Bronze for Ward as locals compete in National Combined Events, AAI Games

Four Donegal athletes competed at the National Combined Events Championships in Dublin over the weekend.

Lifford-AC duo Cabrini Pyne and Millie Sandy as well as Rosses AC pair Evan Ward and Aileen Logue were all vying for places in the testing multi events setting.

In the boys U16 pentathlon, Ward landed a bronze medal when totalling 2535 points.

Ward won the 800m, clocking a fine 2:06.86 - around five seconds better than the next quickest.

Ward was the second best in the high jump, clearing 1.70m, a jump bettered only by Tomas McGrath, the St Andrews AC athlete who won gold with 3190 points, ahead of John Fitzpatrick, the Longford AC lad who earned 2678 points. 

He was the fourth best in the long jump, touching the sand at 5.30m and Ward clocked 10.05 seconds over the 60m hurdles and threw the shot out to 8.01m

In the youth women pentathlon, Pyne was fifth when scoring 2849 points.

The St Johnston teenager was third fastest in the 60m hurdles when finishing second in her heat in 9.33 seconds.

She was also second in the shot put, throwing out to 10.72m.

Pyne recorded a 4.66m long jump, a 1.41 high jump and finished her 800m in 2:52.48.

In the U16 pentathlon, Lifford-Strabane AC’s Sandy was 10th and Rosses AC athlete Logue was 17th.

Sandy was well in the hunt in her events and amassed 2600 points for 10th.

She won the shot with a 10.69m effort while she recorded a 4.55m long jump, a 10.53-second 60m hurdles, a 1.37m high jump and a 2:47.74 800m.

Logue, meanwhile, had efforts of 12.32 seconds over the 60m hurdles; a 3.83m long jump; a 6.93m shot; a 1.43m high jump; and a 2:30.20 800m. 

At the AAI Games, also held at the National Indoor Arena, Tir Chonaill AC’s Lucy McGlynn, making a return to indoor competition for the first time since 2023, won her 400m and 200m races.

The Ballyshannon woman, a student at Loughborough University, won the 200m in 25.71 seconds and clocked 57.40 seconds to lead out the 400m race.

In 2022, McGlynn competed at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia.

Several athletes from the Kathryn McDevitt-prepared group at Letterkenny AC were in action.

Brendan Ndambira landed a PB of 7.20 seconds for second in a 60m sprint and finished a second 60m in 7.26 seconds. Over 200m, Ndambira was third in 23.15 seconds.

Harry McIlwaine stopped the clock on 7.00 seconds to win his 60m race while he came second in a 200m, going 22.41 seconds.

Fern Duffy won a 60m in 8.37 seconds, with Anya Duffy (8.52), Maeve Doherty (8.30) and Danny McKinley (7.42) also doing the same distances.

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In 200m, Daragh Naughton clocked 24.88 seconds for fourth while Danny McKinley was third in 24.08 seconds in another and Maeve Doherty crossed the line in 27.29 seconds in her 200m.

Naughton was second in a 400m heat in 54.46 and Brian Boyce of Milford AC was fifth in a 400m in 55.68 seconds.

Amy Timoney of Finn Valley AC earned a new 60m PB of 7.83 to open her indoor season while Jamie Kennedy was the lead triple jumper, going to 12.36m, and a 5.61m jump placed fourth in the long jump.