbons 14th. There was a fine competitive run in the junior girls 1500m from Alanah Cooley having maybe her best track race todate placing 4th, Aimee McGrath was a further 5 places behind.

Ross Kearney double up in the inter boys, 5th in the 1500 (4.47.5) and 8th in the senior 800m where Liam Ashton placed 5th . In the junior 1500m Joseph Hession was 5th chased all the way by Kevin McKenna 6th. Mention also of good battling runs from Sean O`Leary in the minor 1,100, Anthony Downes, Anto McMahon and Alex Hogan. North day 2 on Friday.

Meanwhile at the West Leinsters Clonliffe athletes collected 6 medals: golds from Ryan Cleary in the senior boys race walk, gold also from Robert Keely in the inter 100 hurdles, Robert also took silver in the 400 hurdles, Eoin McCullough was 2nd in the senior 2,000sc , likewise Simon Galligan was 2nd in the senior hammer (57m) and Andrea Lidova was 2nd in the inter javelin with a best of 38m. Kevin Loftus had a good track debut in the junior 1500 where he was competitive and placed 9th in a big field.