Golden haul for five Clare athletes

THE Munster Juvenile U-14 to U-19 Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at the Nenagh Indoor Arena on Saturday and Sunday last and Clare athletes started off in fine winning style.

Laura Egan (Kilmihil) won gold in the girls’ U-18 800m and Derbhile Ryan (Clonlara and Nenagh AC) won gold in the U-16 long jump.
On day two, there were six gold medal winners with Cormac Lynch (Marian) taking gold in the boys’ U-19 60m and 200m. Anghared Loughnane (Marian) won gold in the girls’ U-14 1,000m Walk. In the boys’ U-14 800m, there was gold for Eoin Looney (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare), Derbhile Ryan won her second gold of the weekend, this time in the shot putt and there was a another big win for Laura Egan (Kilmihil) in the U-18 1,500m.
Overall, Clare athletes took home eight gold, eight silver and 11 bronze medals. 
The 800m heats were first on the track on day 1 and in the girls’ U-18, two Clare athletes made it through to the finals, Laura Egan (Kilmihil) and Eimear Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare). In the final, Laura Egan was always in contention along with Emer Hillery and on the final lap, she sprinted clear over the final 50m to take the gold medal with Emer Hillery, who had finished fourth over the last two years, winning the silver medal.
In the high jump, Emer Hillery captured the bronze medal and on day two, Laura Egan produced another fine piece of front running in the 1,500m to take another gold medal with a time of 5.01:07 with Emer Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) in third place.
Just one hour later, Emer Hillery went to the final of the 300m and coming down the home straight in fourth position, she produced a great drive to snatch the bronze medal with a time of 45.32.
In the girls’ U-14 800m, three Clare girls reached the finals, Aishling Kelly (St John’s), Laura Egan (Kilmihil) and Sinéad Hogan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare). All eight athletes in the final lap were in contention going to the final lap with Aishling Kelly having to work hard on the final bend to take a bronze medal, with Laura Egan finishing fifth and Sinéad Hogan sixth.
Angharad Loughnane (Marian), competing in the U-14 1,000m walk, went into an early lead and went on to win comfortably. She also came away with a bronze medal in the shot putt with a throw of 11.52m.
In the U-16 girls, there was double gold medal for Derbhile Ryan (Clonlara and Nenagh AC) in the long jump with a leap of 4.96m and in the shot putt setting a personal best throw of 11.88m.
In the final event on the track, the high jump, Derbhile came away with the silver medal with a leap of 1.55m. Rachel Clancy (St John’s) took the bronze medal with a leap of 1.50m.
Muireann O’Shea (Marian) and Siobhán Nestor (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) got through to the finals of the girls’ U-17 800m and both were in the top three and two laps remaining. Muireann powered her way home to take a silver medal in 2.29:92, while Siobhán was outsprinted on her way to the line and finished fourth.
In the high jump, Jessica O’Connor (Marian) won a bronze medal with a leap of 1.40m with Nollaig Blake (St John’s) fourth in 1.35m.
Siobhán Nestor (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) made it through to the 1,500m finals and over the final lap he had to work hard to capture the bronze medal with a time of 5.27:93.
In the girls’ U-19 1,500m walk, world youths champion Katie Veale (West Waterford) won the gold medal with a time of 6.12:20, while Claudia Loughnane (Marian) came away with a bronze medal with a time of 7.45:94.
In the boys’ U-14 800m, three Clare athletes came through the heats, Eoin Looney, Patrick O’Rourke (both Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) and Jamie Roche (Ennis Track). In the final, Looney took control and moved away from the rest of the pack to take the gold medal in 2.20:29. Patrick O’Rourke came from fourth spot over the final 150m to take the silver medal in 2.24:19, with Jamie Roche finishing sixth. 
In the boys’ U-14 long jump, Cathal O’Brien (Ennis Track) came through a very big field of competitors making the final eight on a jump off with a leap of 4.63m on his final jump to take the bronze medal.
In the boys’ U-16, Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track) had to settle for the bronze medal with a time of 4.33:16.
Ronan Barry (Marian) produced some fine jumping in the boys’ U-16 to take the silver medal with a leap of 1.55m and in the in the 200m, he won the silver medal in 25:17.
In the boys’ U-17 Jacob Loughnane (Marian) was always in contention in the 800m final and he came home a good second place in 2.20:83.
In the boys’ U-18 800m, Ian Slobody (Kilmihil) who had a fine cross country season, had to settle for the silver medal with a time of 2.05:54.
Cormac Lynch (Marian), running in the boys’ U-19 60m, came through a first round and semi-final to take the gold medal in the 60m final with a time of 7:20 and he went onto the 200m, where he beat a highly fancied Ben Kiely (Ferrybank) with a time of 23:38.

Results
Girls
U-14 800m: 3. Aishling Kelly (St John’s) (2.31:24secs); 5. Sharon Egan (Kilmihil) (2.38:49secs); 6. Sinéad Hogan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2.42:58).
1,000m walk: 1. Angharad Loughnane (Marian) (5.15:87).
Shot putt: 3. Angharad Loughnane (Marian) (11.52m).
U-15
800m: 6. Cliodhna Blake (St John’s) (2.41:45); 7. Áine Rouine (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2.42: 33).
High jump: 4. Cliodhna Blake (St John’s) (1.30m).
60m hurdles: 4. Cliodhna Blake (St John’s) (10:42); 7. Lucy Cotgreave (Marian) (11:24).
U-16
Long jump: 1. Derbhile Ryan (Nenagh) (4.96m).
Shot putt: 1. Derbhile Ryan (Nenagh) (11.88m).
High jump: 2. Derbhile Ryan (Nenagh) (1.55m); 3. Rachel Clancy (St John’s) (1.50m).
U-17
800m: 2. Muireann O’Shea (Marian) (2.29:92secs); 4. Siobhán Nestor (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2. 32:82).
1,500m: 3. Siobhán Nestor (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (5.27:93); 7. Nollaig Blake (St John’s) (5.56:90secs).
High jump: 3. Jessica O’Connor (Marian) (1.40m); 4. Nollaigh Blake (St John’s) (1.35m).
U-18
300m: 3. Emer Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (45.32secs).
800m: 1. Laura Egan (Kilmihil) (2.22:53); 2. Eimear Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2.33:43).
1,500m: 1. Laura Egan (Kilmihil) (5.01:07); 3. Eimear Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (5.33:81).
High jump: 3. Emer Hillery (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (1.35m).
U-19
1,500m walk: 1. Katie Veale (West Waterford) (6.12:20); 3. Claudia Loughnane (Marian) (7.45:94).

Boys
U-14 800m: 1. Eoin Looney (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2.20:29); 2. Patrick O’Rourke (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) (2.24:19); 6. Jamie Roche (Ennis Track) (2.27:62).
Long jump: 3. Cathal O’Brien (Ennis Track) (4.63m).
U-15
800m: 4. Mark Fennell (St Mary’s) (2.22:03).
U-16
200m: 2. Ronan Barry (Marian) (25.17).
High jump: 2. Ronan Barry (Marian) (1.55m).
1,500m: 3. Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track) (4.33:16).
U-17
800m: 2. Jacob Loughnane (Marian) (2.20:83).
U-18
800m: 2. Ian Slobody (Kilmihil) (2.05:54).
1,500m: 4. Karl Fitzmaurice (Shannon) (4.36:78); 9. Cillian Blake (St John’s) (5.19:46).
U-19
60m: 1. Cormac Lynch (Marian) (7:20).
200m: 1. Cormac Lynch (Marian) (23:38).