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Farranfore Maine Valley relay team win gold at National Indoor Juveniles Championships

The Farranfore Maine Valley team of Kevin O’Shea, Conor McCarthy, Isaac Vickers and Ryan Vickers won relay gold in Athlone

Tessa DennisonKerryman

Farranfore Maine Valley’s under-15 4 x 200m relay team, coached by Jerome Foley, won the gold medal at the National Indoor Juveniles Championships in Athlone at the weekend.

Last Saturday was the first day of the 123.ie Championships where events were confined to some field and relay teams that had qualified from their respective provincial championships. Farranfore Maine Valley had qualified for the nationals by finishing second in the Munster championships.

With a strong commitment to training in the intervening weeks, the team of Kevin O’Shea, Conor McCarthy, Isaac Vickers and Ryan Vickers headed to Athlone with high hopes of performing well. A solid winning run in the heats saw the team straight into the final. The final was a tense affair, where each of the boys gave their all and some slick baton changes saw the Farranfore boys take home a well deserved gold medal.

In the boys U-19 4 x 200m relay it took a national record run by Ratoath AC in 1.31.02 to beat the Killarney Valley team, who ran 1.31.51, in a very close race. Well done to Tadhg Galvin, Oisín Lynch, Cian O’Brien, Jason O’Reilly and Oisín O’Regan. Four of this crew are under age again next year.

Sunday saw the action move to the Killorglin Sports Complex for the Kerry County Development Games. Known affectionately as the Sportshall Games, this indoor event is only for U-9 to U-12 athletes who didn’t win an individual medal in any event in 2022. For most of the U-9s this would possibly be their first taste of competition.

Winners in each category:

U-9 boys

Sprint: Tom Reidy, Star of the Laune

Speedbounce: Muiris Ó Muircheartaigh, Star of the Laune

Long jump: Harrison Cahill, St Brendan’s

Relay: Killarney Valley

U-10 boys

Sprint: Finn Cronin, Killarney Valley

Speedbounce: Ernesto Moral Blanco, Iveragh

Long jump: Michael Cotter, Tralee Harriers

Relay: St Brendan’s

U-11 boys

Sprint: Cody McKenna, St Brendan’s

Speedbounce: Cody McKenna, St Brendan’s

Long jump: Cody McKenna, St Brendan’s

Relay: St Brendan’s

U-12 boys

Sprint: Fionn Culloty, Killarney Valley

Shot: Senan Prendergast, Killarney Valley

Long jump: Senan Prendergast, Killarney valley

Relay: St Brendan’s

U-9 girls

Sprint: Summer Hickey, Iveragh

Speed bounce: Joint winners – Katy Hallissey, Iveragh, and Lily McDonnell, St Brendan’s

Long jump: Summer Hickey, Iveragh

Relay: Tralee Harriers

U-10 girls

Sprint: Mia Bruton, Star of the Laune

Speedbounce: Aoileann Foley, Iveragh

Long jump: Nia Ingram

Relay: Joint winners – Gneeveguilla and Star of the Laune

U11 girls

Sprint: Aisling Cronin, Gneeveguilla

Speedbounce: Dearbhla No churrain

Long jump: Alana Hickey, Gneeveguilla

Relay: Killarney Valley

U-12 girls

Sprint: Sophia Barczak, Lios Tuathail

Shot: Charlotte Blennerhasset, Tralee Harriers

Long jump: Aisling Fenton, Gneeveguilla

Relay: Tralee Harriers

The World Race Walking Championships were held in Dudince, Slovakia on Saturday. Kerry’s David Kenny was the fourth European to cross the finish line in the 20km race, covering the distance in 1 hour and 24 minutes.