Huge medal haul for North Leitrim walkers in Athlone
North Leitrim AC walkers had a hugely successful weekend with medals in Athlone at the 123.ie Athletics Ireland Juvenile Championships and at the World Masters Championships in Poland.
Susanne O'Beirne was a member of the Irish team who won the team bronze in the W50 10km walk in the World Masters Championship in Toruń in Poland. The North Leitrim walker (pictured inset) finished 10th with teammates Sinead McConnell 2nd & Maggie O'Connor fifth.
Former North Leitrim athlete Michael Cornyn was also in action in Poland, finishing fourth in his M60 400m & 800m heats while also competing in the M50 Mixed 4 x 200m relay.
North Leitrim had a superb day in Athlone with their four gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the walks, leaving them the ninth best club in the country and second best in Connacht.
Susanne O'Beirne in action at the World Masters in Poland
There were gold medals for Luke Fitzmaurice (U17), Sarah Mulvaney Kelly (U15) & Cealagh McGloin (U14).
Luke had three seconds to spare of Shane Byrne of Togher while Cealagh was a more clear cut winner, leading from start to finish as she finished nearly eight seconds clear of the second placed athlete.
In the U15 girls event, Sarah Mulvaney Kelly turned in a time of 4.46.32 to come home more than eight seconds clear of Moy Valley’s Lillian O’Brien. Sarah also finished eighth in her 800m heat in a time of 2.30.60.
Karen Mulvaney Kelly had to display real battling qualities as she claimed the silver medal in the U16 walk, her time of 7.09.07 just eight tenths of a second ahead of Aoife Martin of Carraig na bhFear.
Mark Hazlett’s debut in the Triple Jump saw him finish fourth in the U16 event with a 10.43m jump.
North Leitrim AC’s Lucas Lyons finished 15th in the Boys U16 1500m race, having a brave run despite carrying an injury.
Carrick AC brother and sister Anna & Tom Trench Winston both set new personal bests in the Long Jump over the weekend. Anna just missed out on the U14 Girls top eight final jump-off with a new best of 4.26m, two centimetres off eighth while Tom set a new personal best of 4.19m in the U13 boys event.