Difficult conditions for the athletes today at Morton stadium for day 2 of the National track & field with a very strong breeze and it was pretty cold as well.
Clonliffe’s first medal of the day like last night came in the outside cage as Eoin Sheridan took discus silver with a 54.55 effort. Also in the throws area Caoimh Morris was 6th in the hammer (43.11). David Donegan was once again in action at Nationals in the pole vault, a 4.20m best saw him finish 5th. Rolus Olusa had a competition to forget with NH. In the 100 Leo Morgan went out in the heats, 11.11 and then unfortunately pulled up injured in the b final.
Track action in the middle distance events saw Jayme Rossiter finish 4th in the 3000 SC (9.13.23). in the 5000 a still not fully fit Efrem Gidey was 7th in 14.28.42 with Eoin Taggart 15th in a 15.05.16 pb. In the B 5000 Mark McDonald, after running the 1500 heats last night, lined out again running 15.22.39. Greta Streimyte, who is expected to be in Tokyo for the Paralympics ran 4.33.46 to 14th in the 1500 final.
Tom Pitkin in the 400 final was 6th in 47.99. John Fagan, had his first run of the season over the hurdles after recent injury 4th in 54.23.
Then onto the 1500 final and a wave of expectation for the eagerly awaited blue ribbon event. A real tactical affair saw the entire field tightly bunched with 600 to go, including Cathal Doyle trapped on the rails. No panic and with 200 to go Cathal was free and haring down the home straight going from 8th right up to the shoulder of Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea) only to run out of track. Silver in 3.48.96, in a break through season for the Clonliffe man.
The final event of the day was the 4 x 100 relay. Drama as Leo was injured, Pascal Touche at home watching the livestream watching Leo pull up hot tailed it to Santry to step into the breach. The Clonliffe 4 of Keith Pike, Eamonn Fahey (bizarrely mixed up on the live stream with Mark McDonald, as the commentator commented on Mark being the ultimate club man: “1500 heats last night, 5000 earlier today and now running a leg of the 100 for Clonliffe!!!), Pascal and Marcus Lawler took bronze.
Well done to all. Good luck at Day 3 to our athletes.