Report by Thomas Frayne: Today`s championships were the first Leinsters in the National Indoor Areana Abbottstown and accordingly drew great numbers of athletes competing in Junior, Senior and Masters. Whilst this meant a long day it was a most rewarding day for the Clonliffe crew.
In the morning session a number of the club`s juvenile athletes (ages U/16 to 18) and juniors took a break from the cross country circuit to run indoors and all performed admirably. The junior boys 1500 saw all three athletes put in very strong runs: Craig Giles with a 4.11.35 run was a very strong 2nd, further back both Ben Guiden and Daniel Stone running as juniors for the first time were very solid finishing 4th (4.26.84) and 5th (4.27.31). Silver also for Alannah Cooley in the junior girls 1500 after a fine run in 4.58.07, younger sister Cliona battled gamely finishing 8th and will benefit from the experience. Later in the afternoon the 800s took place. Cian Bolger, an U/17 athlete, looked like a seasoned athlete in a bumpy physical race and ran an indoor pb of 2.02.50 in placing 5th. In race 2 Shane Ferris running his first race since last Summer ran a solid 2.05.11 to win with Conor Monahan further back in the pack (2.17.05). A good experience gainer also for Hannah Browne in the junior women`s 800 finishing in 6th place in 2.31.61.
Finishing off some excellent performances from the club`s junior athletes was a strong performance from Sean Carrig in the Junior Men 3000m winning, at a canter in 9.08, a full half lap ahead of the second placed runner.
Moving on to the Seniors and Masters, there were plenty of indoor PBs and winning performances from a big Clonliffe contingent.
In the ladies O/35 events, an impressive Ciara Peelo secured the 400m-800m (2.30.29) double gold, with Clonliffe track stalwart Snezana Bechtina securing a gold and a silver in the 200m (25.82) and 60m, the 200 performance was particularly impressive as Snezana was almost crossing the finish line whilst the rest of the field were still coming off the top bend!. In the senior Women’s 1,500m Eimear O’Brien was just edged out of a medal meters from the line into 4th (4.43.12), Emer Brennan ran 5.48.88 and later ran 2.48.15 in the 800.
For the men there was gold for Philip O’Doherty in the O/55 800m in his comeback race with a time of 2.20.35, and for a fast finishing Pat Davoren in the O40 3,000m. Silver for this writer in the O/35 1,500m and a tremendous double bronze for an in form Fergal O’Shea, with a big pb of 4.43.91 in the 1,500m, matched with the same in the 800m.
Martin Treacy had a steady run into 6th place in the O/55 1,500 in a race featuring the biggest field of the day with 17 athletes competing.
Our sprinters had a good day too, Leo Margan and Keith Marks had good runs in the 60m heats with Leo topping the charts in the heats while in the womens 200m Ciara McCallion ran 24.97 to top the time charts. Gold also in the seniors for Leah Bergin in the 400 (58.93) with Emer Treacy 4th (64.32), Emer also ran the 800 (2.24.25)
In the field events Keith Marks was in good form winning the senior long jump (6.74m), likewise a win for Niall Counihan in the triple jump (13.91m) and silver in the pole vault for Rolus Olusa (3.70m). Frances Mansfield one again kitted out in the masters shot winning the O/70 with a best of 5.21m.
With all results now in, also Tom Monks took O/55 3000 gold (11.40.47) and George Maybury 2nd O/60 800 (2.39.60)