Gallery-Kilkenny stars walking in a medal wonderland in Tullamore

Once again the walks proved to be a winner as three Kilkenny athletes tasted glory over the weekend in Tullamore.

Amy and Evan Walsh from St Joseph’s won in style again in the 2,000m and 5,000m walks respectively, with Amy completing the double as under-16 indoor and outdoor champion. Amy walked a new PB (personal best) of 10.06 over 2,000m, while Evan walked the 5,000m in 23.06 for a new PB also. There was glory too for St Senan’s as Kerry Widger medalled in the under-16 final with a brilliant third place finish.

Robert Patterson shone in the boys’ under-16 hammer on Saturday as he took first place with a new massive PB of 51.07m. Isabella Quaglia (Kilkenny City Harriers - KCH) added another bronze medal to match her indoor bronze from earlier this year, in the girls’ under-13 shot put. Chloe Lynch (Gowran) also had another successful National, winning gold in the girls’ under-19 pole vault.

Kilkenny results
Under-13 shot put: 3 Isabella Quaglia (KCH).
Under-13 high jump: 13 Joey Nolan (Nuenna).
Under-13 800m: 4 Tom Doherty (St Joseph’s).
Under-14 2,000m walk: 5 Cara Maher (Castlecomer).
Under-14 discus: 11 Laoise Glynn (Gowran).
Under-14 discus: 3 Conor Knox (KCH).
Under-14 long jump: 4 Conor Knox (KCH).
Under-14 high jump: 6 Conor Knox (KCH).
Under-14 800m: 3 Daniel Greene (KCH).
Under-15 100m: 6 Jasmine Timmons McEneaney (KCH).
Under-15 2,000m walk: 4 Lucy Aylward (St Senan’s).
Under-15 80m hurdles: 3 Mia Brennan (KCH).
Under-15 long jump: 4 Mia Brennan (KCH).
Under-15 100m: Mia Brennan (KCH, third heat two).
Under-15 80m hurdles: 4 Kelly Charters (KCH).
Under-15 high jump: 8 Kelly Charters (KCH).
Under-15 hammer: 4 Jack O’Neill (KCH), 6 Landon Ryan (KCH).
Under-15 discus: 8 Jack O’Neill (KCH), 11 Landon Ryan (KCH).
Under-16 2,000m walk: 1 Amy Walsh (St Joseph’s).
Under-16 2,000m walk: 3 Kerry Widger (St Senan’s).
Under-16 100m: 2 Ellen Daly (KCH), 4 Aisling Phelan (KCH).
Under-16 discus: 9 Anna Kelsey (Gowran).
Under-16 girls’ shot put: 10 Sophie O’Neill (Brow Rangers).
Under-16 girls’ hammer: 5 Sophie O’Neill (Brow Rangers), 6 Leah Hennessy (Brow Rangers).
Under-16 boys’ hammer: 1 Robert Patterson (Gowran).
Under-16 boys’ discus: 9 Robert Patterson (Gowran).
Under-16 boys’ shot put: 12 Robert Patterson (Gowran).
Under-16 boys’ 100m: Eoghan O’Farrell (KCH, fifth heat two).
Under-16 boys’ 3,000m: 13 Gearoid Farrell (Gowran).
Under-17 pole vault: 4 Aoibhlinn Steger (Gowran).
Under-17 hammer: 5 Doireann Haughney (Brow Rangers).
Under-17 long jump: 7 Odhran Prendergast (Gowran).
Under-17 100m hurdles: 3 Victor Lamph (Thomastown).
Under-17 800m: Kyrell Mtinsi (KCH, eighth heat one).
Under-18 3,000m walk: 4 Lily Ryan (St Joseph’s).
Under-18 5,000m walk: 1 Evan Walsh (St Joseph’s).
Under-18 800m: Conor Ryan (KCH, eighth heat one), Cormac Holden (KCH, sixth heat two).
Under-18 shot put: 10 Colum Quinlan (Brow Rangers).
Under-19 100m final: 8 Grace Delahunty (KCH).
Under-19 3,000m: 4 Abigail O’Regan (St Senan’s).
Under-19 high jump: 3 Ella Wall (KCH).
Under-19 400m: 6 Ella Wall (KCH).
Under-19 discus: 6 Rachel Gardiner (Gowran).
Under-19 pole vault: 1 Chloe Lynch (Gowran).
Under-19 girls’ 3,000m steeplechase: 4 Caoimhe Barry (St Joseph’s).
Under-19 boys’ 3,000m steeplechase: 2 Tom Murphy (KCH).
Under-19 400m: 7 Cillian Daly (KCH).

National record, Europe

Congrats to Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) who was part of the Irish mixed 4x400m team who competed in the European Division 2 Championships in Maribor, Slovenia. With Manning running the second leg of the relay, the team ran an impressive time of 3:14.81 to finish second in their heat and fourth overall in the relays, helping Ireland to a fifth place finish at the end of the competition.

Alex Cullen (Kilkenny City Harriers) was part of the Irish under-20 4x400m squad who competed at the Junior Gala in Mannheim, Germany. Alex and his team-mates Sean Doggett, Conor Kelly and David Davitt finished in first place in a time of 3:08.31 to not only win but break the previous record set in the World Junior Championships last year. The time puts them at the top of the European junior rankings in the 4x400m event this season. Alex was second in his individual 400m race with a new PB of 47.37 seconds.

Molly Daly and Pia Langton (Kilkenny City Harriers) also competed in Mannheim. Running the second leg Molly was part of the 4x100m relay which saw the team run in a super time of 44.52. Pia won her 800m in 2:07.55 - fantastic running from all three athletes.

SIAB Selection

Congrats to Kate Maher and Ellen Daly (both Loreto Kilkenny), Matias Quaglia (Kilkenny College) and Evan Walsh (CBS Kilkenny) on their selection to represent Ireland at the SIAB competition in Moorways Sports Village, Derby, England on Saturday, July 19.

AA Games

Congrats to Alexandria Donnellan (Gowran AC) who represented Ireland at the AA Games in Coventry.

Alex, who had the honour of being selected as captain for the Irish team, was part of a strong team of 18 Para Athletes who competed over the weekend in various track and field events.

Alex, along with her teammates, has worked tirelessly in preparation for the games, each athlete gaining lots of experience and building confidence in their own abilities.

Having medalled at the Leinsters just a few weeks previous, Alex excelled in all her events this weekend and came home with three gold medals in the shot put, javelin and discus, where she also secured a new personal best.

Nationals

Cathal O’Reilly (Kilkenny City Harriers) ran a superb race in the under-23 1,500m at the National Track & Field Championships in Tullamore on Saturday, finishing strongly for the top spot. Alex Cullen just pipped his under-20 relay teammate David Davitt for the silver medal position as they both chased down Sean Doggett in the under-20 400m final. Molly Daly won a spectacular silver, placing second in the under-20 women’s 200m final behind Precious Akpe-Moses who also set a new 200m championship record on the day.

Tom Murphy (Kilkenny City Harriers) was back on the podium again in the men’s under-20 3,000m steeplechase, finishing well to place second in a highly competitive race.

In the under-20 throwing events Gowran duo Rachel Gardiner and Andrew Cooper collected silver medals, Rachel in the women’s discus and Andrew in the men’s shot put. Their clubmate Chloe Lynch won another national medal, adding silver this time, as she placed second in the women’s under-20 pole vault.

Ruairi McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) and Evan Walsh (St Joseph’s) were bronze medallists on the day. Evan walked to third place finish in the under-20 5,000m while Ruairi ran an impressive 5,000m race to come in third just in front of clubmate Callum Barron in fourth.

Kilkenny results
Women’s under-20 200m: 2 Mollie Daly (KCH), 4 Kate Maher (KCH).
Women’s under-20 400m: Pia Langton (KCH, third heat three).
Women’s under-20 800m: Abigail O’Regan (St Senan’s, fifth heat one).
Women’s under-20 pole vault: 2 Chloe Lynch (Gowran).
Women’s under-20 WFD: 2 Rachel Gardiner (Gowran).
Women’s under-20 shot put: 8 Rachel Gardiner (Gowran).
Women’s under-20 discus: 8 Rachel Gardiner (Gowran).
Women’s under-20 hammer: 8 Meabh O’Donovan (Brow Rangers).
Women’s under-20 discus: 10 Meabh O’Donovan (Brow Rangers).
Men’s under-20 400m: 2 Alex Cullen (KCH).
Men’s under-20 3000m steeplechase: 2 Tom Murphy (KCH).
Men’s under-20 5,000m: 3 Ruairi McEvoy (KCH), 4 Callum Barron (KCH).
Men’s under-20 5,000m walk: 3 Evan Walsh (St Joseph’s).
Men’s under-20 shot put: 2 Andrew Cooper (Gowran).
Men’s under-20 javelin: 4 Daire Casey Power (St Senan’s).
Women’s under-23 1,500m: 4 Hannah Kehoe (KCH).
Men’s under-23 1,500m: 1 Cathal O’Reilly (KCH).
Men’s under-23 long jump: 4 Evan O’Toole (St Joseph’s).