The second North West Indoor Games was held in the Indoor Arena in Athlone Institute of Technology at the weekend and attracted five hundred competitors from 47 clubs in 22 counties and the standard of competition was correspondingly high.
Among the competitors were members of the AAI Elite Middle Distance Squad who were looking for qualifying times and Rose Finnegan of Bohermeen achieved her target of 2.09.66 in the 800m.
Another athlete who achieved her target was Eilish Flanagan of Omagh Harriers who is home on Holidays from the USA where she is on an athletic scholarship with her twin sister Roisin. Eilish required a sub 10 minute time in the 3,000m to allow her compete in a higher grade of Varsity Competition in the U.S.A, and she duly ran 9.58.97.
There were also many outstanding performances from a Donegal point of view with Joseph Gillespie Finn Valley having a great double in the U/14 boys long and High Jump, Michaela Byrne, also Finn Valley also had double victories in the Long and High Jumps while Patrick Galvin had a double also in the senior Long and High Jumps. Martin O’Donnell, Olympian YAC had a good double in the Masters 60m and 200m while his sister Karen was an impressive winner in the Master 400m,
Other impressive winners were Fiachra O’ Donnell, Tír Chonaill in the U/12 Shot, Tracey Mullen, Cranford U/12 long Jump, Ryan Canning Letterkenny U/14 boys 800m, Oisin Toye, Finn Valley U/14 boys 1,500m, Ryan O’ Kane Finn Valley U/14 Shot, Leagh Mc Garvey, Rosses, U/14 girls 200m, Emily Croke, Finn Valley U/14 Shot, Eoin Sharkey, Tír Chonaill U/16 Hurdles, Iarla O’ Murchu Tír Chonaill U/16 boys 200m, David Smith, Letterkenny U/16 High Jump, Emma Brown Rosses U/16 girls 200m, Karen Gallagher Finn Valley U/16 girls 800m, Mia Mc Calmont, Tír Chonaill U/16 girls 1,500m, Yvonne Boyle, Finn Valley U/16 shot, Ben Carr Finn valley U/18, 1,500m, Shazad Nazeer, Letterkenny U/18 Long Jump, Adam Whoriskey, Inishowen U/18 Triple Jump, Edward Grant U/18 Shot, Kathy Bannigan, Finn Valley U/18 Triple Jump, Brigid Mc Dyer, U/20 shot, Ann Slevin, Finn Valley M4 Shot and Mary O’ Callaghan M7 Shot.
There were several further impressive wins for Donegal clubs in the relays with Cranford winning the U/12 Girls 4 x 100m event, Tír Chonaill were impressive winners in both the Girls U/14 and the boys U/16 relays, while Finn Valley were winners in both the U/18 men’s and women’s events
The event which is a joint effort by Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan County Boards is growing in stature with each year and many of the clubs who came for the first time in 2016 have already expressed interest in returning next year.
