Ten Donegal medals at National Junior and U23 Indoors

Donegal athletes won ten medals at the Irish Life & Health National Junior and U23 Indoor Championships in Athlone on Sunday.

At the TUS International Arena, one gold, four silver and five bronze medals were returned.

Sean McGinley of Finn Valley AC was the sole gold medalist, winning the Junior 1500m. McGinley won in 3:59.96, staving off Ennis AC’s Mark Hanrahan (4:00.85) and Cathal O’Reilly from Kilkenny City Harriers (4:04.26) to win.

Tir Chonaill AC’s Lucy McGlynn won two silvers, finishing second in the Junior women’s 60m hurdles and 400m.

McGlynn crossed the line in the 60m hurdles in 8.86 seconds, having won her heat in 8.94 seconds. Lucy-May Sleeman of Leevale AC took the gold in 8.68 seconds.

McGlynn was second in the 400m, finishing in 56.77 seconds with Lucan AC’s Kate O’Connell winning in 56.08 seconds.

John Kelly sets massive new Ulster indoor shot put record

The Finn Valley AC man put almost 40cm onto the previous record

Alex Anderson of Tir Chonaill AC took silver in the junior weight for distance and bronze in the shot put. A best of 7.12m earned weight for distance silver and a throw of 11.60m took bronze in the shot. Anderson got the better of Tir Chonaill AC colleague Shane Breslin in the shot with Breslin fourth (11.28m).

Tir Chonaill AC’s Siobhan Doherty was the silver medalist in the U23 3000m walk. Doherty finished in 16 minutes and 28.50 seconds with Sarah Glennon from Mullingar Harriers winning in 16:16.55.

Sheldon Romeo Nyoni left with a bronze from the U23 triple jump, leaping out to 12.22m.

Nyoni was one of the real hard-luck stories of the day. Having won his 200m heat in 22.84 seconds, the Letterkenny AC man had a hamstring issue heading for the final and finished an agonising fourth in 22.81 seconds - literally pipped at the line.

Nyoni also competed in the 60m heats, finishing in 7.24.

Tir Chonaill AC’s Fintan Dewhirst won bronze in the Junior 60m hurdles, finishing in 8.42 seconds.

Finn Valley AC’s Michaela Byrne took bronze in the U23 triple jump (10.12m) and her club colleague Cara Laverty won the Junior 800m bronze with a 2:12.59 run.

Letterkenny AC’s Ryan Canning qualified for the Junior 400m final, but a hamstring ailment prevented his participation.

In the Junior triple jump, Finn Valley AC’s Joseph Gillespie was an agonising fourth, his 12.99m bettered by the final throw of 13.02m by Evan Hallinan from Craughwell.

Lifford AC’s Harriet McCrossan was fourth in the Junior 200m, going in 25.87 seconds, while Adrienne Gallen was fourth in the Junior shot (9.56m) and with in weight for distance (4.52m).

Tir Chonaill AC’s Eoin Sharkey was fifth in the U23 400m while Finn Valley AC’s Daniella Jansen didn’t make it out of her 400m heat.