Caoimhe Gallen, Daeva Diver take gold as National Juvenile Indoors come to a close

In her final indoor competition as a juvenile, Caoimhe Gallen won gold in Athlone on Saturday.

Gallen took the U19 shot put gold on the third and final day of the National Juvenile Indoor Championships at the TUS Arena.

The Lifford-Strabane AC athlete, who competed in the hammer at last year’s European U18s in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, was victorious in then shot when throwing out to 12.35m.

Gallen saw off Nenagh Olympic’s Clara Minter (11.21m) for the gold.

Ava Anderson of Tir Chonaill AC reached out to 10.96m to take her place on the podium with the bronze.

Daeva Diver from Milford AC was the joint gold medallist in the U13 high jump. Diver and Aoife Smith from Blackrock AC each cleared 1.35m.

Diver and Smith had a go at 1.38m, but shared the spoils. 

Fittingly, John Cronin’s last act as the President of Athletics Ireland was to present Diver with her gold. A native of Downings, Cronin has retained a grá for Donegal athletes and he draped the gold nugget around Diver’s neck.

Lifford-Strabane AC’s Spencer Cole won silver in the U17 shot, throwing a best of 13.28m and Olympia YAC’s Ashton Forester took silver in the U15 triple jump, going out to 10.34m.

Fresh from a record-breaking surge to win the 200m and 400m golds, Erin Friel helped Letterkenny AC’s U18 4x200m relay team to silver.

Friel was joined by Katie Elliott, Emma Bonar and Maeve Doherty as the black and amber quartet finished in 1:43.65.

Dooneen AC won in 1:41.7 with Metro St Brigid’s third in 1:45.38.

There was team silver for the Finn Valley AC U13 boys - Shea Irwin, Kyle Doherty, Jamie Lydon and Adam Breen - in the 4x200m relay, clocking 1:44.02 to win their heat and take second.

Finn Valley AC’s Stephen Slevin cleared 1.75m for bronze in the U18 high jump. 

Conor Penney of Craughwell jumped 1.85m for gold with Gowran’s James Kelsey having a best of 1.80m for silver. 

Tir Chonaill AC won bronze in the U19 mixed 4x200m with Ethan Dewhirst, Aine Brannigan, Emily Kelly and Jamie Kennedy going 1:37.31 to take third behind Ratoath AC and Dooneen AC.

Zach McKinley, an individual silver medallist last weekend, led Finn Valley AC U12 boys to bronze in the 4x200m relay, the Newtowncunningham schoolboy joined by Shay McHugh, Ruairi Moss and Lucas Lindsay to finish in 1:59.22 - a time that won their heat and came third overall.

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Alannah Anderson took bronze in the U18 high jump, clearing the bar at 1.50m. In a tense finale, countback was needed to settle the placings. LAC’s Katie Elliott also went over at 1.50m, but finished in joint fourth.