Evan Hallinan, National U15 Triple Jump Champion 2019

Craughwell AC’s juveniles were back in action again in Tullamore at the third weekend of the National Track & Field Championships where Evan Hallinan and Sean Cotter were amongst the highlights of the day. Evan leaped to a brilliant National title in the U15 Boys triple jump with a best of 11.09m sealing the gold medal. He later followed this up with a 7th place finish in the high jump, withdrawing due to injury at the medal-winning height of 1.60m. It was a remarkable performance for Evan as he has had an injury ridden few months due to a growth phase and training has been interruppted as a result. Evan’s title adds to the Scottish triple jump title that he won earlier in the year.

Sean Cotter scorched to silver in the U17 Boys 1500m in an excellent 4:15.15 with Oisin Davis 10th in 4:22.13. It was a super performance for Sean who bounced back from the dissappointment the previous weekend of narrowly missing the finals of the 800m when placing 4th in a tactical heat.

Sean Cotter silver medallist in the National U17 1500m

James Furey took 5th place in the U17 Boys high Jump with a clearance of 1.50m and later placed 6th in the heats of the U17 3000m hurdles in 49.87. Lukas Schukat placed 6th in the U16 Boys triple jump with a best of 10.16m and 13th in the long jump with a leap of 4.94m. Ryan Gallagher had a massive PB jump of 6.21m to take 7th place in the U18 Boys long jump, only 11cm from the club’s U20 record in this event and unlucky not to take a medal due to the incredibly high standard on the day.

Ross McGuinness placed 7th in the U16 Boys 3000m in an impressive 9:58.22 in the sweltering conditions with William Fitzgerald equally impressive with 9:31.16 to place 8th in the U19 3000m. Aoibhe Fahy threw the javelin out to an impressive 26.10m to take 8th place in the U15 Girls event and followed it up later with 12th place in the shot with a throw of 8.36m. Freya Bohan raced to a 2-second PB when placing 4th in the heats of the U18 400m in a time of 62.82, just missing out on qualification for the final in 9th place overall and later placed 7th in the U18 heats in 13.75 and 11th in the shot with a throw of 6.71m. It was unlucky 9th place also for Aoibhe Donnellan who raced to a brilliant time of 11.03 in the heats of the U14 Girls 80m, just missing out on the final by 0.02 of a second.

There were strong performances also from Grace Keaveney 11th in the U14 Girls long jump with 4.22m; Alisha Larkin 12th in the U17 Girls long jump with 4.72m and 6th in the heats of the 100m in 13.79; Kyle Moorhead 13th in the U18 Boys 1500m in 4:27.79; Saoirse Pierce 6th in the heats of the U16 Girls 250m hurdles in 43.34; Millie Geraghty 13th in the U15 Girls javelin with 22.85; Andrew Power 13th in the U15 Boys javelin with 19.54; Ella Lyons 16th in the U15 Girls long jump with 4.49; and Ciara Sheppard 17th in the U18 Girls 1500m in a PB of 5:32.59.

Also in action at the weekend, Laura Cunningham leaped to a season’s best of 4.89 to take 2nd place in the Senior Women’s long jump at the IMC meet in Drogheda, leaping off her less-favoured right leg for the last 3 jumps which resulted in the season’s best.