THE WEEK THAT WAS

Congratulations to all our members who had a busy week again with action in Sligo, Athlone and France.

Gerard O'Donnell opened his hurdles campaign in fine style in France on Sunday with a 14.02 victory in the French League. It was his joint second fastest legal time ever and what makes it all the more remarkable is that it was his first outing over hurdles this year and was run in to a 0.5 m/s headwind. A good sign for the rest of the year.

Last Wednesday, our young members had a great evening at the Leitrim Team competition at IT Sligo. The event had been scheduled for Manorhamilton but repairs to the track meant it had to be run in Sligo. We don't have official results yet but there were some excellent performances and a lot of medals as you can see from the picture above. Loath to pick out individuals but Hugh McGovern in the distance race and Luke Charles in the sprint stood out on a night of some great performances.

On Thursday, it was the turn of our Post Primary group to shine and again, while we don't have official results yet, we did have a lot of qualifiers for the All-Ireland Schools.

Ellie O'Rourke was a commanding winner of the U16 Mile while Ellis Conway (2nd Senior 400m), Alannah McGuinness (2nd Inter 100m), Sophie McCabe (2nd Junior 200m), Lauren Reynolds (3rd (Junior 1,500m) and the Junior Girls relay team of Aine McGwynne, Alanna Murray, Aoibhinn O'Dowd and Sophie McCabe and the Senior Boys 4 x 400m relay team of Oisin O'Dowd, Fiachra Henry, Oisin Kearney and Niall Sheerin all qualified for the All-Irelands.

There were also medals for Aine McGwynne (Junior 100m) and Clodagh Sheerin (Senior 200m) while Eoghan Farrell smashed his 3,000m with a superb 4th in the Inter Boys race. Kirsty Henry also mixed it up with some really top class runners in the Junior Girls 1,500m, finishing sixth in a big breakthrough performance and Aisling Gill smashed three seconds off her personal best.

There were a few other pbs on the day for Oisin Kearney (Inter 400m) and Lauren Reynolds, third in the Junior 1,500m by taking five seconds off her best.

Incredibly, our athletes were representing five different schools last Thursday but were all Carrick AC on the inside, cheering each other on and supporting every single athlete from the club. Well done everyone.

Full results and qualifiers from both events when we get them. Pictures from the Connacht Schools on our Facebook page, click here.

SUMMER TRAINING & COMPETITION UPDATE

With competitions and the Summer holidays fast approaching, we thought we'd share some information about the Club's training and competition plans for the coming weeks.

Community Games Area Finals Tuesday May 8

First of all, next Tuesday, May 8, we have agreed to give up our traditional training day for our Primary School group to accommodate Carrick-on-Shannon Area Community Games so they can hold their Area Athletics Finals in St. Mary's GAA grounds from 6 pm. 

This will also affect our Post-Primary group and we have decided to move the session to the next day and the track in Sligo.

As an aside, anyone able to help out with setting up the pitch is asked to be there at 5 pm next Tuesday.

Sligo training - Wednesday May 9

Training for those Tuesday groups will be held the following day, Wednesday, May 9, on the track in IT Sligo. The cost of use of the track is €5 which will be given to the club coaches.

• Any member of the Primary School group who wishes to take part in this session is asked to be at the track in Sligo at 6 pm sharp.
• A bus for the Post Primary group will leave from the Complex at 6 pm sharp. We need to know numbers so please get in touch with John Connolly asap.

This training is particularly important for those who have qualified for the Connacht Schools T&F Finals in Athlone on Thursday May 17.

More dates for training in Sligo will be arranged during the Summer.

End of Training Year for Primary School group

Training for our Primary School groups ends for the Summer on Tuesday, May 30, and we hope that everyone has a great Summer.

Training will continue for those who have qualified to compete at Connacht or National level in Clubs, Schools and Community Games throughout the Summer as needed.

Leitrim Competitions

The following dates have been set for Leitrim County competitions:

• Wednesday May 16: U9, 10 & 11 Team Competition in Manorhamilton at 6pm. In this competition, two athletes from each club compete in a single event with their combined scoring determining final placings. An individual athlete may compete in two events only. The top three teams in each event qualify for the Connacht Finals in Claremorris on Saturday, June 9.
• Wednesday May 23: Leitrim Track & Field Finals in Manorhamilton at 6pm. Anyone wanting to be considered for the individual U12, 13 & 14 competitions at Connacht level must compete.

Connacht & National Competitions

We would ask that all parents note the dates and if their children are not available for the Provincial Finals, particularly in relation to the U9, 10 & 11 Team competition, to let us know so that we can enter accurate teams and individual entries

• Thursday May 17: Connacht Schools T&F in Athlone

• Saturday, June 2: All-Ireland Schools T&F in Tullamore

• Saturday, June 9: U9, 10, & 11 Team competition and U12 & 13 T&F in Claremorris

• Saturday, June 16: Connacht U14 to Senior T&F in Claremorris (A number of Masters Over 35 and Over 50 events will be held in conjunction with these Championships)

• Sunday, July 1: Athletics Ireland National Juvenile U9, 10 & 11 Team Games and U12 & 13 Field events

• Saturday, July 7: Athletics Ireland National Juvenile Relays

• Saturday, July 14: Athletics Ireland National Juvenile T&F (Sprint Hurdles, 600m, 800m Final and Field events)

• Sunday, July 15: Athletics Ireland National Juvenile T&F (400m, 100m sprints, 3,000m and Field events)

• Sunday, July 22: Athletics Ireland National Juvenile T&F (200m, 1,500m, Long Hurdles and Field events)

• Saturday & Sunday, July 28 & 29: National Senior Championships

• August 17-19: National Community Games Finals in Limerick

Full programmes of the National events are all available here on the Athletics Ireland website 

Please note that U12 and U13 Long jump, U12 and U13 High Jump and U12 and U13 Shot Putt  and U12 turbo javelin will be held with the Children’s Games in Tullamore on Sunday July 1.

Direct entry for U17 to U19 National Competition is at the discretion of the Connacht committee, it is intended to facilitate athletes who may have exams or other exceptional circumstances, not as an excuse to omit doing the Regional Competition. Contact Club officials if applicable.

NORTH CONNACHT SCHOOLS

An awful wet, windy day in Sligo for the North Connacht Schools Track& Field Qualifiers but it didn't stop the Carrick AC gang from performing well in the atrocious conditions.

We don't have official results to hand but there were wins for Ellis Conway (Senior 400m) and Alannah McGuinness (Inter 100m), seconds for Clodagh Sheerin (Senior 200m) Lauren Reynolds (Junior 1,500m), Toyosi Fagbo (Junior 100m), Aine McGwynne (Junior 100m), Sophie McCabe (Junior 200m), Oisin Kearney (Inter 400m) and Aisling Gill (Senior 400m) along with third place finishes for Ellie O'Rourke (Inter 800m), Sophie McCabe (Junior 100m), Oisin O'Dowd (Senior 100m) and Eoghan Farrell (Inter 3,000m).

Shane Finn also qualified in the Minor Shot as did Niall Sheerin in the Senior 100m while Alannah McGuinness also qualified in the Hurdles, not sure what place, second or third I think. Kirsty McHenry also qualified in the Junior 1,500m while the Minor girls relay team of Roisin Kelleher, Blaithin McCrann, Helena Reynolds and Rachel O'Connor reached their Final.

The Junior Girls team of Aine McGwynne, Aoibhinn O'Dowd, Elsie Harman and Sophie McCabe and the Junior Boys team of Cian Mollohan, Shane Finn, Iarlaith O'Brien and Toyosi Fagbo

While we don't want to single out anyone in particular, can't help but mention some specific performances;

• Aine McGwynne ran her first race in what must be nearly two years and finished second in the Junior 100m and ran two superb legs on the Junior Girls team who finished second.
• Toyosi Fagbo ran what can only be described as a ridiculously fast last leg in the Junior Boys relay, making up a 10 metre gap to move the team from fourth to second, even easing down on the line! It was so ridiculous that two of our officials burst out laughing at it!
• Leah Murtagh may have just missed out with a fifth place in the Inter 100m Final but it was Leah's first race in years, great to see her racing!
• Aisling Gill made her debut over 400m and 200m at Senior Girls level and finished second in both, showing it is never too late to get start racing.
• Eoghan Farrell is another man on the comeback trail and he completed an impressive day, finishing third in his first ever 3,000m before finishing 5th in the 1,500m about 90 minutes later. Great running Eoghan!

Well done everyone on some marvellous performances. Full results when we get them and apologies if I missed anyone. Check out Facebook for more pictures.

HELP NEEDED - CHURCH GATE COLLECTION

It is that time of year again when we hold our Church Gate collection in our Club Area and we are appealing for help.

We have masses in Carrick-on-Shannon, Cortober, Jamestown, Drumsna, Annaduff, Gowel and Leitrim Village to look after this Saturday and Sunday, April 14 & 15, so we are appealing to as many club members, athletes aged over 18 and parents to give a hand for around half an hour before each of the masses.

The masses we are looking after are as follows:

Saturday: Jamestown 7 pm
Annaduff 7 pm
Carrick-on-Shannon 8 pm

Sunday: Carrick-on-Shannon 9 am
Drumsna 9.30 am
Gowel 10.15 am
Leitrim Village 10.15 am
Annaduff 11.00 am
Cortober 12 noon
Carrick-on-Shannon 12 noon

If you are available, please contact John Connolly 0879446961

BRILLIANT BRONZE IN ATHLONE

Just like keeping the best wine till last, the last day of the Irish Life Health Athletics Ireland Juvenile Indoors provided the biggest highlights with our U15 Boys relay team of Gerard Murtagh, Shane Finn, Cian Mollohan and Toyosi Fagbo claiming a brilliant bronze in the relay.

In a final full of drama, thrills and spills, the four lads kept their heads and showed brilliant battling spirit to claim the bronze medal with a superb run.

It was also the first All-Ireland medal that any of the four have won so they join the Club's All-Ireland winners roll of honour and for Shane Finn and Gerard Murtagh, they join their mothers Mary Finn and Siobhan Murtagh on that list so a fantastic day all round.

The drama started early in the heats with Carrick up against a very good Nenagh Olympic team in the first heat. A strong opening leg from Gerard and strong performances from Shane and Cian in the middle left us a little adrift of the Munster men but a dropped baton at the changeover saw Toyosi produce some quick footwork to sidestep the two Nenagh runners and charge into the lead.

Toyosi was never going to be caught and could even ease up a little over the last 100m to win the heat with a place in the Final. Their time of 1.44.87 saw them qualify third fastest overall behind Cabinteely and Belgooley with GCH fourth.

The final saw a few switches and additions to our rivals and GCH got a huge start and soon they and Cabinteely detached themselves from the rest. Gerard, who is still U14, ran a really strong opening leg but improved performances from the other teams meant we were in sixth when Shane thundered round the top bend.

Shane ran a superb leg and kept us in contention with the medal places. The drama got even higher on the third leg when Cian was chasing a trio of runners ahead of him.

Disaster struck the Belgooley runner as he stumbled on the back straight but Cian spotted it and surged brilliantly over the final 100m, going from fifth into a clear third at the changeover.

Toyosi had a reasonable lead but was being chased by Belgooley's Glory Wenegiene who had beaten him for fourth in the 60m Final and the Cork runner made huge inroads into the Carrick lead, catching up to Toyosi with about 120m to go.

But Toyosi, who had run himself into exhaustion in the Connacht Finals, had run a clever race and had plenty left in the tank and despite a lot of looks over his shoulder, he held off the Cork runner going up the home straight until, 20 metres from the line, the Cork runner trod on Toyosi's heel.

Toyosi's shoes was ripped off but that didn't stop him as the Belgooley lad hit the deck, Toyosi keeping on his feet to claim the bronze medal.

Subject to correction, and I'm only going on memory here, it is our first relay medal since the days of Gerard O'Donnell's own relay team and Gerard celebrates the big 30 this year.

In terms of Indoor relays, a team of Siobhan McWeeney, Rachel Carr, Dearbhaile Doran and Michelle Clancy won medals in Nenagh while another girls team made up of Rachel Flynn, Orna Tiernan, Eadaoin McLoughlin, Gina Wimsey, Aisling Dolan and Deirdre Martin won several indoor medals.

And of course, not forgetting the team of John Feely, Ray Mulvey, Gerard Crossan, Liam McTiernan and Gerard O'Donnell who set a national record one year and won countless relays medals, indoors and out.

Many thanks to Siobhan Murtagh, Siobhan Whelan, Mary Finn and Linda Mollohan for getting the gang down to Nenagh and providing the cheering section and it was great to see Michael O'Brien there cheering on his grandson Shane to a medal.

Special mention for Mary O'Donnell recuperating at the moment after an operation, I'm sure she was dancing around with delight and everyone in Athlone sends get well wishes.

On to the outdoors now but congratulations once again lads.

See our Facebook page here for more photos. 

ANOTHER PB FESTIVAL IN ATHLONE

Congratulations to our athletes who were in action in Athlone last Sunday on day two of the Athletics Ireland Irish Life Health Juvenile Indoor Championships, with competitors in action in hurdles, sprints and middle distance.

Top finisher on the day was Patrick Kennedy who finished an excellent fifth in the U12 600m Final with his brother Declan eighth in the Final.

The lads both set new personal bests in the heats with Patrick running 1.45.49 while Declan ran 1.49.49 as both finished second in their different races.

In the Final, Patrick finished a superb fifth in 1.47.62 with Declan eighth in 1.52.08, a superb performance from both lads who probably found the distance a little bit short for them!

Interestingly, it is quite some time since we had two athletes contest the same National Indoor Juvenile Final once heats were involved. I’m open to correction but I think it may be when Gerard O’Donnell and John Feely finished 2nd and 4th in the U18 200m in Nenagh!

Gerard was down in Nenagh doing commentary for the Athletics Ireland online coverage and no doubt he was impressed by Alannah McGuinness’ seventh place finish in the U17 60m Hurdles, her second National Final in a week. Alannah only returned to the event this year and had about two or three sessions over the hurdles before Sunday’s Final.

In the heats, Alannah took a tenth of a second off her pb from the Connachts, running 8.81 to qualify for the Final before finishing seventh in the final with a fractionally slower time of 8.84 seconds. Well done Alannah.

Ellie O’Rourke also competed in her second National Final in a week, reaching the U16 800m decider. Ellie O’Rourke finished seventh in the Final with a time of 2.30.64 after running 2.29.81 in the heats.

Our final competitor in action was Niall Sheerin who finished third in his U18 200m Heat in a time of 24.94.

Well done to all our competitors and thanks to the parents who brought them.

Thanks to Siobhan McGuinness and Gerard O’Donnell for the photos.

The Indoor season comes to a close on Saturday, April 7, when our U15 Boys relay team compete in Athlone in the National Finals.

Six set for Sunday in Athlone

It is a small group for next Sunday's Athletics Ireland Juvenile Indoors in Athlone with six athletes competing and that includes two sets of twins! And both sets from Roscommon!

Clodagh and Niall Sheerin are down for the 200m heats on Sunday morning at 10 am while Declan and Patrick Kennedy go in the U13 600m heats/final at 11.15.

Our small crew is completed by Ellie O'Rourke in the U16 800m and Alannah McGuinness in the U17 60m Hurdles.

Best of luck to everyone.