Gallen, McFadden take national gold ahead of European mission

Caoimhe Gallen and Caolan McFadden, who will compete at the European U18 Athletics Championships in Slovakia later this month, grabbed gold on day one of the National Juvenile Championships on Sunday.

At Tullamore, Lifford-Strabane AC's Gallen, McFadden from Cranford AC and Lifford-Strabane AC's Cabrine Pyne all brought gold back to Donegal.

Gallen and McFadden will compete next week at the European Championships, as will Ethan Dewhirst of Tir Chonaill AC and Letterkenny AC sprinter Erin Friel.

The Championships take place from July 18-21 in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.

On Sunday, Gallen won the U18 hammer. The Lifford-Strabane AC athlete threw the hammer out to 59.73m for gold. Her older sister, Adrienne, has the championship best of 60.90m from 2021.

McFadden blasted to gold in the U18 800m, finishing in 1:54.57. McFadden won a stacked race head of Odhrán O’Sullivan (Midleton AC), who clocked 1:54.57 and John Delaney (St. Abbans AC), who went 1:55.85.

Lifford-Strabane AC woman Pyne won the U14 javelin gold when throwing to 40.27m.

Ashleigh McArdle of Lifford-Strabane AC won silver in the U19 100m hurdles, finishing in 15.16 seconds.

Rosses AC's Aaliya Gallagher-Canavan was second in the U13 high jump, clearing the bar at 1.43m while she also placed fifth in the shot put, throwing to 9.92m.

There were also bronze medals for Lifford-Strabane AC pair Luke Ward and Muireann McBride in the U19 discus (31.54m) and U18 hammer (47.98m) while Emma Bonar of Letterkenny AC won bronze in the U17 800m (2:16.75), Melissa Ward from Tir Chonaill AC was the U14 hammer bronze medal winner (31.82m) and Finn Valley AC's Jasmine Barrett-Dohery took bronze in the U13 long jump (4.58m).