Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

Lots of Munster Schools titles won.

Athletes from Waterford Schools had many wins and second and third placings at the AViVA Munster Schools Track and Field Championship finals at Cork IT Track on Saturday last. Best performance of the day came from Orlaith O'Brien Ursuline Convent as she won the junior javelin title with a record throw of 39.70 metres beating the old record set 33 years ago by almost 4 metres.  Niamh Mc Nichol Stella Maris Tramore in finishing second in the intermediate 200 metres in 24.88 seconds achieved a qualifying time for the European Youth Olympic . At senior level Paul Murphy St Augustine's won both the 200 and 400 metres senior titles the latter in a personal best time of 49.54 seconds which was most impressive. Two sisters from St Augustine's both won pole vault titles Alison O'Connor in the junior and Meg in the intermediate and St Augustine's had 8 wins in total. The following were the fourteen winners; Senior 200 metres and 400 metres Paul Murphy St Augustine's, pole vault Conor Kavanagh do,  3000 m walk Ciaran Dee CBS Dungarvan. Intermediate;  high jump Neasa Murphy Stella Maris, pole vault Meg O' Connor St Augustine's, pole vault Shamie Fennell do, triple jump Liz Devine do. Junior; pole vault Aisling O'Connor do, pole vault Darragh Mc Grath do  Javelin Orlaith O'Brien Ursuline, 100m Tadg Myler St Pauls, high jump James Murphy CBS Tramore and Diarmuid Clancy Mean Scioil San Nioclas tied, Stella Maris won the girls intermediate relay.  

Primary School Sports

Hundreds of children from schools in the city and surrounding area competed in the Waterford Primary School Sports in Kilmacow Sports Complex on Wednesday last, the fixture was organised by Ferrybank AC. Several athletes had doubles and the following were the winners: Girls u 8 80 m Laoise Forrest Ballygunner, 300m race 1 Aoibhe Waring St John of God, race 2 Kelsey Obanye Ballygunner, Relay Ballygunner. u 9 80 m and 300 m race 1 Ellen Boylan Portlaw, 300 m race 2 Ava Fanning Gael Scoil na Deise,  Relay Ballygunner. u 10 80 m Paula Igwee Ursuline, 300 m race 1 Rachel Walsh Butlerstown, race 2 Eve Flynn Ballygunner, Relay Ursuline. u 11 80 m Sophie Meade Ursuline 300 m race 1 Emer Mc Glynn, race 2  Isobella Cislaghi Waterpark, relay St John of God. u12 80 m and 500m Lynsey Maguire Ballygunner, relay St Johm of God. o 12  80m and 600 m Emily Goff Ballygunner, relay St John of God. Boys u 8 80 m and 300 m race 1 Owen Cuddihy Ballygunner, 300m race 2 David Scanlon Gael Scoil na Deise, relay Scoil Lorcain. u 9 80 m and 300 m race 2 Jack Corcoran Gael Scoil na Deise, 300m race 1 Mark Imiren Ferrybank, Relay Ferrybank. u 10 80m and 300 m race 1 Victory Eddy St Declan's, race 2 Liam Kervick Gael Scoil na Deise  relay St Declan's., u 11 80 m and 300 m race 1 Ethan Flynn Gael Scoil na Deise, race 2 Kyle Sloan Ballygunner, Relay Gael Scoil na Deise. u 12 80 m Tom Gallagher Ballygunner, 500 m Adam Power St Declan's, relay Ballygunner.. o 12 80 m and 500 m Lance Baylon Ballygunner, relay Ballygunner. The award for best overall school went to Ballygunner, Best girls school St John of God, Best boys school St Mary's Ferrybank, Best small school Gael Scoil na Deise. Special Category winners Ursuline

Jessie third in Loughboro

On Sunday last Jessie Barr was third in a 400 metres hurdles race in Loughboro in England in 58.05 seconds and at the same meering Niamh Whelan was fourth in the 100 and 200 metres, her times being 12.06 and 23.96.

21 st Annual Ras Na Rinne on Friday

Race 4 in the Ger Wyley Nike Sports Series is the 21 st Annual Mooney's Pub Ras Na Rinne over 6 miles in Ring Co Waterford  on Friday next starting at 8 pm. Entries being taken in Hal na Rinne, Ring from 6.30 pm. Contact number 086 8184762

County Championships Day 2 in Kilkenny 

Sunday next is day 2 of the County Track and Field Championships in Kilkenny at 12.30 pm sharp with a huge number of events. If the fixture is to be run off smoothly and quickly lots of help from all clubs required. The first events on the track in are the junior men and women 400 metres hurdles and then moving down in age group to 250 metres hurdles etc followed by the sprint hurdles starting at the lowest age u 12 

National League begins on Sunday

At Morton Stadium and Athlone on Sunday next the National Senior League begins and Ferrybank will have a men's and women's team as will West Waterford AC

USA Collegiate fixture

 The preliminary round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place from Thursday, May 23 to Saturday, May 25 in Greensboro N.C. as the top-48 declared competitors of the NCAA East Regional rankings will compete in their respective events. Shane Quinn will compete in the 5000 meter run on Saturday, May 25 in the semi final round. Quinn earned a second-place finish in the 5000 meter run at the BIG EAST Championships earlier this season. to qualify.

Track and Field Fixtures

 Saturday June 1 st AVIVA All Ireland Schools Finals Tullamore, Sunday June 2 nd Munster Senior and Masters Championships Cork IT, Monday June 3rd Fanahan Mc Sweeney Open Sports Mitchelstown.see website

Road Races coming up 

Sunday May 26 th Strawberry Half Marathon Enniscorthy 10 am, also 5 miles 11 am. Wednesday May 29 th Fethard Co Tipperary 4 miles contact 087 9229747, Friday May 31 st Tooraneena  5 Km, race 5 Ger Wyley Nike Sports Series, Sunday June 2 nd  Little South 4 miles Kilmacow 2 pm., Friday June 7 th  Race 3 Outfield Sports Three County Challenge in Carrick on Suir at 7.30 pm the Carraig Hotel " Deadmans Five Miles"..

WLRFM Viking Marathon

Just a month away for the Waterford Viking Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay event on Saturday June 29 th  and entries will have a cut off date of June 15th at 12 pm and this will not be changed, so enter now and don't miss out. See Waterford Viking Marathon Website. If you know of someone who is intending to run let them know the final date for entries and remember if you enter and for some reason you cannot run on the day DON:T give your number to someone else as this causes havoc with people doing  results.