Golden glory for Donegal athletes at National U23/20 Championships

With Europe now firmly in the crosshairs, Erin Friel won her latest Irish title on Saturday.

Friel was one of seven Donegal athletes to take gold medals at the National U23 and U20 Championships in Tullamore.

Letterkenny AC’s Friel, who  is set to compete at both the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival and European U20s this summer, won the U20 400m.

Friel charged over the line in 55.00 seconds, edging out Kilcoole’s Maria Zakharenko, who completed a lap in 55.05 seconds to take silver.

The Kathryn McDevitt-coached Friel, who has a busy few weeks ahead now, had eased to victory in her heat, finishing in 56.69.

The Loreto Secondary School student has reached both the 400m and 200m standards for the EYOF - which take place in Macedonia this month - while she also was part of the Irish U20 4x400m relay team that has qualified for the European U20s, pencilled in for next month in Finland.

Ethan Dewhirst won the U20 400m hurdles gold. The Tir Chonaill AC man won in 53.42 seconds, staving off competition from Leevale’s Reuben Wain, who finished second in 54.70.

In the flat 400m, Dewhirst was third in a heat, but did not go under starter’s orders for the final. Nor did Finn Valley AC’s Conor Kelly, who won that heat in 49.39, but is carefully nursing an injury ahead of European Championships in the coming weeks.

Both are expected to line up at the European U20s, which take place in Tampere, Finland in August.

Riona Doherty is back on the regular winning trail again after an injury-disrupted period. 

The Finn Valley AC woman went out in the sand at 5.67m for an excellent gold in the U20 long jump. 

Doherty recently won the Irish schools title when jumping to 5.65m.

Erin Friel of Letterkenny AC

Oisin Thompson of Finn Valley AC won the U23 long jump, leaping out to 6.70m on his final go to nip gold from the graph of Strabane AC’s Harvey King. 

Lifford-Strabane AC’s Gallen sisters, Adrienne and Caoimhe - daughters of former national champion and World Championship competitor Sharon Foley - were also making their way home with three gold medals in tow. 

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Adrienne Gallen reached out to 55.17m to land gold in the U23 hammer. Gallen saw off Kotryna Pacerinskaite from Fanahan McSweeney AC (54.18m) and Birr’s Claire Kennedy (43.57m) to go onto the podium’s top step.

Adrienne Gallen was also fourth in the discus throw.

Her younger sister, Caoimhe Gallen, threw out to a best distance of 11.63m to win the U20 shot put. Gallen won from Ratoath’s Enya Silkena (11.33m) and Chloe Ryan from St Laurence O’Toole (11.22m).

Caoimhe Gallen was also the U20 hammer gold medalist, hitting a winning distance of 53.40 - a new PB. She was well in front of nearest rivals, Megan Comiskey from Clonliffe Harriers (43.47m) and Lagan Valley’s Aida Zukauskaite (40.66m).

Tir Chonaill AC athlete Ava Anderson won the U20 weight for distance, going out to 7.65m for gold.

The Gallen sisters, Adrienne and Caoimhe Gallen

Finn Valley AC, Cara Laverty, back home after an encouraging year in the United States with Providence University, took silver in the U23 1500m.

In May, Laverty won an individual 1500m bronze and team gold in the 4x800m relay for Providence at the Big East Championships in Connecticut having also won gold in the 4x800m at the Penn Relays,

On Saturday, Laverty finished in 4:25.29 and beaten only by Dundrum South Dublin’s Eimear Maher, who won in 4:22.80.

Alex Anderson from Tir Chonaill AC won a pair of silver medals. In the U23 hammer, Anderson threw out to 39.33m and in the weight for distance event he landed to 7.66m.

Caolan McFadden took bronze in the U20 800m, a week after hitting a championship best of 1:51.53 to win the U19 800m. 

Here, the Cranford AC ace finish in 1:57.48 to finish third behind Sean Cronin of Clonliffe (1:56.82) and Odhrán O’Sullivan from Midleton (1:57.18).

Finn Valley AC's Cara Laverty in action in the U23 1500m in Tullamore

Emily Kelly of Tir Chonaill AC left with the U20 400m hurdles bronze, clocking 1:02.36 and her club mate Jamie Kenney jumped to 12.78m for bronze in the U20 triple jump. 

Niamh Moohan, also of Tir Chonaill AC earned bronze in the U23 100m hurdles, finishing in 16.13 seconds.

Amy Greene of Finn Valley AC suffered a fall and clocked 10:45.41 for bronze in the U23 3000m steeplechase. 

Finn Valley AC’s Stephen Slevin arched over the bar at 1.75m to take bronze in the U20 high jump.

Olympian YAC's Eoghan O’Donnell was the U20 weight for distance bronze medallist, throwing a best of 3.65m.