Lawler and Reynolds light up Athlone

Lawler and Reynolds light up Athlone

Marcus Lawler saved the best till last to set a stadium record over 200m at the GloHealth National Indoor Championships in Athlone as Ben Reynolds just missed the world indoor qualifying standard in the 60m Hurdles by one hundredth of a second.

Saturday provided the usual appetiser for what was an action-packed Sunday where UCD’s Mark English and Ciara Mageean showed why they were head and shoulders above the opposition in their respective 800m finals.

Ciara Mageean led from the gun in the women’s 800m final and was never headed as she won in 2:03.76 from Laura Crowe (An Riocht) . “That was a good indoor season,” said Mageean who will return for some downtime to her native Portaferry.

“I’ll take a bit of down time and then build up the mileage. It’s been a good indoor season and hopefully a good indicator for the outdoor season ahead,” added Mageean who has set two national indoor records over 1500m and the mile. She has the world indoor 1500m standard but won’t compete at the championships.

English stirred the crowd on Saturday with an impressive 1:48.15 in the heats and glided to victory in the final today in 1:51.57. “That was a good weekend,” said the Donegal man afterwards who still has intentions on going to the world indoor championships in Portland, Oregon on March 17th-20th.

“When you’re in good form I don’t see why you wouldn’t go to a championship,” he continued on his intentions to compete at the championships. English has to wait on the selectors decision and also on the form of Ben Reynolds (North Down) who blitzed the 60m hurdles.

Reynolds produced a personal best of 7.73 seconds in a silky display of hurdling to win the national title – just one hundredth of a second outside the qualifying standard.

“I’m really pleased with that. It’s my first time this season at full speed over the hurdles,” said Reynolds who is looking at competing in the Czech Republic next Saturday. The cut-off date for qualification is the 7th of March. Sarah Lavin (UCD) won the women’s 60m hurldes with 8.27 seconds. 

Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O'Toole) may have been disappointed with his 60m performance where he finished fifth in 6.92 seconds but he more than made up for it with a stadium record in his specialist 200m. Craig Lynch (Shercock) won the 60m in 6.81 but there was no stopping Lawler who catapulted around the boards in the 200m in 20.96 on his 21st birthday.

“I’ve been disappointed with my 60m all season but I’m really happy with that 200m.” said Lawler contentedly at the close of the programme.

Kilkenny City Harriers’ Eoin Everard got pulses racing at the start of the programme winning the 3,000m in 8:13.63 and then coming out less than an hour later to grit out the 1500m in 4:01.17. Claire Tarplee (St Coca's) denied Kerry O'Flaherty (Newcastle) double gold by winning the women's 1500m in 

There was double joy for Bandon’s Phil Healy over the 60m and 200m. The Bandon bullet recorded times of 7.47 and 23.75 respectively.

Sinead Denny (DSD) put pay to any rivalry between Jenna Bromell (Emerald) and Christine McMahon (Ballymena & Antrim) with an impressive performance in the women’s 400m. Denny got out hard early and won comfortably in 53.57 seconds ahead of Bromell’s 54.30 and McMahon’s 54.77.

It was a tighter affair in the men’s 400m with Richard Morrissey (Crusaders) just holding off the fast finishing Andrew Mellon (North Down) - 47.51 to 47.59.

Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) has starred in the shot put all indoor season with a goal of eclipsing Paul Quirke’s 18.07m set in 1991. He achieved the feat today with a fine put of 18.16m. “It’s been my goal all indoor season and I’m delighted to do it today,” said the Galway man.

Elsewhere in the field events, Andrew Heney won the men’s high jump with a best of 2.00m and Adam McMullen (Crusaders) confirmed his number one status in the long jump with 7.73m. Sarah Buggy (St Abban’s) took the women’s triple jump in with Ruth Larragy (Le Cheile) winning the pole vault with 2.85m.   

For full results click HERE 

Top 3 results

GloHealth National Indoor Championships, AIT International Arena, Athlone

Women

60m

1.       P Healy (Bandon) 7.47, 2. N Whelan (Ferrybank) 7.49, 3. J Healy (Bandon) 7.50

200m

1.       P Healy (Bandon) 23.75, 2. N Whelan (Ferrybank) 24.09, 3. C McManus (Dublin City Harriers) 24.35

400m

1.       S Denny (DSD) 53.57, J Bromell (Emerald) 54.30, 3. C McMahon (Ballymena & Antrim) 54.77

800m

1.       C Mageean (UCD) 2:03.76, 2. L Crowe (An Riocht) 2:05.08 3. E Mcilveen (City of Lisburn) 2:05.83

1500m

1.       C Tarplee (St Coca’s) 4:23.21, 2. K O’Flaherty (Newcastle) 4:24.39, 3. A O’Donoghue (Emerald) 4:27.58

3,000m

1.       K O’Flaherty (Newcastle) 9:11.17, 2. S Treacy (Dunboyne) 9:19.96, 3. M Finn (Leevale) 9:21.93

60m hurdles

1.       S Lavin (Emerald) 8.27, 2. E Morland (Cushinstown) 8.39, 3. C McManus (Dublin City Harriers) 8.59

3,000m walk

1.       S O’Connor (Celbridge) 14:50.69, 2. V Burke (Ballinasloe) 14:51.54, 3. S Nash (St Abban’s) 15:51.17

Shot Put

1.        C Fitzgerlald (Tralee Harriers) 14.95m, 2. M Walsh (Swinford) 14.92, 3. A Frattorli (Limerick) 12.62

Long Jump

1.       S McCarthy (Mid Sutton) 5.90m, 2. V Fleischer (Celbridge) 5.70m, 3. A Jerumbauskyte (Clonliffe Harriers) 5.62m

Triple Jump

1.       S Buggy (St Abban’s) 12.71m, 2. A Jerumbauskyte (Clonliffe Harriers) 11.73m 3. F Hill (Newbridge) 11.44m

High Jump

1.       C Farrell (Craughwell) 1.75m, 2. G Moggan (Dundrum South Dublin) 1.70m, 3. G O’Rourke (Dundrum South Dublin) 1.70m

Pole Vault

1.       R Larragy (Le Cheile) 2.85m, 2. A Healy (Donore Harriers) 2.70m 3. M Flynn (Lusk) 2.70m

Men

60m

1.       C Lynch (Shercock) 6.81, 2. K Pike (Clonliffe Harriers) 6.87, 3. C Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers) 6.91

200m

1.       M Lawler (St Laurence O’Toole) 20.96, 2. C Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers) 21.71, 3. D McDonald (Menapians) 21.97

400m

1.       R Morrissey (Crusaders) 47.51, 2. A Mellon (North Down) 47.59, 3. B Arrey (Blarney/Inniscara) 48.37

800m

1.       M English (UCD) 1:51.57, 2. K Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) 1:52.23, 3. J Ledingham (West Waterford) 1:54.01

1500m

1.       E Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) 4:01.17, 2. J Warne (Doheny) 4:01.43, 3. D Landers (Ennis Track) 4:03.83

3,000m

1.       E Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) 8:13.63, 2. W Maunsell (Clonmel) 8:15.23, 3. C Sheahan (Leevale) 8:17.43

60m Hurdles

1.       B Reynolds (North Down) 7.73 2. G O’Donnell (Carrick on Shannon) 7.90, 3. A Creamer (Annalee) 8.40

5,000m walk

1.       B Boyce (Letterkenny) 20:17.81, 2. C McManamon (Westport) 20:51.56, 3. E Caprice (Dundrum South Dublin) 24:18.14

Shot put

1.       S Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) 18.16m, 2. D Tierney (Leevale) 14.99m, 3. M Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) 14.05m

Long Jump

1.       A McMullen (Crusaders) 7.73m 2. K Marks (Cushinstown) 7.18m, 3. C Bourke (Raheny Shamrock) 7.02m

Triple Jump

1.       S Joyce (Cushinstown) 14.12m, 2. J Hoang (Tullamore Harriers) 14.11m, 3. C  Mahon (Tir Chonaill) 14.06m

High Jump

1.       A Heney (Clonliffe Harriers) 2.00m, 2. S Archer (Templemore) 2.00m, 3. D Mahon (Gowran) 1.95m

Pole Vault

1.       I Rogers (Clonliffe Harriers) 4.60m, 2. T Houlihan (West Waterford) 4.40m, S Martin (Ballymena & Antrim) 4.30m