Craughwell AC Women’s Team
National League Bronze Medalists 2018
Arlene Earls, Chloe Casey, Sinead Gaffney, Sinead Treacy,
Laura Cunningham, Sarah Finnegan
(missing from photo Caron Ryan, Eva Kelly)

Craughwell AC’s remarkable success rate in the National Indoor League continued at the weekend with the women’s team claiming the bronze team medals in a hotly contested league final in the National Indoor Area in Abbotstown Dublin. The club has a fine history in the event with silver team medals in the augural year of the event in 2014, silver again in 2015, 5th place in 2016, 8th place in 2017 and now bronze medals in 2018.

On a day which saw 2 club senior records set and a third almost broken, every single one of the team was in top form going close to their PBs and eclipsing them in many cases.

It proved impossible to get full team pic on the day … above left was taken between the 400m and the 800m and missing Arlene who was feeling ill after the 400m and then just as Arlene reappeared (above right) Sinead was gone into the start line for her 800m and then later Caron was missing from the team podium photo as she had gotten lost in Ikea and no amount of searching could find her 🙂

Chloe Casey got the day off to a roaring start in her first ever senior competition and first ever time throwing the 4kg shot (U17s weight is 3kg). Chloe broke our club record not just once but on all four of her throws with the best of 11.36m taking the victory by a considerable margin. A super week for Chloe having won the Scottish U17 title just 6 days earlier.

The track got going at 1pm with Sarah Finnegan powering her way over the 60m hurdles to take a brilliant 3rd place in a time of 10.40 – an impressive .67s faster than only a few weeks ago in round 1 of the league. Sarah was in action again late in the day with an excellent leap of 10.14m to take 2nd place in the triple jump. 

Next into battle was Laura Cunningham in the high jump. Joining the competition at 1.45m with only a handful of competitors left, Laura sailed comfortably over the bar on her first attempt and repeated this with super first-time clearances over 1.50m and 1.55m. With only 2 competitors left at 1.60m, Laura knocked it on her first attempt but sailed high over it on her second attempt with a brilliant jump. Up to 1.63m, it proved a barrier too far on this occasion for Laura and her rival cleared it with Laura taking 2nd place in the event – fantastic jumping! Laura later lined out in the 60m sprint for the first time since the league final last year and knocked almost 0.2s off her PB from a year ago with a brilliant 8.20 to take 6th place.

The final leage table

Next up on the track Caron Ryan in the 1500m where she is just going from strength to strength on each race. Having knocked 4 seconds off the club’s senior record in the 1500m last weekend, Caron knocked another 2 seconds off it in the League final with a brilliant 4.53.70 to take 4th place and vital points for the team. Sinead Treacy leaped to an excellent 5.03m to take 3rd place in the long jump and following this up with a brilliant 25.70 to take 6th place in the 200m.

Having run her first indoor 400m only a week ago in an excellent time of 60.42, Arlene Earls went into today’s 400m with a slightly different game-plan of going harder in the first 200m which very almost worked as Arlene led her heat at the 400m break line and powered her way around the first 350m before the dreaded lactic acid started to kick in on the final 50m. But Arlene held on to win her heat in another fine time of 60.54 and take 3rd place overall – great experience in a new event for her.

The team being presented with their medals by
AAI President Georgina Drumm

Sinead Gaffney wrapped up the individual performances with yet another powerful display of 800m running. Sinead went out at a savage speed much like Gavin Cooney in the Northwest Games a few weeks ago – clocking 32s at 200m and 65s at 400m. The early pace took its toll a little and Sinead had to battle extraordinarily hard in the last 200m to overcome the tsunami of lactic acid that was starting to flow – but battle it she did and record a brilliant 2.20.27 – a season’s best and only 0.23s behind her PB and club record of 2.20.04 set in 2016.

With only the relays left, the team were tied for 2nd place with Sli Cualann of Wicklow and only 2 points ahead of 4th place Donore Harriers. All three teams were running in the first relay race. The Craughwell team put in a heroic effort with Sinead T leading the team out, handing over to Arlene and then to Sinead G and then to Laura for the anchor. But try as we might, we could not catch Sli Chulainn and finished in 3rd place in our heat just behind the Wicklow women.

That place guaranteed the bronze medals – a fantastic performance from a super team and well done to team manager Sarah Finnegan on their success as it’s a difficult task to get everyone available for the 2 rounds of the league and for the final and special mention to Eva Kelly who stepped up for the team to throw the shot putt in round 1 and also to Lorraine Delaney who did some emergency pole vault sessions last week to try to learn the event a little in order to get over the opening height of 1.50m for the league final but unfortunately we ran out of time to get to that level.

Some pics below of the 2015 and 2017 teams. 

Craughwell AC’s team
who placed 8th in the National League Final 2017
Sineád Treacy, Ciana Reidy, Lorraine Delaney,
Laura Cunningham, Sarah Finnegan, Caoilin Milton

Some of the Craughwell AC team who won silver in
the 2015 National League
Sinead Treacy, Tara McNally, Michelle Duggan,
Aisling Keady, Rachel Finnegan, Sarah Finnegan
Missing from pic: Cathriona Farrell, Ciara Greene, Sinead Gaffney