from AAI There were a number of exhilarating performances on day one of the Woodie’s DIY Senior Indoor Championships. The first event of the day saw three Olympians, Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Colin Griffin (Balinamore AC) and Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC) line up in the Men’s 5km Walk.
Heffernan took the lead from the gun to win in 19.24.64 minutes. The Cork man was pleased with his performance having completed over 180km in training this week. Colin Griffin (Balinamore AC) placed second in 19.47.34 minutes. Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC) who plans to move down from 50km to 20km walk this year, placed third in an indoor personal best of 19.48.73 minutes.
The Women’s 3k Walk was won by Zuzana Malikova, a member of West Waterford AC. The Slovakian International set a personal best of 12.36.43 minutes. Kate Veale, West Waterford AC had tracked Malikova in the opening laps but reigning champion, Laura Reynolds, Mohill AC worked her way back in the closing laps to finish second in a personal best of 13.09.99 minutes. Veale placed third in a time of 13.18.44 minutes just outside her Junior Irish record of 13.18.20 minutes.
In the field events Kelly Proper of Ferrybank AC took her fourth national title with a winning jump of 6.35m in her third jump. Claire Wilkinson (Ballymena & Antrim AC) set a new Irish U23 Indoor record of 3.80m to take the Pole Vault national title. In the Men’s Pole Vault reigning champion David Donegan of Clonliffe Harriers AC jumped 4.85m. Rosemary Daniels (Na Fianna) and Pamela Hughes (Westport AC) tied for first placed under the new regulations in the Women’s High Jump, both having jumped 1.75m. While in the Men’s Triple Jump, Eoin Kelly took the title with a jump of 14.70m. The Women’s Shot Putt was won by Fiona Moloney of Dooneen AC in 11.90m.
In the Women’s 3km Deirdre Byrne of Sli Cualann AC produced another quality performance to take the title in 9.03.52 minutes. Byrne lead from the gun with Hazel Murphy, DSD AC and Kerry Harty, Newcastle AC. The leading three went through the first 1km in 3.02 minutes. With seven laps to go Byrne and Murphy broke away from Harty. Byrne made a decisive move with four laps to go to win, Murphy was second in 9.05.43 minutes and Harty placed third in 9.26.41 minutes.
The Men’s 3km produced an exciting race. A breakaway bunch of Liam Reale (Limerick AC), Tomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC), Alan O’Brien (Crusaders AC), guest competitor Paul Miles (Owls AC, Lecesiter) and reigning Richard Corcoran (Raheny AC), set the early pace. O’Brien and Fitzpatrick made a move away from the rest of the field with four laps to go. In the final lap O’Brien sprinted away to win his first senior indoor title in 8.11 minutes
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In the Women’s 60m, Clare Brady of Celbridge AC was an impressive winner in her heat in a personal best of 7.43 seconds. While Ailis McSweeney, Leevale AC won heat one in 7.58 seconds while Ferrybank’s Niamh Whelan won heat three in 7.61 seconds.
In the Men’s 60m Heats there were 10 heats with the winner of each heat and 8 fastest to qualify to tomorrow’s semi-finals. Paul Hession (Athenry AC) was an easy qualifier into the semi-finals in a time of 6.88 seconds. Nineteen year old Dean Adams of Ballymena and Antrim also impressed with a time of 6.92 seconds.
In the Men’s 800m heats James McIlroy of Ballymena and Antrim AC dominated his heat to win in 1.48.64. In form David McCarty, Le Cheile AC, won his heat in 1.56.50 with Junior athlete Adam Inghram also winning his heat in 1.55.09. While in the Women’s 800m Ciara Mageean, City of Lisburn AC, goes into tomorrow’s final as favourite running 2.11.75 minutes to win her heat.
The Men’s 400m heats produced the shock of the day. With qualification based on the four fastest times overall making the final, favourite Brian Gregan of Clonliffe Harriers failed to qualify for the A 400m final running 49.76 seconds.