SEAN McGinley completed a remarkable hat-trick on the final day of the Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships on Saturday in Tullamore.
The Finn Valley AC man won the 1500m in impressive fashion, adding to the 800m and 3000m steeplechase golds he bagged the previous weekend.
McGinley blew the field away in the 1500m final. The John Rogan-coached McGinley won in 4:01.82 to land his third gold of these Championships. His 52-second final lap outlined his quality on this stage.
Cara Laverty, who recently broke the Finn Valley AC 800m record – shattering a 33-year-old previous marker – won the Under-19 1500m to add to her 800m to toe.
Laverty’s 4:38.89 saw off Leevale’s Jane Buckley in a pulsating tussle.
Hannah Murray, also of Finn Valley AC, won the U17 girls 400m crown in 58.83 seconds, beating Niamh Murray (Bray, 58.92) and Alix Joyce (Tuam, 59.01).
Cara Laverty
Finn Valley’s Blaine Lynch won the Under-16 javelin, reaching out to 51.97 metres.
Finn Valley’s Riona Doherty was an impressive winner of the U15 80m hurdles. Doherty secured gold with a new personal best of 11.81 seconds. Doherty added the hurdles gold to the long jump and 100m she won last weekend.
Amy Timoney of Finn Valley was fourth in the final having set the second fasted time of the day to win her heat.
Finn Valley AC’s Dean Leeper was the silver medalist in the U15 javelin, going beyond 41m, while new Finn Valley recruit Eimear McCarroll took the U17 1500m silver in 4:41.88.
Lifford-Strabane AC star Adrienne Gallen concluded an impressive Championships with the silver in the U18 shot. Gallen’s 11.62m was only beaten by a dramatic final throw of 12.07m by Kildare AC’s Hannah Wilson. Cranford’s Aoife Giles was the bronze medalist in the same competition.
Cranford AC’s Caolan McFadden, who already won the 800m, won the 1500m in style.
Tir Chonaill AC left with three silver medals. Lucy McGlynn was pipped by Lucy-May Sleeman in the U18 100m hurdles with Tory Murchin (U17 high jump) and Eoin Boyle (U16 high jump) also taking silver medals.
Caolan McFadden
