NORTH WEST INDOOR GAMES - SATURDAY DECEMBER 29

Cathal McElgunn after finishing his 400m at last year's North West Games - what better way to celebrate the Christmas!

While most of us may still be recovering after the turkey at Christmas, some of our members will be turning their minds to the fourth North West Indoor Games will be held at Athlone International Arena on Sunday December 29.

This superb open event, organised by the Donegal Athletics County Board, covers age groups from U12 right up to Masters with events in every age group. Entry fee is €3 per event for Juveniles and €5 per event for Seniors & Masters with relays €20 per team. 

All entries and fees must be received no later than Friday, December 14 and cheques should be made payable to Donegal County Board. Entries cannot be accepted on the day of competition.

As this is not a Provincial Club competition, entries are up to each individual athlete to organise and pay.

THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT RESTRICTION - ONLY THREE ATHLETES PER CLUB PER EVENT SO PLEASE CHECK WITH FELLOW CLUB ATHLETES IF THEY ARE ALSO COMPETING!

An added attraction this year is the awarding of the famed O’Duffy Cup to the Ulster or Connacht county team achieving the highest number of points in both male and female events. All Athletes - U18, junior, senior or masters - are eligible for this competition with the highest ranked athlete from each county scoring in the track and field events except in the case of Shot and Hurdles where only competitors who throw the 7.26 Kg shot and compete in the senior hurdles will count.

Other details to note: 

1. Athletes may step up one age and compete in a maximum of three events plus a relay
2. All track events are time trials, only three attempts allowed in Long and Triple Jumps and Shot
3. All athletes must wear club singlets
4. U12 athletes MAY use starting blocks, all other athletes MUST use blocks. IAAF false start rules will apply
5. Electronic timing will be in operation for all track events
6. First event will start at 10am detailed timetable and order of events will issue at a later date

For further information, contact Bernie O'Callaghan, 20 The Waterfront, Killybegs, Co Donegal at 087-2375899 or at bernieocallaghan@gmail.com


The full list of events is as follows:

U12 Boys & Girls: 60m, 60m Hurdles, 600m, 1,000m walk, shot, Long Jump, High Jump, 4 x 200m Relay

U14 Boys & Girls: 60m, 60m Hurdles, 800m 1,000m walk shot, Long Jump, High Jump, 4 x 200m Relay

U16 Boys & Girls: 60m, 60m Hurdles, 200m, 400, 800m, 1,500m, 1,000m Walk, Long Jump, High Jump, 4x 200m Relay

U18 Men & Women: 60m, 60m Hurdles, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,000m Walk, 1,500m, Shot, Long Jump, High jump, Triple Jump, 4 x 200m Relay

Junior Men & Women: 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400, 800m, 1,000m Walk, 1,500m, 3,000m, shot, long jump, triple jump, 4 x 200m Relay

Senior Men & Women: 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400, 800m, 1,000m Walk, 1,500m, 3,000m, shot, long jump, triple jump, 4 x 200m Relay

Masters Men and Women: 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400, 800m, 1,000m Walk, 1,500m, 3,000m, shot, long jump, triple jump, 4 x 200m Relay

DATE SET FOR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club AGM will be held on Monday December 3, in The Bush Hotel at 7.30 pm

All Club members over 16 years of age or their parents are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club next Monday, December 3, at 7.30 pm in The Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon.

The meeting will review the past years which has seen great success at Senior, Masters and Juvenile level and will plan for the coming year, including the intake of new members for the Juvenile section, details of which will be announced after the meeting.

Chairperson Mary O'Brien Finn has indicated her intention to step down from the position while if there any nominations, motions or matters to be discussed, please send them to Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@eircom.net before this Friday, November 30, at 9pm.

We look forward to seeing you all in The Bush Hotel next Monday.

BRILLIANT SILVER FOR DECLAN

Our U12 Boys team of Riaghan Guckian, Patrick and Declan Kennedy and Oran Butler

Patrick Kennedy finishes 16th in excellent display as U12 Boys team finish seventh

All-Ireland silver medalist Declan Kennedy

Congratulations to Declan Kennedy who produced a superb display to finish second in the Athletics Ireland Irish Life Health National U12 Cross-country Championships in Abbottstown on Sunday.

After a series of races that has seen him undefeated in Connacht, Declan, his twin Patrick and team-mates Oran Butler and Riaghan Guckian, both in their first ever All-Ireland, produced a superb display to finish seventh out of sixteen teams in the team race.

Fionn McNamara of Annalee started pushing the pace on the second of two 1 km laps but Declan was the only athlete able to chase. The Cavan runner stayed out in front to win with Declan showing great strength to hold off at least five athletes who had him in his sights.

Patrick also turned in a superb display as he finished 16th in a very tough race, despite being slightly under the weather. He got detached from Declan early in the race but was just outside the top 12 before the finish in what is still a superb run for Patrick - we don't have that many athletes who finished in the top 20 of an All-Ireland Juvenile cross-country championships. 

For Oran Butler and Riaghan Guckian, this was an introduction to one of the toughest events in the athletics calendar and they did superbly. Both are U11 and will run in Navan in three weeks time in their own age group and despite an understandable dose of nerves before the start, they fought every inch of the way and were sprinting all the way to the line as Oran was 144th and Riaghan 145th. 

When the scores of the four lads were added together, the Carrick lads finished seventh in the Inter-Club race - one of the best performances from our club teams ever and definitely a sign of potential for the future. 

Ellie O'Rourke got out strongly in a very competitive and incredibly high quality U16 Girls race. Unfortunately, it wasn't Ellie's day as she finished 64th, not a true reflection of a very dedicated athlete's ability, but nobody can doubt the effort she put in as she finished the race very light headed. 

Brendan Kennedy completed our line-up in the U14 Boys race and ran strongly to finish 108th. Brendan got swamped at the start but fought his way through the field and will take a lot from this race. 

A word of congratulations also to Kinlough natives Teresa Doherty and Breege Connolly who both had top ten finishes in the Senior Women's race. 

Teresa was just a week after winning the British & Irish Masters race in Swansea where our own Michelle Lannon was in action and she finished a superb seventh while Breege, who was a joint winner of the Senior category with our own Gerard O'Donnell at Saturday's Leitrim Sports Star Awards, showed incredible strength to come through for a superb 10th - great running from the two ladies.

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DECLAN DOES THE DOUBLE AS ELLIE & KEN IN THE MEDALS

Declan Kennedy wins U13 Connacht title to add to U12 crown

Connacht medals for Ellie O'Rourke, Patrick Kennedy, Riaghan Guckian, Oran Butler and Ken Kennedy

Another great day at the Western Region Cross-country last Sunday, this time in Belleek Park in Ballina at the Uneven Ages Championships with some superb performances from our athletes.

Top of the pile was Declan Kennedy who added the U13 title to the U12 he won in Sligo the week before, a harder run against older opposition but a fine performance with his brother Patrick also turning in an excellent display in eighth place.

The two lads teamed up with four Ballinamore AC runners to take third in the Inter County race.

Ellie O'Rourke turned in a superb performance to take second in the U17 Girls race, a big improvement on Sligo and showing what she is capable of.

Riaghan Guckian also made a big breakthrough as he qualified for his first ever Connacht team when he finished ninth in the U11 age group. A superb run from Riaghan who always produced strong performances. Oran Butler finished 20th in the same race, unfortunate to slip on the steep hill twice but a strong display nonetheless. The two lads combined with four other Leitrim runners to take home bronze medals in the Inter County race.

Our newest Connacht medalist is probably one of our oldest first timers - Ken Kennedy showed that Declan & Patrick didn't lick it off the ground as he finished third overall in the Masters Section of the Adult Cross-country League, another strong performance seeing him grab the bronze by a point but also just one point off the joint winners.

Ken was 16th across the line and seventh Master in Ballina. Michael Keane was also in action as he finished 28th overall in Ballina and in the series, he was 17th overall, a great result considering his results were hampered by not getting to run in the first leg. Well done lads

Emily Reynolds and Kirsty McHenry both put in strong displays to finish 34th and 22nd respectively in the U13 and U15 Girls races respectively, two very intense races.

Susanne O'Beirne completed our line-up in Ballina as she finished 19th overall and tenth Senior athlete, giving her fifth overall in the League.

Emily Reynolds was the only Leitrim competitor in the U13 Girls race as she finished 34th while in the U15 event Kirsty McHenry finishing 22nd.

Thanks to all the parents who travelled with athletes to Ballina and for sending us back a few photos that you can see on Facebook.

KENNEDYS GO ONE-TWO AGAIN AND BRONZE FOR U12 LADS

Superb 4th place finish for Eoghan Farrell as Ellie O'Rourke & Kirsty Henry also take home Connacht medals

New Irish Masters International Michelle Lannon performs well again

Congratulations to all our members who competed in the Western Region Cross-country at Sligo Racecourse, a very well organised event on a tough course that tested every aspect of the cross-country runner.

Pride of place once again goes to the Kennedy twins who finished first and second in the U12 Boys race, Declan finishing the stronger over the final big hill to take the gold ahead of his brother Patrick. Both lads held back a bit at the start and it paid dividends as they moved into the lead after 700m and were never threatened after that.

Behind them we had three lads making their Connacht debuts and what debuts they were - Oran Butler and Riaghan Guckian are both a year out of their own age group but produced brilliant runs to finish 23rd and 26th while Ben Clarke showed great strength to come through the field and finish strongly.

With the great runs of the lads, they all brought home two medals - we claimed third in the team competition while Declan, Patrick, Oran & Riaghan were part of the scoring six with Mark & Niall Ahern that finished third in the Inter-county race. A great day out.

Eoghan Farrell may have gone home without a medal but he produced a breakthrough performance - running out of his age group in the U18 6,000m, Eoghan stormed through the field and was so full of running that, reminscent of the way his uncle Padraig used to attacks hills, he was closing on the bronze medal all the way to the finish line.

Unfortunately, Eoghan ran out of room but took a good many scalps in an excellent performance that anyone who has seen him training over the last few months knew was coming.

Ellie O'Rourke and Kirsty McHenry also won Connacht bronze medals as part of the Leitrim team who finished third in the Inter-County race. Ellie started strongly and was well up. She, as she admits herself, went through a bad patch but rallied strongly to finish 11th in the race run with U18 & U20 Girls.

Kirsty McHenry started a bit more cautiously but again showed that strength that we all see at training over the second half to come through for 15th place and a great run ahead of her own age group next Sunday in Ballina.

Unfortunately for the third of our gang in the race, it wasn't a good day as a recurrance of a back injury meant Lauren Reynolds had to drop out and anyone who knows or has trained with this tough athlete, it takes a lot to stop Lauren from finishing a race. She'll be back flying soon.

Brendan Kennedy produced a superb performance as well to finish ninth in the U14 Boys race. Left a little on the line when the field took off on "on your marks", Brendan worked his way through the field to qualify strongly for the All-Ireland Finals.

Emily Reynolds was our last Juvenile in action and despite feeling unwell before the start, she ran strongly in the U14 race, a good preparation for next Sunday's U13 race in Ballina.

In the Adult races, Michelle Lannon and Susanne O'Beirne competed strongly in the Women's race while Ken Kennedy and Michael Keane produced two excellent runs in the Men's race - although we're wondering if Michael will agree to Ken's suggestion again of a nice cross-country run.

Thanks to all our athletes for their efforts today, even more special thanks to the parents who came along to cheer on each and every one of them especially Lorna Kennedy, Paddy Guckian, Paula Butler, James, Ann & Hannah Farrell and Ronnie Clarke.
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