Locals shine in Combined Events Championships

By Stephen Leonard

A NUMBER of local athletes travelled to the AIT International Arena on Saturday to contest the Indoor Combined Events Championships in which a many of them performed strongly.

In the women’s section, a tally of 2,894 was good enough to see Jennifer Hanrahan of Brothers Pearse emerge winner from the Under 15 division, 50 points the better of closest challenger Niamh McCorry of Annalee AC.

Donore Harriers’ Lara O’Byrne won out in the Women’s Youth com-petition, finishing on 3,364 and leaving her more than 100 points ahead of runner-up Rachel Kelly of Kilkenny City Harriers.

There was a third place finish for Tallaght Athletic Club’s Saoirse Reihill in the Junior Women’s division thanks in no small measure to a strong showing in the shot putt.

DSD’s Claudia Moran finished up seventh in the Under 14 section with Niamh Russell of Brothers Pearse three places further back.

Cian Dunne of DSD Athletic Club finished up third in the Under 15 Boys event behind Tralee’s Jordan Kissane and winner Reece Ademola of Leevale.

Dunne’s clubmate Liam Jenkins took sixth place in the Under 16 Boys division while in the Senior Men’s field, Eamonn Fahey of Donore Harriers emerged third on the leaderboard on 3,244 points.

There was more success for DSD in the Master Men’s Over 40 and 50 competition with Kevin Byrne topping the former on 2,422 points and Peader McGing finishing third in the Over 50 class behind Slaney Olympic’s John O’Connor and winner Tommy Greene of St John’s AC.

Meanwhile in the recent opening round of the National Indoor Club League, Donore Harriers Women finished up fifth, 12 points adrift of leaders Dublin City Harriers while the Donore men emerged eighth.

Among the standout performers for Donore was Lara O’Byrne’s third place finish in the Shot Putt and Eamon Fahey’s fourth place in the Men’s Long Jump.