Triple gold for Cushla Murphy Hehir

THE Athletics Association of Ireland Masters Track and Field Championships were held at the new indoor arena in Athlone. There were many fine individual performances with Clare athletes doing very well.

The performances of the afternoon came in the masters ladies’ O-55 when Cushla Murphy Hehir (Marian) came away with three gold medals in 200m, 400m and 800m.

In the masters men’s O-45, Richard McArthur (St Cronan’s) recorded a fine double in the 60m, 200m and won a silver medal in the long jump with David Courtney (Ennis Track) taking gold in the O-50 long jump.
Michelle Timmony Reeves (Ennis Track), the Munster 200m champion O-35, came away with a silver medal.

The Munste shot putt champion, Martin Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s) produced six fine rounds to take a bronze medal with a throw of 10.52m.

Eugene Moynihan (Marian) was a silver medal in the 800m O-55 with a time of 2.19:94.  David Courtney (Ennis Track) won a gold medal in the O-50 long jump with a leap of 4.76m. A week earlier in Athlone, he captured the national masters O-50 combined events title.

Richard McArthur (St Cronan’s) started the 2013 season on a high note with some outstanding performances at a highly competitive national masters indoors taking two gold medals. His first gold medal of the afternoon came in the 200m O-45 with a time of 25:05, while, in the 60m final, he powered through to take his second gold in 7:79. He won a silver medal in the long jump.

Results
Masters ladies
O-35 200m: 3. Michelle Timmony Reeves (Ennis Track).
O-50 800m: 2. Rita Kierce (St Mary’s) (2.42:44).
O-55 200m: 1. Cushla Murphy Hehir (Marian) (35:47secs); 2. Carmel McDomhnaill (West Limerick) (37:59).
400m: 1. Cushla Murphy Hehir (Marian) (79:22); 2. Carmel McDomhnaill (West Limerick) (81:47).
800m: 1. Cushla Murphy Hehir (Marian) (2.49:86).
Masters men
O-40 800m: 6. Fergal McGrath (Ennis Track) (2.28:83).
1,500m: 6. Fergal McGrath (Ennis Track) (5.08:36).
3,000m: 12.Tom Micks (Ennis Track) (10.07:61).
O-45 60m: 1. Richard McArthur (St Cronan’s) (7.79).
200m: 1.Richard McArthur (St Cronan’s) (25:05).
Long jump: 1. Richard McArthur (St Cronan’s) (4.46m).
800m: 6. Pat Hogan (Ennis Track) (2.19:43); 7. John Murphy (Ennis Track) (2.25:44).
1,500m: 11. John Murphy (Ennis Track) (5.00:91).
O-50 3000m: 2. Pat Morrissey (Ennis Track).
Shot putt: 3. Martin Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s) (10.52m); 4. David Courtney (Ennis Track) (10.07m).
Long jump: 1. David Courtney (Ennis Track) (4.76m).
O-55 800m: 2. Eugene Moynihan (Marian) (2.19:94).
O-60 200m: 3. Gerry O’Connell (Limerick Country Club) (39:70).
Combined indoor events
O-50 – O-60: 1. David Courtney (Ennis Track); 60m (8:53). Long jump: (4.81m); shot putt: (10.08m); 1,000m (3.43) = 1,988 points: 2. Peadar McGing (Dundrum South Dublin) = 1,863 points; 2. Liam Lyster Crusaders = 1808 points.