Wexford’s Bree Athletic Club awards excellence at presentation ceremony

The event was held following the club’s Annual General Meeting, with 2022 being viewed as yet another successful year for the organisation.

Seven national individual medals and one national relay medal were won by the following athletes: Ava Wilson (Gold and Silver medals in high jump), Sarah O’Brien (two Silver medals in High Jump), Lea Bolger (Silver in Hammer), Abbie Doyle (Bronze in Triple Jump) and Cillian Higgins (Gold in ‘B’ Championship 80m).

Bronze Relay medals were won by PJ Breen, Jayden Kenny, James Wall, Sean Kavanagh and subs Tom Finn and Sam Devereux. In addition to that success, 22 Leinster individual medals and two Leinster relay medals were also won by Bree AC athletes along with 85 county, individual medals, six county relay medals, and six county cross country relay medals.

At the ceremony Club Chairman, William Spratt-Murphy congratulated the athletes on their great performances and he thanked them and their parents for their wonderful support throughout 2022.

William also thanked the coaches for their hard work with the athletes and he also acknowledged Ballyhogue GAA Club, Glynn GAA Club, Bree Community Centre and Enniscorthy Hub for the use of their facilities.

A minutes silence was expressed for all families who lost loved ones during the year, who had associations with the club, especially the Greene family on the passing of Tony, a founding member of Bree AC, the Carton family, on the recent passing of Paula, a former Bree AC athlete, and Breda Slattery.

Roseanne Murphy, Bree AC Secretary, read the citations as each award winner was presented with their trophy.

The Bree AC ‘Athlete of the Year’ winner Ava Wilson (U12) was presented with her award by Club President, Fr Michael Byrne PP.

At the National T&F Championships, Ava won the gold medal in the High Jump with a championship best performance (CBP) of 1.48m and she won the silver medal in the High Jump at the national indoors.

At the Leinster T&F championships, she won gold medals in the High Jump (CBP 1.41m), Long Jump, and 60m Hurdles.

At the Leinster Indoor Championships, Ava won gold in the High Jump (CBP of 1.39m), in the 60m Hurdles, and silver in the Long Jump while at the Mr Oil Co Championships, she won gold medals in the 60mH, 60m, 100m, LJ, HJ, Turbo Javelin and Shot Put.

Ava ended her remarkable 2022 season with a gold medal in the U12 Long Jump as well as a silver medal in U12 Relay at the National Community Games, in Carlow.

Ava was recently announced as the March 2022, ‘Mr Oil Wexford Athlete of the Month’ as well as Co Wexford ‘Young Athlete of the Year’ for 2022.

The ‘Tony Greene Memorial Award’ winner Lea Bolger (U14) was presented with her award by Tony’s daughters, Mary Stafford and Breda Kennedy.

Lea won a National ‘T&F’ silver medal in the Hammer (PB 31.36m) and at the Leinster T&F Championships, she won the silver medal in the Hammer and bronze medals in the Shot Put and Combined Event.

At the Leinster Indoors, she won a bronze medal in the 60m Hurdles while at the Mr Oil Co Championships, Lea won gold in the 75mh, 80m, Shot and Hammer, silver in the LJ and bronze in the 200m. Meanwhile, at the County Community Games, she won gold in the Shot Put.

The ‘John Godkin (Best U13) Award’ winner Sarah O’Brien was presented with her award by Cllr Cathal Byrne, on behalf of John.

At the National T&F Championships, Sarah won the silver medal in the High Jump (PB 1.52m) and she also won the sSilver medal in the High Jump at the National Indoors.

At both the Leinster T&F and Indoor Championships she won gold medals in the High Jump while the Mr Oil County Championships, saw her take home gold in the HJ, silver in the LJ and bronze in the 80m, 100m and SP.

At the Co Community Games, Sarah won gold in the U12, 200m.

The ‘Peter Byrne Memorial Award’ winner, Kiera Wilson (U15) was presented with her award by Peter’s daughter, Clare Doyle.

Kiera won silver in the 80m Hurdles in the Leinster T&F and won bronze in the 60m Hurdles in the Leinster Indoors.

In the Mr Oil County Championships she won gold in the 80mH, 100m, 200m, HJ and Javelin and won silver in the 250mH and LJ as well as being runner up in the U16 County Community Games 100m.

The ‘Pat O’Leary Distance Merit Award’ winner Shane Laffan (U13) was presented with his award by Pat’s daughter, Anne Dunne, while Pat sent his apologies.

Shane won bronze medals in short Hurdles in both the Leinster T&F and Indoor Championships while on the county scene, he won gold in the 100m and Long Jump and won silver medal in the 600m.

The ‘Bree ICA Parish Award’ winner was Riona Kehoe (U14), who was presented with her award by Bree ICA Vice-President, Carmel Mernagh.

On the county scene, Riona won silver in the High Jump and Javelin, and a bronze medal in the 200m.

A ‘Special Merit Award’ was presented to Abbie Doyle (U17) by Bree AC Chairman, William Spratt-Murphy. Abbie won bronze in the Triple Jump in the National T&F Championships and she also won gold in the same event in the Leinster T&F.

At the Mr Oil County Championships she won gold in the 100m, 100mH, 200m, Triple Jump, Shot Put and Javelin.

At the County Community Games, Abbie won gold in the 100m and won the bronze medal in the same event in the Leinster Community Games.

The ‘Paul Kehoe Merit Award’ winner Jayden Kenny (U14) was absent from the presentation and his award will be presented to him at a later date.

Jayden won gold in the 60m Hurdles, and bronze in the Long Jump, in the Leinster T&F Championships, and silver medals in the 75m Hurdles and Long Jump in the Leinster Indoor Championships.

In the County Community Games, he won gold in the 80m Hurdles.

The Bree AC athletes are now looking forward to another year of athletics ahead when it's hoped even more success will come their way.