GRIGGS AND HEALY SPARKLE AS LEEVALE CLAIM LEAGUE DOUBLE
It was a great day of athletics action at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena with the League Final and AAI Games taking centre stage.
17-year-old Nick Griggs (Mid Ulster AC) became the first Irish U20 athlete to break 8 minutes for 3,000m in a race which saw the biggest cheer of the day as he stormed down the home straight.
The U20 European gold medallist crossed the line in 7:57:38 to claim the new U20 national record which also moved him into the top 30 on the Irish all-time list.
Phil Healy (Bandon AC) provided those in attendance with another display of top class 400m running, clocking an impressive 51:74 PB which edges her ever closer to the 51:58 record of Karen Shinkins (2002).
The men’s and women’s League titles went the way of Leevale AC who secured a historic double following fine displays across the course of the day.
There were several impressive individual performances across today’s action, including winning outings for Tokyo 2020 Olympians.
Louise Shanahan secured maximum points for Leevale AC in the 1500m, crossing the line in first place in an indoor PB time of 4:24:25. Shanahan was pushed all the way to the line by Niamh Kearney of Raheny Shamrock AC who crossed for second in second 4:25:42.
John Travers (Donore Harriers) looked all class in the men’s 1500m, posting the fastest 1500m of the day with a 3:47:89. Travers was followed home by a Juan Ignacio Pena of Raheny Shamrock in 3:50:10.
Tokyo 2020 pair, Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers AC) and Robert McDonnell (Galways City Harriers AC) duked it out in one of the races of the day. McDonnell would eventually come out on top over the 200m distance, crossing the line in 21.00 ahead of Lawler in 21.19. Lawler was back in action in the 400m later in the afternoon, clocking 48.05.
Olympic relay finalist Cillín Greene (Galways City Harriers) went in the first series of the 400m, crossing in 46.94 which was just marginally outside his personal best.
Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) claimed another first place finish for Leevale AC, taking the 3,000m with a ‘from-the-gun’ performance to cross in 9:05.30. The two-time Olympian switching back to indoor duty having finished 5th at last weekend’s European Club Cross Country Championships in Portugal.
Final League Standings:
League Women Results
1 |Leevale - Women |63
2 |Dundrum South Dublin - Women |60
3 |Raheny Shamrock - Women |57
4 |Clonliffe Harriers - Women |37
5 |Donore Harriers - Women |29
6 |Galway City Harriers - Women |24
League Men Results
1 |Leevale - Men |69
2 |Crusaders - Men |53
3 |Clonliffe Harriers - Men |49
4 |Nenagh Olympic - Men |46
5 |Galway City Harriers - Men |34
6 |Dundrum South Dublin - Men |29
Full results currently being updated. Temporary result link available HERE