Donegal athletes celebrated massive success over the weekend in multiple competitions around the country and further.
Tir Chonaill AC’s Fintan Dewhirst set a new Irish youth heptathlon record and Finn Valley AC saw Sommer Lecky win gold at the Scottish Championships in the high jump with a best of 1.79m in Glasgow, while two Donegal records were broken at the National Indoor League in Athlone yesterday.
Dewhirst’s 4138 points represent a new Irish youth record after two superb days of competition in Athlone.
Tir Chonaill AC’s Lucy McGlynn also won the junior women’s pentathlon with Ashleigh McArdle (Lifford-Strabane AC) winning the youth women’s pentathlon.
Finn Valley AC’s Mark Wilkinson was a silver medalist in the under-14 boys pentathlon while Jamie Kennedy came third in the under-16 boys pentathlon to wrap up a fantastic weekend in Athlone for Tir Chonaill AC.
Bridget McDyer won the weight throw for distance (28lb) with a remarkable 6.02m, with second place Cara O’Sullivan of Ratoath AC well behind with 4.61m. To add to how impressive her win was, 2 of McDyers other throws were 5.91m, still over 1m ahead of the competition.
The women’s 4 x 200m relay team of Hannah Murray, Laura Crossan, Daniella Jansen and Arlene Crossan also became record breakers as their narrow second place finish behind Galway City Harriers was a new Donegal best of 1:44.41.
Murray was second in the women’s 400m with a time of 58.73 while Daniel McHugh was 4th in his 400m heat.
Eimear McCarroll was 6th in the high jump and Caitriona Devine was 7th in the 1500m.
At the 2022 World Athletics Northern Ireland International Cross Country in Billy Neill MBE Country Park, 3 Donegal athletes won team bronze medals.
Caolan McFadden of Cranford AC was first home for the NI & Ulster under-17 team in 11th, and Letterkenny AC’s Mark Galvin came 22nd as their team took the bronze medal.
Cara Laverty finished 18th to also win bronze with the NI & Ulster under-20 team.
Odhrán Rodgers from Rosses AC came third in the under-13 race, finishing in 7:29.
Nakita Burke finished 21st in the senior women’s race.