Finn Valley AC has had a truly international feel in the last week.
Finn Valley AC had a lovely function on Saturday at the club to welcome Mark English back from the Olympic Games in Paris.
The club extends thanks to all who attended the function, particularly the immediate and extended English family, Mayor of Letterkenny Cllr Gerry McMonagle and Cllr Martin Scanlon.
This year marked Mark’s third appearance at an Olympic Games. Also this year, he lowered the Irish 800m record to 1:44.53 and set new PBs over 800m, 600m and 400m.
Patsy McGonagle, who managed the Irish team at four Olympic Games, spoke at the function about his continued admiration over a long period for Mark’s talents.
Mayor McMonagle also addressed the attendance, while FVAC Media Officer Chris McNulty acted as the MC and Mark was presented with a token to mark his achievement by FVAC President Peadar McGranaghan and Chairman Dermot McGranaghan.
Mark’s season will continue with at least two races in the schedule.
At The World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Sinead McConnell (pictured above) won silver medals in the 10k and 5k race walks.
McConnell was beaten to the W55 gold each time by former United States Olympian Michelle Rohl – who narrowly missed out on a place at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
In Saturday morning’s 10k road race walk, McConnell clocked 56:16 with Rohl – who walked for the US at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games – winning the gold.
McConnell followed up on Monday with another gritty and gutsy display, finishing in a season’s best 27:04.39 for the 5k silver and beaten gold only by a course record by multiple Pan American medallist Rohl who crossed the line in 25:25.50.
Earlier this year, Rohl finished third at the US Olympic Trials.
McConnell still has the 20k race walk to come this weekend and best wishes are extended.
Stephen Slevin, on his first outing in Irish vest, got over the high jump at a best height of 1.68m in the U17 event at the Scottish Championships in Grangemouth on Saturday.
The Finn Valley AC teenager clipped the bar with his heel at 1.73m and finished in seventh spot.
Stephen will surely have gained valuable international experience even if disappointed by the end result.
Finn Valley AC coach Rosemary Finn was on duty in Eton, England at the weekend. Rosemary accompanied an Ulster team that competed in an U20 International in Eton on Saturday.
Later this week, Finn Valley AC stalwarts Neil Martin and Dermot McGranaghan leave for Peru with the Irish squad that will take part in the World U20 Athletics Championships. Neil is a team manager and Dermot is lead coach with the relay teams. Good luck to both and to the Irish squad who will hopefully continue the recent positivity.
Hot on the heels of Eimear McCarroll, who has embarked on her voyage across the Atlantic to take up an athletics scholarship at Bradley University, her fellow Finn Valley athlete Tristan Kelly has returned for a fourth year to the United States.
Kelly is back at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee and is one of the student athletes to receive a 50th Anniversary Scholarship, announced at the Division II Festival in Orlando, Florida.
He has been a key runner on the Union men’s cross country team for three seasons and is a member of the GSC Honor Roll.
Also Stateside, Oisín Ó Gailín has been in action with two early season races over 1 mile in the United States,
He won the Mountain Avenue Mile in Fort Collins, Colorado in 4:17.41 having been third at the Pearl Street Mile in Boulder, Colorado the previous weekend in 4:18.
Finn Valley AC athletes were in action at the Dromore 10k on Saturday morning with Maggie O’Hara fifth, Joanne Campbell sixth and Ita Kelly ninth as well as 1st O50 and on Sunday morning Gloria Donaghey – a regular competitor on the local road race circuit – ran the Bundoran 5k, going 29:22 for second in her category.
It was interesting to note some comments from Mark English on Saturday at his homecoming regarding his own underage career and memories of cross country at FVAC.
A busy period of cross country action is looming on the horizon now for all at Finn Valley.
The annual primary schools cross country event takes place on September 11 with the secondary schools event on September 12. Following on from this, the Champions Cup takes place at the club on September 15. Details for all three, including entries, important events are on the club’s social media channels.
Training for all groups will return on Tuesday next and a reminder to athletes, coaches and parents alike that everyone is to be present in the hall for assembly at 6.30pm SHARP.
Little Athletics, for kids aged 4-7, will return in the coming weeks. Keep an eye for details.
