Gold for O’Neill and Odubuto in Cork

THE Munster Juvenile U-9, U-10, U-11 2 x 2 team events plus boys’ and girls’ U-12 and U-13 Track and Field Championships were held over two days at the Cork IT Sports Complex and Clare athletes came away with six gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Two Clare athletes captured double gold. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s), in the girls’ U-13s, won the 600m, long jump and also won a silver medal in the high jump. Tony Odubuto (Ennis Track) in the boys’ U-13 won gold in the 80m and 80m hurdles.

In the 2 x 2 team event, girls’ U-9 ball throw, there was gold for Grace Carmody and Ciara Meehan (Marian).

Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s), competing in the girls’ U-13 600m easily qualified from her semi-final. After 200m in the final, she was in second spot and heading out on the final lap and with 300m to go, she moved up a gear and opened up a few metres of a lead. As she rounded the home straight, she had the race all wrapped up and crossed the finishing line in a very fast time of 142:02.

On day two in the long jump, over six rounds, she captured another gold medal with a leap of 4.49m. The high jump came down to two athletes Vicky Cusack (Liscarroll) and Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) with O’Neill taking the silver medal and setting a personal best of 1.43m with the gold going to Vicky Cusack with a championship best of 1.45m.

Tony Odubote (Ennis Track), competing in the boys’ U-13, also enjoyed great success.  On Sunday morning, he came through his heats in flying colours in the 60m hurdles and in the final, he took the gold medal on the line with a time of 10:22 with his clubmate Farouk Sobayo (Ennis Track) fifth in 11:17.

In the boys’ U-13 javelin, Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Kilmurry Ibrickane/-North Clare) produced three outstanding first rounds of throwing to get into the top eight for a throw-off and in his final three throws, he produced a throw of 20.40m to take a silver medal. In the 600m, he had to produce a very big race to take the bronze medal in 1.41:63.

In the girls’ U-9 2 x 2 Marian AC team, Grace Carmody and Ciara Meehan finished fourth in the 300m. In the ball throw, Ciara Meehan throwing (16.37m) and Grace Carmody (13.30m) with a total of 29.67m won the gold medal.

In the boys’ U-10 2 x 2 team, the Kilmihil pair of Brian McNamara and Pádraig Brown were competing in the ball throw and McNamara produced a throw of 27.21m with Pádraig Brown throwing 24.50m for a total of 51.71m to win the bronze medal.

Kilmihil pair in the girls’ U-10 500m, Shauna O’Gorman running 1.40:23 and Laura Quinlivan 1.46:95 for a total of 4.47:18 also won bronze.

In the boys’ U-10’s 2 x 2 team long jump, Ennis Track won a silver medal with Sultan Akinwale (3.28m) and Jack O’Connor (3.73m) for a total of (7.01m).

In the U-13 4 x 100m relay, the Ennis Track team of Tony Odubuto, Gabreil Kehinda, Farouk Sobayo and Sean Dolan won the gold medals.

Results
Girls
U-9s 2 x 2 team
Ball throw
1. Marian (Grace Carmody (13.30m), Ciara Meehan (16.37m) = 29.67m.
300m
4. Marian (Grace Carmody 59:60, Ciara Meehan 56:35) = 1.55:95.
U-10s 2 x 2 team
500m
3. Kilmihil (Shauna O’Gorman 1.40:23, Laura Quinlivan 1.46:95) = 4.47:18.
U-13s
600m
1. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) (1.52:02).
Long jump
1. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) (4.49m).
High jump
1. Vicky Cusack (Liscarroll) (1.45m) championship best; 2. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) (1.43m) personal best.
Boys
U-10 2 x 2 team
Ball throw
3. Kilmihil (Brian McNamara 27.70m, Pádraig Brown 24.31m) = 52.01m
4 x 100m relay; 5. Ennis Track (Sultan Akinwale, Jack O’Connor, Mark Hanrahan, Matthew Power).
Long jump
2. Ennis Track (Sultan Akinwale 3.28m, Jack O’Connor 3.73m) = 7.01m.
U-12
60m
4. Gabreil Kehinda Ennis Track (8.74secs).
4 x 100m relay
4. Ennis Track (Chibikeim Okoye, Lateef Akinwale, James McGuire, Gabreil Kehinda).
U-13
80m
1. Tony Odubuto (Ennis Track) (10:79); 5. Farouk Sobayo (Ennis Track) (11:17).
60m hurdles
1. Tony Odubuto (Ennis Track) (10:22).
600m
3. Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (1.41:63).
Javelin
3. Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (20.40m).
4 x 100m relay
1. Ennis Track (Tony Odubuto, Farouk Sobayo, Sean Dolan, Gabreil Kehinda).