Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

Kelly Proper sparkles with All Ireland treble


Athlone was the venue on Saturday and Sunday last for the All Ireland
Senior Indoor Championships and what a week end it proved to be for
Kelly Proper Ferrybank AC. Kelly competed in three events and won all
three recording personal bests in two of them. On Saturday her first
victory came in the long jump with a distance of 5.91 metres and this
made it 8 All Ireland wins in succession in this event and she then
won her heats in both the 60 and 100 metres making it through to
Sundays finals in both. Sunday proved to be even better as in the 60
metres she was up against two fancied competitors Amy Foster with the
fastest qualifying time and Ailis McSweeney. Both however were
disqualified for false starting and Kelly took full advantage to win
in a personal best time of 7.45 seconds her first 60 metres title. A
short time later she lined up for the 200 metres final and was a
decisive winner again in a personal best time of 23.78 seconds and
this was her 4 th 200 metres title.  Kelly has an amazing tally of
titles at these championships and it shows what a great competitor she
is over the years. Last year she was troubled with injuries hopefully
she can now look forward to a great outdoor season ahead. Other
results by Ferrybank AC athletes were as follows ;Sorcha Murphy joint
second in the high jump with 1.60 metres, Sean Archer had a personal
best of 13.72 metres in the triple jump in taking the bronze medal,
Shane O'Dwyer was fourth in the high jump with 2 metres equalling his
personal best and Billy Ryan 5 th in the 800 metres in 1.51.69, for
West Waterford Thomas Houlihan was joint second in the pole vault with
4.40 metres and James Ledingham 4th in the 800 metres in 1.51.16.

USA wins

In Boston on Thursday last David McCarthy had a big personal best in
the 3000 metres at an Indoor meeting and also  secured the qualifying
time for the European Indoor Championships in Gothenborg in early
March. He easily won the event in 7 minutes 51.24 seconds which was
well inside the qualifying time of 8 minutes even. At the same meeting
Kevin Cooper running for Brown University was fourth in a mile race in
a personal best time of 4 minutes 02.9 seconds while Shane Quinn had a
facile win in the USA on Saturday in Geneva, Ohio at The Big East
Conference Indoor Championships in the 5000 metres in a time of 14
minutes 17.51 seconds.

Bralitis wins Kilmacthomas 5 Miles

200 competed in the Annual Bausch and Lamb 5 miles road race in
Kilmacthomas on Sunday last, race 3 in the Michael Roche Carpets
Spring Series. Sandis Bralitis West Waterford was the winner in 25
minutes and 36 seconds, Niall Sheil St Killian's Wexford was second in
25.42 and Danny Smith Ballynonty was third in 26.15. Jacqui Carthy
Kilmore Co Wexford won the ladies section in a record time of 29.08,
Angela M Cann Clonmel was second in 29.20 and Maria McCarthy
Farranfore Maine Valley was third in 29.29. Category winners were as
follows; men o 40 Brendan Mooney, o 45 Andrew Leary West Waterford o
50 Walter Keane, o 55 Joe Gough West Waterford Junior Mark Condon.
Women o 35 Sylvia
Malone Waterford, o 40 Claudia Lane Mary ( ind ), o 45 Mags Kirwan
Bolger Waterford, o 50 Bernie Prendergast West Waterford. Proceeds
went to Waterford Hospice.

Mt Juliet Half Marathon.

Thomas Hogan Sliabh Bhui Rovers won the Mt Juliet Half Marathon on
Saturday last in 70 minutes 38 seconds, Philip Harty West Waterford
was second in 71.59 and Ravis Zakis do was third in 74.40. Martina
O'Dwyer Carrick on Suir won the ladies section in 85.21 Full results
on Total timing website. At the All Ireland Masters Indoor
Championships in Athlone on Saturday February 9 th Tom O'Brien
Waterford AC won the over 45 high jump with 1.70 meters a new National
record in that age group and not 1.60 metres as previously stated.

All Ireland Cross Country in Tullamore on Sunday

All the top cross country runners in the country will be in Tullamore
on Sunday next for the All Ireland Senior and Junior Inter Club cross
country championships and many will be striving for places on the
Irish teams for the World Cross Country Championships in Poland on
March 24 th. Unfortunately cross country at this level in Waterford is
very poor at the moment but it is expected a few individuals will
compete. The All Ireland juvenile Cross Country Relays are also on the
programme,the venue is opposite the Tullamore Track and first race is
at 12 noon for juveniles ,full time table is on Athletics Ireland
website

Munster Juvenile Indoors

Nenagh is the venue on Saturday and Sunday next for the Munster under
14 to 19 Indoor championships and lots of athletes from Waterford
clubs will be competing. The competition begins both days at 11 am,
check – in for the Outside Track opens at 9:15 am and closes at
10:15am  Check – In for Hurdles and Sprints opens at 10:15 am and
Closes at 11:15 am, full timetable on Munster Athletics Website..

31st Annual Déise College Dungarvan 10k on Sunday.

The fourth and final race in the Michael Roche carpets spring series,
the Déise College Dungarvan 10K will take place at 11am on Sunday next
February 24 th. The fast canal circuit will be used for the coarse
with the race headquarters at the Dungarvan Sports Centre, Quann’s
which is where the presentation will also take place. Entry fee 8
euro.Entries from 9.30 am at the Centre. Also on Sunday the Celtic
Link Duncannon 10 km has a 12 noon start at the County Wexford venue.

Other Road Races coming up.

Sunday March 10 th Mt Sion juvenile hurling club 5 miles 11 am, Sunday
March 31 st The Munster senior/novice road championships will be on
March 10 th and Masters are on 24th March, venues for both to follow.
 The WIT AC /WAC 5k race coming up 6 weeks from now with entries
available on www.runireland.com. Full details with route map and
poster on www.waterfordsac.com.

Ferrybank Fit 4 Life

Ferrybank Athletic Club presents Fit4Life for Youth, couch to 5 km in
6 weeks. Get fit, have fun, feel good with no running experience
required. For boys and girls 13 to 19 come along and complete your
first 5 km by the end of 6 weeks programme. Every Tuesday at IDA
Industrial Estate. Cork Road (meet at AIB Bank Paddy Browne's Road)
6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Every Saturday at Waterford Nature Park Tramore
Road 11 am to 12 noon. Cost Reg fee 12 Euro last for calendar year or
3 Euro per session. All needed ,runners and comfortable
clothes.Further Information : www.ferrybankathleticclub.org or Bríd
Golden : 087 6889330


Watch your numbers

Many runners especially in Road Races are not using the numbers
allocated to them in a particular event and passing them on to someone
else especially those pre entered who find they can not run on the
day. Nowadays most races are recorded on computers and the name that
is against the number will be the one recorded for the finish. In some
cases numbers allocated to men have ended up on women and vica versa
and it causes havoc with those getting out the results who will
invariably be blamed for something they have no control over.