Donore stars strike gold
DONORE Harriers saw some of their most promising young athletes make the podium at the Irish Life Health Juvenile Indoor Championships in Athlone recently.
Jack Raftery finally got the gold he so deserved after coming home first in the Boys Under 18 400m, recording a personal best time of 50.17 seconds in the process.
Jack Raftery from Donore Harriers AC races home to victory in the Boys Under 18 400m
After a succession of fourth place finishes in 2017 as well as a bronze in the National Under 17 Boys 400m last July, he showed he has the confidence and ability to deliver the top prize in a major national final.
Running from the outside lane, he went through the 200m in 24 seconds and withheld the late challenges of Ciaran Carthy (50.42) of DSD and Cormac O’Rourke (50.47) of Lagan Valley AC to win his first individual national gold medal.
The prolific Louis O’Loughlin, meanwhile, chalked up his 15th national title by winning the 1500m.
The Clondalkin man made his intentions known from the gun by opening a huge lead through 400m, reached in 57 seconds.
By the 800m (2.02) mark he had widened the gap on his pursuers, but was visibly slowing as he felt the effects of the tough All-Ireland School’s race the previous week.
His third 400m section of the race was run in 69 seconds, but his sheer tenacity saw him home in a personal best time of 4.01.87, with Brian Maguire (4.06.06) of DSD and Jake Bagge (4.06.75) of Ferrybank AC next.
Silver medals
Multi-event athletes Lara O’Byrne and Max Carey both won silver medals.
The former opened her account in the Girls Under 19 Long Jump with a 4.76m leap that put her into second position.
However, Laura Cunningham of Craughwell AC had subsequent jumps of 4.83m and 4.87m to relegate the Donore athlete to third after which a final attempt, measuring of 4.91m saw O’Byrne regain the silver medal position behind Vicki Cusack (5.16m) of Liscarrol AC.
Carey had a best clearance of 3.40m to take the same colour in the Under 19 Boys Pole Vault behind Ben O’Dwyer of Moycarkey Coolcroo AC.
Alex Leonard made it five medals for Donore on the first day of the championships when he clocked 8.54 to win the bronze in the Under 12 Boys 60m.
His time was equal to Richard McGrath of Galway City, but the Donore athlete lost out on countback – being five-hundredths of a second slower for his heat time.
Abdel Laadjel (4.23.85) and Sekeriye Ahmed (4.15.74) both recorded personal bests and sixth place finishes in their respective finals in the Under 16 and Under 19 Boys 1500m finals.
Tubbercurry 10k
ELSEWHERE Donore’s John Travers won the Tubbercurry 10k in his adopted county of Sligo in a time of 31.34 with Rossa Hurley third in 33.07.
Eric Keogh enjoyed one of his best races of recent times when he finished runner-up in the Portlaoise 5k in 14.41.95 only one second off winner Hiko Tonosa of DSD.
And, at the Mullingar Half Marathon, Chris Muldoon finished faster than he did in last week’s equivalent in Bohermeen, with a time of 77.27 that saw him take 12th place.
TAGS Sport
