Lynch crowned champion at National Indoor Juvenille Finals

DONORE Harriers’ Aoife Lynch stamped her class all over the final of the Under 19 Girls 200m on the closing day of the National Indoor Juvenile Champion-ships at Athlone Arena on Saturday.

One of the rising stars in Irish sprinting, Lynch (24.62) ran an indoors personal best time to take the gold medal ahead of her Ireland international colleague Aoife Cloke-Rochford (25.03) of Bree AC.

It marked one of five medals won by the club on the day, two of which came in the closing two races of the championships.

In the penultimate race, Lara O’Byrne (9.31) took bronze in the Under 18 Girls 60m Hurdles with Lucy Hurley (9.95), still on the comeback trail after a long lay-off due to injury, taking seventh.

In the Championship’s closing race, the Under 18 Boys 60m Hurdles, Kolade Abiodun (8.20) ran a new personal best time to take silver behind Shane Monagle (8.10) of Tramore AC.

The club’s other medals also came in the hurdles events, which is a great credit to the coaching skills of John Geoghegan, Ray O’Keeffe and Paul Clarkin.

Roisin Rynn-Cahill (10.60) claimed silver in the Under 19 Girls 60m Hurdles, while Alex Clarkin (8.37) picked up bronze in the Under 19 Boys 60m Hurdles, missing out on silver by just one-hundredth of a second.

Jack Raftery (2.12.66) trailed home in eighth place in the Under 17 Boys 800m final after he had earlier placed second in the first of two qualifying heats by knocking two seconds of his personal best time.

In the Under 14 Girls 2kg shot putt Denise Ursu placed eighth with a first round throw of 10.14m.

MEANWHILE DSD Athletic Club’s Laura Gallagher retained her National Juvenile Indoor Championship title when winning the Under 15 Girls 60m hurdles in Athlone on Saturday, clocking a new PB of 9.27 in the process.

Also reaching the final of hurdles competition were Cian Dunne (sixth in the Under 15 Boys class in 9.82), Hannah Bondzio (Under 16 Girls 9.87), Liam Jenkins (seventh in the Under 16 Boys in 9.18) and Ciaran Carty (seventh in the Under 17 field in 9.23).

There were also some fine performances in the 200m by James Holden (fourth in the Under 19 contest in a new PB of 22.54), Seamus Fenton (fourth Under 17 in new PB of 23.41), Ciaran Carthy (fifth in new PB of 23.42) and Liam Fenton (fifth in the Under 16 division in a new PB of 23.95).