Glorious weekend for Mayo athletes at National Championships

MAYO athletes toasted success on multiple fronts last weekend as stars from across the country converged on Athlone for the National Juvenile Athletics Championships.

The event, held at the Technological University of the Shannon campus, saw a total of four competitors from the county emerge with medals.

Two Swinford AC athletes came out on top in their events, one medal went to Claremorris and another to Westportz, while numerouis Mayo athletes excelled across the two-day event.

Emma Nolan was exemplary as she led the field in the under-15 girls’ shot put, besting Charlotte Blennerhass of Tralee Harriers.

Fellow Swinford thrower Rachel McNicholas was also to the fore, this time in the under-16 shot-put, as she managed to pip Gyte Andrijauskaite from Doonee AC on a proud day for all at the club.

That wasn’t where the first-placed finishes stopped, though.

Claremorris AC running sensation Philip Griffith was electric as he edged Dunshaughlin’s Ciaran Kealy by an incredibly tight 0.41 seconds in the Under-14 boys 800-metre run, sparking scenes of wild jubilation.

There were also other admirable showings in the first heat of the category. Griffith’s fellow clubmate, Luke Duffy, finished third in that heat, one behind Finn Duckettt of Westport AC.

Freya Renton of Westport AC also excelled when she secured silver against Isabell Gaffney of West Waterford AC in the Under-17 800-metre event on a day when there was pride all around from a Mayo perspective.