Several athletes from the club travelled to Athlone IT with their schools last Thursday for the 2019 Connacht Secondary Schools Multi-Events competition. The multi-events competition is a pentathlon indoors or a heptathlon or decathlon outdoors depending on the age group. For the secondary schools, its an indoor pentathlon comprising 5 events – 60m hurdles, long jump, high jump and 800m for the girls and similar for the boys except 200m in place of high jump. Athletes score points in each event depending on their performance rather than their placing and the athlete with the highest points wins.

There were many fine performances by Craughwell AC athletes, most notably from Siofra Davis (Pres Athenry) who recorded a magnificent sequence of performances with 3rd place in the hurdles in a time of 10.70, 2nd in the high jump with a leap of 1.40, 4th in the long jump with a leap of 4.30m, 3rd in the shot putt with a throw of 7.10m and finishing off with a fine 2:47.39 to place 3rd in the 800m for an overall points 2310 points to take the gold by the tiny margin of 6 points. Jade Moorhead (Pres Athenry) also had a fine performance in the same event, winning the high jump with an excellent 1.45m, 5th in the long jump with a 4.29m PB, 5th in the hurdles in 12.06, 7th in the shot putt with 6.35 and 4th in the 800m in 2:50.02 for a points total of 2074 and 4th place.

Leanagh Gilligan (St Brigids) and Ellie Cronin (Pres Athenry) were both impressive in the Senior and Intermediate Grades with Leanagh taking silver and Ellie taking bronze against top class opponents. Leanagh recorded bests of 1.45m in the high jump, 4.94m in the long jump, 5.60 in the shot putt, 11.51 in the hurdles and 3:11.92 in the 800m for a points’ total of 2073. Ellie leaped to 1.45m and 3.76m in the high jump and long jump, heaved the shot out to 7.40 and raced to times of 10.04 and 2:46.32 in the hurdles and 800m for a score of 2389 points.

In the Minor Girls age group, Leonore Church (Pres Athenry) was impressive when placing 4th overall with a points total of 2054 which included 2nd place in the high jump with 1.40m, 4th place in the long jump with 4.02m, 4th in the hurdles in 11.94, 6th in the shot with 6.34 and 4th in the 800m in 2:47.36. Erin Kelly (Pres Athenry) was unlucky in the same event, coming in at 1.25 in the high jump but unfortunately clipping it each time with her left foot but went on to record solid performances in the remaining events with 3.94m in the long jump, 5.78 in the shot putt, 13.09 in the hurdles and 3:06.81 in the 800m. Anna Cotter (Calasanctius) also had some good performances with 2:51.47 in the 800m, 3.78 in the long jump, 5.30 in the shot and 12.98 in the hurdles.

In the first-year girls age group Grace Keaveney (Pres Athenry) placed 4th overall with victory in the long jump with 4.31, 3rd place in the 800m in 2:47.37, 12.66 in the hurdles and 4.49 in the shot putt. Issy Fitzgerald (Pres Athenry) also did well in the same age group, placing 2nd in the shot with 6.58 and recording 12.06 in the hurdles and 3.82 in the long jump.

In the boys events, Evan Hallinan (Pres Athenry) placed 7th overall in the Junior Boys age group with 4th place in the long jump with a leap of 5.05 as well as recording 7.34 in the shot, 10.30 in the hurdles, 27.57 in the 200m and 2:43.32 in the 800m. Also in the Junior Boys, Ryan McDonnell (St Brigids) placed 9th overall with 26.83 in the 200m, 4.40 in the long jump, 7.83 in the shot, 11.29 in the hurdles and 2:42.12 in the 800m. Lukas Schukat (Pres Athenry) recorded 4.64 in the long jump, 6.47 in the shot, 10.63 in the hurdles, 28.42 in the 200m and 3:05.30 in the 800m. Sean Cunningham (Gort CS) recorded an impressive 25.97 for 5th place in the 200m, as well as 3.98 in the long jump, 6.93 in the shot and 10.16 in the hurdles. While in the Minor Boys grade, Cian Lavan (Calasanctius) placed 5th overall with 4.75 for 4th place in the long jump, 10.31 in the hurdles, 7.32 in the shot, 28.84 in the 200m and 2:31.39 in the 800m. Evan Quinn (St Brigids) placed 9th overall with a 3rd place finish in both the long jump (with an impressive 5.06) and shot putt with 9.61, 28.31 in the 200m, 3:15.97 in the 800m and 12.41 in the hurdles.