Ferrybank Athletic club once again demonstrated that they are easily the most successful athletic club in Irish juvenile athletics when they dominated the national juvenile championships held in very inclement weather conditions in Tullamore last Saturday and Sunday. The club easily retained the trophy for the best club coming home with a medal haul of 19 gold , 12 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Niamh Whelan and Mairead Murphy both recorded splendid treble gold medal performances. Niamh was a most comprehensive winner onf the girls under 17 100, 200m and 300m. Mairead was equally impressive in the under 18 age group winning the 100m, 200m and 100m hurdles. Mairead narrowly missed a fourth gold when she took silver in the high jump recording the same height as the winner.

Double golds were achieved by three athletes. Jessie Barr won the under 18 triple jump and 300m hurdles and finished second to her clubmate Mairead Murphy in the 100m hurdles. In the distance events Shane Quinn under 15 and Ciara Cronin under 16 both recorded magnificent wins in both the 800m and 1500m , a most difficult double.

Gavin Downey one of the most improved athletes in the club this season easily took the under 18 1500m title on Saturday and followed this with a silver on Sunday behind club mate Niall Tuohy in the 800m. Niall also took the silver medal in the 400m. Christopher Russell competing in the under 17 age group had an excellent weekend winning the 300m hurdles and taking a pair of silvers in the 100m and 200m. Mary O Connor under 18 dominated her 800m final easily taking gold and added the silver from the 300m final to her total for the weekend . Clubmate Mairead Deevy took gold in this event.

Patricia Barry under 18 was an impressive winner of the 3000m while Kelly Proper finished her juvenile career in fine style winning her speciality event the under 19 long jump.

Silver medals were won by Dayle Kennedy in the under 17 shot and discus, Hayley Murphy in the 100m under 18, Andrew Heffernan in the under 15 high jump, and Gavin Kennedy in the under 16 300m hurdles.

Bronze medals were won by Sinead Donnelly in the triple jump under 17, Haley Murphy in the 200m and triple jump under 18, Kitty Walsh in the 800m and 1500m under 16, Gavin Kennedy in the100m hurdles and long jump under 17, Nicola Power in the 80m hurdles under 16, Niamh Ryan in the 1500m under 17 and Billy Ryan in the 400m under 17.

It is now likely that many of the Ferrybank athletes will be selected to represent Ireland in the forthcoming Celtic International due to be held In Waterford on August 12^th. In the meantime the clubs relay teams will contest the National relays this Saturday in Cork and on Sunday the younger athletes under 9 - 13 will be hoping to increase the clubs National medal haul at their National Championships also to be held in Cork.

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