It was double gold for Clongriffin AC at Days 1 and 2 of the All-Ireland indoors in Athlone this week.
Danny Davis took gold in the u14 800m on Saturday after a huge battle with the Shercock AC athlete. Danny took the race by the scruff of the next from the gun opening up a sizeable lead after 200m. Settling into his pace, the gap was slowly closing and when the Shercock athlete came on Danny’s shoulder coming to the bell it looked like he may be overtaken. But he dug in, not once but three times to repel his rival to come home with a big win in a very fast 2:09.95.
Alicja Doyle went into her U17 60m race on Sunday on the back of an excellent silver medal at the u20 championships a few week previously. Drawn in Heat 1, away from her main rivals from Dooneen and Belgooly who were in Heat 2, Alicja lay down a serious gautlet with a blistering 7.49 to win her heat and qualify for the final. Although only 15 years old, this time puts Alicja #7 on the Irish Senior Rankings this season. Drawn in lane 5 in the final, Alicja had her customary fast start and came home in 7.53 to claim her first All-Ireland title.
Patryk Pucek came agonisingly close to a medal in the Boys u17 High Jump. Despite jumping a new PB of 1.78m, with the Top 4 athletes, all jumping the same, medals were decided on ‘countback’, a concept where numbers of failures at previous heights are taken into account, saw Patryk come 4th. Patryk had come 6th the previous day in the Long Jump so great consistency at the highest level of All-Irelands.
Ella O’Dwyer had a major breakthrough performance in the Girls u15 800m and although she didn’t get a medal, losing out by only 0.4 seconds, she did get a massive 4 second PB and a very strong 4th place. Ella showed her versatility by claiming 9th in the Long Jump.
Also showing consistency was Marianne O’Farrell with a 4th place and 5th place in the Girls u17 Hurdles and Long Jump. The hurdles in particular was so close with Marianne missing out on a medal by only hundreds of a second. Only starting her All-Irelands journey, Sarah O’Halloran went into her Girls u12 Long Jump ranked #9. But she pulled out all the stops to not only make the final (Top 8) but also be in a medal position for 5 rounds and only lose out in the last round. But her reward was a new PB (3.99m) and 4th place in her All-Ireland debut. Sarah also PB’d in the Shot Putt later in the day.
Also on his All-Ireland Indoor debut. Robin Harris produced a new PB, again when it mattered, in the Boys u14 Long Jump to place 5th. He also had a PB in the Shot Putt, underlying his multi event potential.
Keane Wosser and Dylan Brennan ran PBs in their Boys u16 60m and eventually finished 7th and 8th respectively in the final. Keane also PB’d in his 200m to finish 7th while Dylan PB’d in his Long Jump for 8th in the final.
Liliya Riecka and Aoife Ferguson continued their progression as High Jumpers with 7th place finishes in the Girls u15 and Girls u16 events while Liliya also knocked 0.6 seconds off her PB in the 60m Hurdles. Meabh O’Grady equalled her High Jump PB for 9th in the Girls u17 High Jump. Lauren Ferguson finished a brave 8th in the Girls u16 Racewalk, also getting a new PB.
Our younger hurdlers were out in force on Day 1 in the u13 and u14 age groups. On her All-Ireland debut, Mia Sinclair outperformed her pre-race rankings to make the final of the Girls u13, running a PB along the way. There was heartbreak for her training partner, Mya Akinsowon, who clipped the last hurdle and fell when in a qualifying position in her heat. Leon Keogh and Hassan Khalid had big PBs in their heats to make their first All-Ireland hurdle finals too.
Personal Bests were the order of the day for our younger sprinters who despite not progressing to their finals should be proud of their progression and debut performances at All Ireland individual. Quinn O’Dwyer (Boys u12), Darcy Henry (Girls u14), Evie Grace and Eva McArdle (Girls u15) all running faster than they had at the Dublin qualifiers.
Mateo Collins showed his versatility with a PB (and only 30cm off the final) in the Boys u12 Shot Putt while Daniel Ward was as consistent as ever in the Boys u13 and only 50cm off a place in the final.
Azim Floro Ali had a PB in his Boys u16 800m in only his second 800m race while Max Lyons, Isaac Eivers and Viola de Chellis had strong performances in their respective 800m and Long Jump events.
Thanks as always to the cohort of coaches for supporting over both days (Magda, Cliodhna, Conor, Kieron, Sinead Mc, Jeremy, Sharon Ka, Marie, Dan, Trish) and the Parents for unwavering support for their children on the athletics journey.
The All-Ireland Indoor conclude next Saturday when the Relays and Triple Jump are held.
Clongriffin AC 