Clonliffe athletes enjoyed a very successful Leinster indoor championships today at the NIA Abbottstown. The championships were for U/20, senior and masters with Clonliffe athletes bringing back to Santry some 20 medals, including notable double gold by Niall Allen.
Niall Allen, who only a week ago won National Senior WFD bronze, today took the M50 WFD and shot Leinster titles as he won the WFD with a best of 8.61 and the shot with 12.14. Also in the throws there was success for Vivian Okafor as she captured two super silvers: W40 shot (8.28) and WFD (5.11).
In the sprints Leo Morgan in the senior 60 ran 6.98 in the heats and then in the final took bronze with a best of 6.88. Leo also went up in distance to the 200 where he ran 22.56 to take 1st place in his heat but was a nonstarter in the final. Michael Omakobia made his Clonliffe debut today in the M40 sprints taking double bronze, in the 60 he recorded a time of 8.16 and in the 200 25.94. Snezana Bechtina likewise was a double medal winner as she took silver in the W40 60 (8.31) and replicated that in the 200 (26.84).
In the middle distance races there were some intriguing inter-Clonliffe battles, in particular in the senior 800 where George Warren, another Clonliffe debutant, took an excellent silver in a time of 1.55.45. Oren Kenny was 3rd taking silver (1.57.75) with Fintan Kerins 4th (1.58.72) and in 10th place, in a new PB, Niall McCaffrey (2.05.92). Niall Sherlock took M40 silver in the 800 (2.14.01) and went one better in the 1500 taking the Leinster title in a time of 4.39.42. David Dunwoody took M55 800 gold (2.24.73), Diarmuid Doyle in the M65 800 took the Leinster title and gold (2.50.65) and took silver in the 1500 (5.39.60) and George Maybury silver M70 800 (3.09.55).
Finally in the 3000 Tom Sherlock took fine M35 gold in a time of 9.18.77 and in the senior category Cillian Keegan silver (9.04.76) with Darragh Carter taking bronze (9.14.45).
Really in all an excellent day’s work by the Clonliffe crew. Next up on the indoor front is the national Masters next Saturday followed on Sunday by the U/20 and U/23 indoors – all in Athlone.
