With only the even age-groups relays remaining the Donore Harriers juvenile team can boast a record tally of 56 medals in the Dublin Juvenile Track and Field championships held over 4 days recently at both the Santry and Tallaght tracks.  The medals haul includes 20 gold, 22 silver and 14 bronze.

The most encouraging aspect of the team’s overall performance is the emergence of several very talented athletes that bodes well for the club’s future progress and success.

The new middle-distance star Louis O’Loughlin made his club debut and recorded a fine double in the under 15 Boys 800m and 1,500m. The All-Ireland schools 800m silver medallist was made to work hard in the latter race by his club-mate Fathi Aden. Aden, the Irish under 14 cross country champion from 2014, was also competing in his first track championship for the club. At the mid-way point Aden picked up the pace and opened up a lead of more than 10 metres by the bell. O’Loughlin (4.26.07) gradually gained ground on his training partner and then used his superior speed to kick home in the final 150 metres with Aden (4.28.37) a clear runner-up. O’Loughlin, thus, achieved a fine double having earlier won the 800m in personal best of 2.05.3.

Other first-season athletes to win gold medals included Peace Onakoya (8.40m) and Kerri Noonan (23.64m) in the under 13 Girls Shot Putt and Hammer; Rian Carey (9.45m) in the under 13 Boys Shot Putt; Ciara Simm (6.82m) and Beth Kirwan (27.97m) in the under 15 Girls Shot Putt and Hammer; Adam Maher (38.78m) in the under 16 Boys Hammer; Suzanne Masterson (5.35.47) in the under 17 Girls 2,000m Steeplechase; David Keenan (5.57m) in the under 18 Boys Long Jump; and Leanne Brosnan (4.05m) in the under 18s Girls Long Jump. Brosnan (9.71m) also got a silver medal in the Triple Jump.

Newcomer Aoife Simm, another of coach Gerry Ronan’s field event protégées, won 3 medals in the ‘field’ events. Simm (30.63m) placed 2^nd behind her club colleague Clodagh Read (40.26m) in the under 18 Girls Hammer – and she took a silver medal in the Javelin (23.16m) and a bronze in the Pole Vault with a best of 2.30m.

With many of the established juvenile members unable to compete due to exams, injury, etc it was left to the competing regulars to impress. Cara Brennan (21.86m), Eleanor Ronan (25.79m) and Rebecca Power (29.93m) showed Donore dominance in the throwing events by respectively winning the under 16 Girls Discus, Hammer and Javelin. Kolade Abiodun took 4 individual medals, winning the 100m Hurdles in 15.26s and placing as runner-up in the 100m (11.9), 200m (24.77) and High Jump (1.70m). Aoife Lynch narrowly missed a double in the under 17 Girls category when winning the 100m in 13.0s and placing second in the 200m in 26.93s. Oran O’Brien also had a one, two! He won the under 18 Boys Shot Putt (12.06m), but had to settle for second spot in the Discus (35.69m). The improving Sean Young also had a good championship. The Drimnagh Castle student won 2 silvers in the Shot Putt (9.87m) and Hammer (22.97m) and a bronze in the Discus (25.51m).

One of the club’s most dedicated athletes Conor Fox also obtained a gold and silver set. He won the under 19 Boys 100m in 11.5s and was second in the 200m in a time of 25.72s.

Lauren O’Keeffe (54.49m) was a clear winner in the under 17 Girls Hammer. She was hoping to reach the European Youth Olympic standard of 56 metres, but narrowly failed! However, she competed as a guest in last Saturday’s Munster Juvenile championships at Waterford RSC and threw beyond the mark with a best effort of 56.40m. The qualifying rules state that O’Keeffe must throw the distance for a second time, but Lauren is upbeat about the prospect: “I’m constantly over the 50 metres mark, so it will come soon”. We are all rooting for you Lauren!

Lorcan O’Ceallaigh (2.22.75) may not have medalled in his first competitive outing in the Donore colours, but his excellent performance when placing 4^th in the under 14 Boys 800 metres final suggests that he is one to watch in the future.

Elsewhere, in the 5 kilometres Parkrun series two other young athletes impressed. Making steady progress under the coaching tutelage of Oana Onofrei under 14s athlete Michael Barry (21.10) placed 6^th overall in the Waterstown race, whilst Noah Synnott (u/15s) came 31^st overall at St. Anne’s Park in a time of 21.07. Both were competing over the distance for the first time.

In the La Cheile / Irish Milers Club International track meeting at Leixlip on Saturday (13/6/15) several Donore Harriers athletes competed at various grades. In the 1,500m ‘A’ race John Travers (3.41.43) placed second with two British runners occupying the other top 3 places as Tom Lancashire (3.40.04) won and Richard Weir (3.42.96) came 3^rd.

Junior star athlete Sean Lawlor (10.99) came 3^rd in a very competitive 100 metres behind Kieran Elliot (10.92) of North Sligo and Eanna Madden (10.97) of Carrick on Shannon AC. Another junior to fare well was Stephen Gavin (4.16.33) who lowered his personal best when placing 10^th in the 1,500m ‘C’ race.

Juvenile Results

Dublin Juvenile Track & Field Championships Days 1 -4 at Santry & Tallaght (June 2015): Medal winners and selected other results:-

Medal Tally to Date = 20 Gold, 22 Silver & 14 Bronze (total of 56)

u/10 Boys: 500m H1 – 6^th Joe Kinsella (1.47.27)

u/11 Girls: 600m H1 – 4^th Brooke Fagan (2.06.73) 600m H2 – 2^nd Grace Raftery (2.08.95)

u/12 Boys: 600m – 5^th Sean Kinsella (1.51.0); 9^th Michael Barry (1.58.26): Shot Putt – 4^th Sean Kinsella (5.78m); High Jump – 3^rd Sean Kinsella (1.20m)

u/13 Girls: Shot Putt – 1^st Peace Onakoya (8.40m); Hammer – 1^st Kerri Noonan (23.63m)

u/13 Boys: Shot Putt – 1^st Rian Carey (9.45m): 600m H1 – 4^th Noah Synnott (2.00.32)

u/14 Boys: 800m – 4^th Lorcan O’Ceallaigh (2.22.75) debut, 15^th Alan Reid (2.54.72 PB)

u/15 Girls: Hammer – 1^st Beth Kirwan (27.97m); 2^nd Aisling Read (26.18m); 3^rd Ciara Simm (23.71m): Shot Putt – 1^st Ciara Simm (6.82m), 7^th Aisling Read (5.68m)

u/15 Boys: 800m – 1^st Louis O’Loughlin (2.05.3 PB club debut); 4^th Fathi Aden (2.10.9 PB); 10^th Jack Raftery (2.26.6 – ran 2.23.66 in semi-final): 1500m – 1st Louis O’Loughlin (4.26.07 PB), 2nd Fathi Aden (4.28.37 PB), 10th Jack Raftery (5.01.44): 4 x 100m – 4th Donore H <Jack Raftery, Fathi Aden, Lorcan O’Ceallaigh, Louis O’Loughlin> (52.42)

u/16 Girls: 100m – 3^rd Suzi O’Farrell (13.0); 200m – 3^rd Robyn O’Keeffe (29.1); 4^th Suzi O’Farrell (29.7): Discus – 1^st Cara Brennan (21.86m); 2^nd Robyn O’Keeffe (18.83m); 4^th Martina Hughes (13.37m): Shot Putt – 4^th Martina Hughes (7.10m): Javelin – 1^st Rebecca Power (29.93m); 4^th Martina Hughes (12.78m): Hammer – 1^st Eleanor Ronan (25.79m)

u/16 Boys: 100m – 2^nd Kolade Abiodun (11.9); 200m – 2^nd Kolade Abiodun (24.77); 100mH – 1^st Kolade Abiodun (15.26): 800m Final – 11^th Sekeriye Ahmed (2.27.72): 1500m – 7th Sekeriye Ahmed (4.40.75): 3,000m – 2^ndSekeriye Ahmed (9.51.7 PB): Discus – 4^th Kolade Abiodun (26.63m): High Jump – 2^nd Kolade Abiodun (1.70m): Javelin – 2^nd Max Carey (27.97m): Hammer – 1^st Adam Maher (38.78m)

u/17 Girls: 100m – 1^st Aoife Lynch (13.0); 200m – 2^nd Aoife Lynch (26.93): 300mH – 2^nd Roisin Rynn-Cahill (49.5): 800m – 2^nd Lucy McCann (2.34.78); 7^th Eliza NiThighearnaigh (2.42.99); 8^th Ciara Murphy (2.44.80): 1500m – 3rd Eliza NiThighearnaigh (5.19.27), 4th Lucy McCann (5.19.94), 5th Ciara Murphy (5.23.30 PB), 7th Suzanne Masterson (5.35.47): 2,000m Steeplechase – 1^st Suzanne Masterson (8.35.65): Hammer – 1^st Lauren O’Keeffe (54.49m): 4 x 100m – 2nd Donore H <Katie Coombes, Robyn, Cara Brennan, Suzi O’Farrell> (52.2), 3rd Donore H <Lauren O’Flaherty, Eve O’Reilly, Roisin Rynn-Cahill, Rebecca ?> (52.9): 4 x 400m – 3rd Donore H <Lucy McCann 70.54, Eliza NiThighearnaigh 69.14, Ciara Murphy 74.35, Suzanne Masterson 72.82> (4.46.85)

u/18 Girls: 200m – 3^rd Karen Hughes (28.63): 100mH – 2^nd Lauren Kennedy (17.90); 3^rd Ailbhe Healy (19.90): 800m – 3^rd Claire O’Connor (2.40.03): Long Jump – 1^st Leanne Brosnan (4.05m); 2^nd Clodagh Read (3.73m): Triple Jump – 2^nd Leanne Brosnan (9.71m); 3^rd Karen Hughes (8.73m); Pole Vault – 2^nd Ailbhe Healy (2.30m); 3^rd Aoife Simm (2.30m); Javelin – 2^nd Aoife Simm (23.16m); Hammer – 1^st Clodagh Read (40.26m); 2^nd Aoife Simm (30.63m)

u/18 Boys: 800m – 9^th Michael Gibbs (2.14.45 PB), 10^th Nahom Alem (2.24.11 PB): 1500m – 7th Michael Gibbs (4.21.8 PB), 10th Nahom Alem (4.47.1 PB): Long Jump – 1^st David Keenan (5.57m): Discus – 2^nd Oran O’Brien (35.69m); 3^rd Sean Young (25.51m): Shot Putt – 1^st Oran O’Brien (12.06m); 2^nd Sean Young (9.87m): Hammer – 2^nd Sean Young (22.97m)

u/19 Girls: 4 x 100m – 4th Donore H <Lauren Kennedy, Karen Hughes, Claire O’Connor, Ailise Keating> (NTA)

u/19 Boys: 100m – 1^st Conor Fox (11.5): 200m – 2^nd Conor Fox (25.32): 800m – 3^rd Stephen Gavin (2.05.43)

Other Juvenile Results

Munster Juvenile T&F Championships at Waterford RSC (13/6/15): u/17 Girls – 1^st Lauren O’Keeffe (56.40m – European Olympic Standard) competed as guest

Waterstown 5km Parkrun (13/6/15): 6^th Michael Barry u/12 (21.10 first 5k), 36^th Robert Lynch u/12 (27.04), 53^rdMatthew Lynch u/15 (29.39)

St. Anne’s 5km Parkrun (13/6/15): 31^st Noah Synnott u/13s (21.07 first 5k)

Senior Results

IMRA Leinster League at Tibradden 11.23km with climb of 365m (27/5/15): 94^th Peter Bonnar M40 (1.04.23), 174^th Sarah Ni Ruairc (1.29.56)

IMRA Leinster League at Sorrell Hill 9.45km with climb of 392m (10/6/15): 146^th Sarah Ni Ruairc (1.16.23)

La Cheile International / IMC Meet at Leixlip (13/6/15): 1500m ‘A’ – 2^nd John Travers (3.41.43): 1500m ‘C’ – 10^th Stephen Gavin JNR (4.16.33), 11^th Sam Allen (4.16.98): 3000m ‘B’ – 8^th Luke Boland (9.26.24): 100m ‘A’ – 3^rd Sean Lawlor JNR (10.99): 200m ‘C’ – 2^nd Adam Halpin JNR (24.50): 800m ‘C’ – 8^th Daragh Fitzgibbon (1.58.03): 800m ‘F’ – 3^rd David Campbell (2.01.66 PB)

Portumna Forest, Co. Galway 50km (13/6/15): 35^th / 5^th woman Claire Morrissey (4.40.27)

Run with Sonia Euromedic 5km at Dun Laoghaire (13/6/15): 60^th Paul O’Neill u/18s (20.32), 134^th / 29^th woman Elaine Verdon (23.02), 137^th / 30^th woman Laura Murray (23.06)

Griffeen 5km Parkrun (13/6/15): 3^rd Colin Morrissey M40 (18.21 PB)