Great Weekend of Athletics @ Munster under 9-13 Championships in RSC
The Munster under 9-13 Championships were held in the RSC Waterford on Saturday and Sunday last. There were huge fields in all the events with up to ten heats in some of the sprints and up to 75 competing in the girls under 10 and under 11 long jumps. Over the course of the two days twenty one West Waterford athletes competed in sprints, long jump, high jump, shot turbo javelin, middle distance races and relays. It was the clubs most successful weekend ever at this championship with 4 teams qualified for the All Ireland and three individual medal winners.
Gold and Silver for Maddie and Hailey in Turbo Javelin
West Waterford didn’t have to wait long for their first medal. In the first event of the day the girls under 9 turbo javelin Maddie Grant had a great throw over 10 mts to win the individual gold medal. She teamed up with Hailey Phelan in the team event and their combined score of 17.15 was good enough for the silver medals.
Gold for Mollai and Íde Ní Lionnáin in under 9 300m
Action then moved to the track with the middle distance events. With over forty athletes competing there were four heats. Ide Ni Lionnáin was one of the few athletes to go under 1min for the distance for a time of 59.19. In her heat her sister Mollaí was just over the min running 60.68. When their times were combined they were fastest on the day to take the gold medals in the girls under 9. We also had Maddie Grant and Saoirse Keohan in 9th place. In the under 9 Sprints Taylor O’Leary was the fastest of the West Waterford girls in 10.30 and she combined with Mollai for 6th place and both girls were also 6th in the long jump under 9.
Silver for Ciara Kenny and Maggie Byrne in the Long Jump
With such high numbers in the girls long jumps it took almost six hours to get through the under 11 and 10 long jumps. For Ciara and Maggie who were in the last pool of the under 10 girls event it was worth the wait as they jumped very consistently with only 1cm between them, Maggie Jumped 3.18 and Ciara 3.17 for a combined score of 6.35 to take the silver medals just 1cm ahead of the third place team. Ciara, Maggie and Sadie Burke competed in the sprint with Ciara fastest in 10.81 just one tenth of a second faster than Sadie. Sadie also ran in the 500m under 10 in 1.58. Etain Ni Mhurchu was in action in the long jump and 600m. She was all set to begin her long jump when she was called away to the 600m and by the time she came back most of the athletes had completed their jumps so she had to take hers one after the other not the ideal way to compete. She jumped 3.17 in the long jump and ran 2.09 for the 600m. Fianna Veale competed in heat ten of the girls under 11 60m finishing with a time of 10.07. In the under 12 girls 60m Kenzie Connors went under 10 secs with a time of 9.68 she also jumped 3m40 in the long jump and covered the 600m race in 2.12.
Bronze for Rian Murray and Cillian O’Brien in under 10 Long Jump
On Sunday it was the turn of the boys to compete. It was a pity were had only one under 9 boy as he missed out on a chance to compete in the team competitions. Liam Enright won his heat of the 60m in a time of 10.70 and was the second fastest Waterford athlete in the under 9 300m in a time of 56.29. In the 500m Che O’hArtaigh was the fastest of the West Waterford athletes in a time of 1.46. Caleb Roche was the fastest of the West Waterford athletes in the Sprint crossing the line in 9.81 and he combined with Cillian O’Brien for 6th place. Only one hundredth of a second separated Rian Murray and Deaglún Breathnach over the 60m and they finished 12th. In the last event of the day for the under 10’s Cillian and Rian combined in the long jump competition. Rian jumped 3.58 and Cillian 3.28 for a combined score of 6.86 and as second and third had the same score it had to go to count back with West Waterford awarded the bronze medals.
Individual Medals for Alex Whelan and Jarlath Hurney
Newcomer to the club this year Alex Whelan was in action in the boys under 11 Long Jump and he had a great jump of 3m58 to take the individual bronze medal. He teamed up with Andy Zakis who jumped 3.28 for a combined score of 6m86 which put them in 4th place just 3cms behind the third placed team. Jarlath Hurney was the only athlete competing this weekend who had competed at this level before and his experience told as he took second place in the shot in 9.79. Jarlath also came through heats and semi finals to make it through to the final of the boys under 13 80m where he finished 5th in a time of 11.31 and he also cleared 1m25 in the high jump.
Well done to all our athletes, parents and coaches on a very successful weekend.
Munster Under 14-19 Next Weekend in Cork
MTU is the venue for the Munster Championships under 14-19 next Sat and Sunday and West Waterford will have sixteen athletes in action over the two days. Aisling Hickey, Madison Connors, Eabha Broderick, Mario Zakis, Dylan O’Leary, Ava Kiely, Goda Mikalauskaite , Ava Ryan, Siun Cunningham, Luisne de Paor, Kasey Connors, Meabh Rowe , Isabelle Gaffney, Sophie Beresford, Michalina Goclik and Noah Conmmins. They will compete in sprints, hurdles, race walking, 200m, 800m, 1500m, hurdles , Shot, discus, javelin, long jump, triple jump and relay
The juvenile committe would like to extent their sincerest sympathies to club members Ava and Leah Kiely and their family on the death of their uncle Brendan Kiely. May he rest in peace.
