Walkers in the medals as Sarah wins two golds
Leitrim athletes won seven gold medals at last Thursday's 123.ie Connacht Schools Track & Field Finals at MTU Athlone with Sarah Mulvaney Kelly and Dean Williams both winning two gold medals each while Ian Harkin, Mark Hazlett & Karen Mulvaney Kelly all claimed gold medals.
Sarah Mulvaney Kelly had a double in the Minor girls event, winning the walk in a time of 5.59.7 which was over half a minute clear of second while she also won the Shot with a throw of 9.27m, nearly a metre and a half clear of the second placed athlete.
There were further golds in the walk for Lough Allen College’s Ian Harkin in the Minor boys and Karen Mulvaney Kelly in the Junior girls event, her time of 5.49.2 over half a minute clear of the second placed athlete.
Mark Hazlett also won a gold medal in the Junior Boys triple jump, his leap of 10.55m over 60 centimetres clear of second place. Unfortunately, Mark missed out on qualifying in the 80m hurdles, his time of 13.56 second giving him third place but crucially one tenth of a second behind Athlone’s John Finnan with only two going through to the All-Irelands in the sprint events.
Dean Williams was a double gold medal winner for Lough Allen College as he won the Inter Boys discus in a tight competition with a throw of 30 metres exactly, just 18 centimetres ahead of second before he beat schoolmate Luke Fitzmaurice in the hammer, Dean throwing 26.27m to Luke’s 23.73m.
Luke also took third in the Inter walk, his time of 9.27.2 for the 2,000m seeing him take home bronze behind Seamus Clarke and Matthew Newell who were separated by just one tenth of a second on the line.
Carrick AC’s Anna Trench Winston, competing for Sligo Grammar School, jumped 4.32m to take second in the Minor girls long jump.
Carrick Community School’s Krystian Koczynsk was desperately unlucky not to qualify in the Junior Long Jump, his leap of 4.95m the exact same as the third placed athlete but Krystian missed out on countback.
There were three fifth places with Carrick CS’s Hanora Brady and St Clare’s Lucas Lyons both placing fifth in their Inter 1,500m race while Senan O’Hart of Carrick CS also finished fifth in the Minor Boys 75m hurdles.