Roisin Flanagan excels to take 3,000m gold at National Indoors

Roisin Flanagan was an impressive winner of the women’s 3000m at the National Senior Indoor Championships.

The Finn Valley AC woman cruised to gold in 9:14.03.

The 27-year-old had some injury troubles of late, but this marked an excellent return to the national stage.

Having run a 9:03.46 in Valencia recently, she helped Finn Valley AC to a team victory at the Armagh International Road Race.

Over the last 600m here, Flanagan opened up the margins and had seven seconds to spare by the end even if she was a little off her 8:53.02 PB, set last year in Glasgow.

Ide Nic Dhomhnaill of West Limerick was second in 9:21.45 with Raheny Shamrocks’ Niamh Kearney third in 9:27.95.

Finn Valley AC’s Amy Greene was seventh in the same race, crossing the line in 9:51.79.

Ashleigh McArdle of Lifford-Strabane landed the shot put bronze medal with her sixth and final throw. McArdle reached out to 12.42m to take brozne ahead of Anna McCauley of Lisburn.

An 11.93m throw, her opening effort of the day, was the best until that final launch, which propelled her onto the podium.

In the same competition, her Lifford-Strabane AC colleague Caoimhe Gallen was fifth.

In a loaded women’s 400m final, Arlene Crossan of Finn Valley AC was fifth.

Crossan, out of lane 1, clocked 55.20 seconds in a race where she was the only one not a part of the history-making Ireland women’s 4x400m relay team last year.

Crossan dipped below 55 seconds for the first time in Saturday’s semi-final when going 54.98 seconds - a time that is a new Donegal record.

Sharlene Mawdsley took the gold in 51.91 with Phil Healy (53.25), Rachel McCann (53.37) and Cliodhna Manning (53.87) following.

The National Indoor Arena at Abbotstown was packed to its capacity, but a hush descended as the runners went under starter’s orders in one of the most competitive fields of the weekend. 

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.

An indoor personal best of 6.77m saw Oisin Thompson of Finn Valley AC finish fourth in the men’s long jump, just missing out on a podium spot.

Read next: Long jump gold for Lauren Callaghan as John Kelly earns silver at National Indoors

Janine Boyle of Finn Valley AC was sixth in the women’s 60m.

Boyle came through her heat in 7.64 seconds and sealed a final spot when third in her semi-final, finishing in 7.68 seconds.

In the final, Boyle stopped the clock at 7.66 seconds.

Sophie Parlour of Olympian YAC finished in 7.95 seconds for fifth in her 60m heat and came eighth in her semi-final in 7.87 seconds.