Golds galore as Donegal athletes shine at National Masters Championships

Donegal clubs were to the fore at the 123.ie National Masters Track and Field Championships in Tullamore on Saturday.

It was a day to savour local athletes with 17 gold medals winging their way back to Donegal.

Damian Crawford of Lifford-Strabane AC threw out for three golds.

Crawford reached out to a best of 37.18m for gold in the M55 discus and a best effort of 42.62m took the gold in the javelin. 

Crawford also won the shot put, firing to 10.64m - enough to beat Lifford-Strabane AC colleague Mark Doherty (9.95m) into second. Doherty would also add a bronze in the weight for distance thanks to a 6.42m throw by the St Johnston man.

Tir Chonaill AC’s Tom McKelvey won a pair of golds, going out to 5.44m for glory in the M50 long jump. McKelvey’s double success also took in a triple jump gold, leaping to 10.12m.

Robert Anderson, also from Tir Chonaill AC, took the gold in the M55 triple jump, touching the sand at 6.85m. Anderson threw to 7.39m for gold in the weight for distance and an excellent day at the office was completed with a hammer bronze, earned with a 29.90m throw.

Aidan Gillespie from Rosses AC is another who is no stranger to success at these Championships. Gillespie, the Irish record holder in the event, won the M50 100m hurdles, crossing the line in 15.91 seconds.

Finn Valley AC man Bosco Reid won both the M65 hammer and shot put titles. Reid earned hammer gold with a 35.12m throw while the shot put was secured via a 11m effort.

Bosco Reid in action in Tullamore. (Sportsfile)

Catriona Devine from Finn Valley AC was toasting glory in the W50 1500m, going around in 4:59.26.

Finn Valley AC’s Kay Byrne won the W60 3000m in 11:58.34 with a silver also earned in the 1500m, where she crossed the line in 5:46.76.

Danny Sharkey took the M65 5000m race walk title back to Letterkenny AC as he finished in 42:05.08 and Sharon Tshimbudzi, also from LAC, won the W50 hammer through a 23.32m throw.

Tshimbudzi was the silver medalist in the discus while club-mate Julia McAuley bagged bronze in the W50 discus (10.57m) and javelin (9.17m). LAC’s Denis Bourne won silver in the M45 shot with a best throw of 10.86m.

Tir Chonaill AC sprinter Shane Toolan landed two silvers, clocking 13.93 seconds in the M65 100m and going 29.33 over 200m. 

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Brian Boyce from Milford AC also left with two silvers. Boyce was second in the M45 200m (24.55 seconds) and 400m (54.62 seconds).

Inishowen AC’s Liam Bradley scooped a bronze in the M55 1500m, finishing in a time of 4:56.58, while Jacquline Doherty’s 19.55m attempt earned the Finn Valley AC athlete bronze in the W50 hammer. 

The O’Donnell crew from Olympian YAC also had a successful day. 

Michelle O’Donnell won the W40 javelin through a 24.25m throw while Patrick O’Donnell jumped to 5.26m to win the M35 long jump.

A time of 65.34 seconds won the W45 400m for Karen O’Donnell, who was second in both the 100m (13.88) and 200m (28.7) sprints.

Martin O”Donnell was second in the M50 triple jump (8.32m) and was third in both the javelin (26.25m) and 100m (12.62 seconds).