National Senior Indoors

National Seniors, Sports Arena Dublin

This weekend saw the 38^th Irish Senior Indoor Championship take centre stage at the National Indoor Arena in Abbottstown, Co. Dublin on Saturday and Sunday. Both days were sold out events, with the elite of Irish athletics looking to compete, medal, set new PB’s, with some targeting B standards for the upcoming World Indoor Championships this month. This weekend certainly didn’t disappoint, with heated finals, stumbled finishes on the line and down to the wire jumps, with only the narrowest of margins separating athletes in some events. There were three National medals won overall over the weekend for Kilkenny athletics, Molly Daly Kilkenny City Harriers won silver in the 200m, Shane Power St. Joseph’s won silver in the Men’s Pole Vault, and Pia Langton Kilkenny City Harriers winning another Senior Bronze in the 800m. Molly following on from her Leinster gold in the U19 400m two weeks ago, (where she also set a new Championship record of 54.44), got off to a great start as she won her 200m heat comfortably earlier in the day. Molly who had set a new PB of 24.07 in the 200m back in January at the AAI games, ran another super race, holding her own just behind Sophie Becker finishing in 24.07 again to take 2^nd place on the podium and the Senior Silver medal.

Shane Power St. Joseph’s who was 4^th in the top 20 to watch in the Pole Vault going into these Championships, once again had a great afternoon of jumping. Shane who is the current Leinster Indoor Champion came in at 4m to start his competition, and got to 4.40m with ease. Unfortunately, 4.40m was to be Shane’s max height to jump on the day, but thankfully it was enough to clinch the silver medal, going one better than last year’s Senior Bronze.

Pia Langton’s 800m heat on Saturday was Pia’s first 800m race this indoor season, having made her debut in the one mile in Dublin setting a PB of 4:49.36 back in January. On an afternoon of racing that saw bunching, tangled legs and unfortunate falls in the Men’s 3000m, the Senior Women in the 800m were conscious not to follow in the footsteps of the previous race. The group although bunched at the break in, eventually fell into single line, where Pia held her own in 4^th place for the first 400m. Pia stuck in behind Seagrave and Moore on the inside, moving into 3^rd place when they broke for the last 200m and her well timed run paid off with another Senior Bronze in the Women’s 800m final. Congratulations to all those who competed on the day, especially those debuting in the Senior Championships. Full results from the weekend:

Women’s 200m Sprint Molly Daly Kilkenny City Harriers 2^nd , Ellen Daly Kilkenny City Harriers 3^rd Heat 2 

Men’s 200m Shane Webb Gowran 4^th Heat 7

Men’s High Jump Darrgah Nolan Gowran 7^th, James Kelsey Gowran 8^th  

Men’s Pole Vault Shane Power St. Joseph’s 2^nd

Women’s Pole Vault Chloe Lynch Gowran 9^th

Men’s 5000m Walk Evan Walsh St. Joseph’s 8^th 

Women’s 800m Final Pia Langton Kilkenny City Harriers 3^rd

Men’s 1500m Final Cathal O’Reilly Kilkenny City Harriers 10^th

Men’s 3000, Final (B) Ruairi McEvoy Kilkenny City Harriers 11^th, William Fox Kilkenny City Harriers 13^th