Arlene Crossan lowers Donegal record to seal place in National Indoor 400m final

Arlene Crossan will line up in Sunday’s 400m final at the National Indoor Championships.

The Finn Valley AC woman sealed her place in the final with a new Donegal indoor record in the semi-final.

Crossan dipped below 55 seconds for the first time indoors when going 54.98 seconds for third in her semi. That mark lowered the 55.35-second time she set in Glasgow earlier this month.

Crossan qualified from her heat in 55.30 seconds, but significantly lowered her 55.07 personal best in the semi-final to book a berth in Sunday afternoon's final.

Over two laps of the National Indoor Arena, Crossan was behind Rachel McCann and Phil Healy.

North Down AC woman McCann set a blistering new PB of 53.63 seconds to win the semi with Bandon AC’s Phil Healy second in 53.98 seconds.

Sharlene Mawdsley won the first semi in 52.86, the Newport woman ahead of Kilkenny City Harriers’ Cliodhna Manning, who set a new PB of 54.02, and Sligo AC athlete Lauren Cadden in 54.05.

Crossan, a 25-year-old from Letterkenny, was recently named on a training squad for the Irish 4x400m relay panel.

Tir Chonaill AC’s Kelly McGrory - who ran as part of the 4x40m relay team at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris - did not take part in the National Indoors, with the Laghey woman generally favouring the outdoor competitions.

Read next: Erin Friel sets new Donegal record en route to Irish indoor final

In the women’s triple jump Fodhla Nic Phaidin of Rosses AC was ninth.  Nic Phaidin leaped to a best of 10.17m.