Golden day for Lauren Callaghan and Oisin Kelly at Irish Universities Championships

Donegal athletes Lauren Callaghan and Oisin Kelly won gold at the Irish Universities Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Finn Valley AC’s Callaghan and Cranford AC athlete Kelly were both competing for DCU at the National Indoor Arena.

Callaghan won the long jump with Kelly taking the 800m crown.

On her fourth and sixth visits, Killygordon native Callaghan jumped out to a winning distance of 5.98.

The DCU student’s leap was enough to claim gold ahead of Sophie Meredith (University of Limerick), whose best attempt of 5.88m claimed silver with UL’s Laura Frawley taking bronze when going out to 5.74m.

Callaghan retained the gold she won last year when setting a new IUAA Indoor Championship record of 6.19m.

Last month, Callaghan went beyond 6m four times to win gold at the AAI Games, hitting a best of 6.07m.

Callaghan holds the Donegal record of 6.24m, set in 2023.

Kelly was the 800m gold medal winner when crossing the line in 1:53.10.

Kelly saw off TUS student Jack O’Donnell (1:54.34) and Jack Kelly of DCU (1:55.23) for the win.

In the heats, Kelly was also the fastest qualifier, going through in 1:56.46.

Oisin Kelly on top of the podium

In the men’s long jump, Callaghan’s Finn Valley AC colleague Oisin Thompson, representing ATU, went out to a best of 6.51m for fourth.

Lifford-Strabane’s Adrienne Gallen, a student at DCU, finished fourth in the shot put, with her best attempt going to 10.67m.

Gallen was eighth in the weight for distance when throwing 6.90 while Aoife Giles of Cranford AC and ATU was 11th in the same event with a 6.41m best.

ATU Donegal student Oisin Toye clocked 4:01.26 to win his 1500m heat with the Finn Valley AC athlete seventh overall.

Letterkenny AC’s Donal Farren, who attends University of Galway, was sixth in his 3,000m when running 8:47.45, also placing seventh overall.

ATU’s Daniella Jansen ran a 62.99-second heat in the 400m and did not qualify for the final.