Ashleigh McArdle takes Irish heptathlon silver

Ashleigh McArdle won silver in the national senior heptathlon at the weekend.

Competing in senior level for the first time, McArdle earned silver after two days of tough action at the National Combined Events Championships at Morton Stadium.

The Lifford-Strabane AC woman took silver with 4,714 points, beaten only by Nenagh Olympic's Laura Frawley, who amassed 4,831 points.

McArdle won the shot put when throwing out to 11.20m and also topped the charts in the javelin when throwing thr spear as far as 32.73m.

McArdle was second over the 100m hurdles (15.00 seconds), the high jump (1.63m) and the long jump (5.33m, a personal best).

In the 800m, McArdle was third in 2:34.05 and fifth over 200m in 27.50 seconds.

The AAI Games were also held in Santry over the weekend and there were event wins there for Finn Valley AC's Lauren Callaghan, Oisin Thompson, Arlene Crossan and Blaine Lynch as well as Lifford-Strabane AC's Adrienne Gallen and Olympian YAC's Sophie Parlour.

Callaghan continued her fine vein of form by winning the women's long jump with a best leap of 6.12m, firmly ahead of Sarah McCarthy of Mid Sutton, who jumped to 5.63m.

Thompson was the men's long jump winner thanks to a 6.62m leap. Jordan Knight from St Joseph's AC was second, jumping to 6.46m.

Lynch arrowed out to 50.90m to win the javelin. Charlie Lawden from North Down was his closest challenger, reaching out to 46.56m.

Parlour won a 100m in 12.83 seconds while Crossan took victory in a 200m in 25.14 seconds and Gallen launched to 55.50m to win the women's hammer.

Crossan was also second in a 400m, clocking 55.05 seconds in a race won by Sinead Treacy from Craughwell in 54.85 seconds.

Letterkenny AC's Eoin Kelly also finished second in a 400m, crossing the line in 49.96 seconds with Mullingar's Patrick Leyden winning in 49.65 seconds.

Finn Valley AC's Bridget McDyer was fifth in the women's shot put, going out to 9.51m and her club colleague Ciaran McCarroll was eighth in an 800, posting 1:58.66.

In masters events, Bosco Reid of Finn Valley was second in the M60-69 hammer (13.26m) and Damien Crawford from Lifford-Strabane AC took second in the M50-59 hammer (12.32m)