Good January for Meath athletes

Bohermeen athlete Kevin McGrath returned to winning form with a tremendous run in the 1,500m at the AAI Irish Life Health u-20 and u-23 Indoor Championships at Athlone on the weekend of 25th / 26th January.

McGrath stormed to victory in the u-23 category only weeks after celebrating his 21st birthday.

There was the usual bumping and elbowing, but with the opening laps at a very pedestrian pace it was looking like it would come down to the athlete with the best kick.

McGrath kicked for home with about 300m (a lap and a half) remaining and covered the final lap of 200m in about 26 seconds.

"The winning time of 4:09 was unimportant as it was all about medals and getting on the podium and especially winning the gold," he commented.

"This is my first national title in four years due to many injuries and setbacks in that period," he added.

Supported by his coach Joe Ryan, who has plotted and built confidence and belief, and his family, especially his grandfather who travelled from Monaghan to see him win, it was a very special occasion.

McGrath was back in Athlone on Sunday and helped with the pacemaking for the men’s 1,500m in the Indoor Track League.

He took third place clocking 3:55 and rounded off a great weekend.

Another Bohermeen athlete, Rose Finnegan was also in action for UCD.

Despite putting in a great performance in the ladies u-23 1500m she was edged out of the bronze medal in the closing stages.

She also lined up for the u-23 800m later in the day and won the silver medal.
 

ANDREW COSCORAN

Star of the Sea athlete Andrew Coscoran joined an elite group of Irish athletes when he broke the four-minute mile at the Terrier Classic college meeting at Boston University.

Andrew clocked 3:56.85 – a significant breakthrough for the 23-year-old.

Andrew ducked and dived for the line and was awarded the same time as race winner Craig Engels, the American champion and also part of the former Nike Oregon Project.  Engels got the nod in the photo-finish

It’s the fastest mile by any Irish runner since Paul Robinson ran 3:54.77 in 2014 and also the fastest indoor mile by an Irish athlete since Ciarán Ó Lionáird ran his 3:52.10  in 2013.

In the long history of Irish sub-four minute miles, starting with Ronnie Delany in 1956, Coscoran becomes only the 43rd Irish man to add his name to that exclusive list.

SHANNON SHEEHY

Meath athlete Shannon Sheehy made a very impressive return to action at Athlone nine months after having a baby.

She competed in the National League and it was her first high jump competition in almost two years.

She cleared 1.75m and set a new personal best in the process.
 

CUSHINSTOWN AC

It was a busy two weekends for Elizabeth Morland who won the All-Ireland senior women’s Combined Events in Athlone.

Morland clocked 8.83 seconds in the 60m hurdles, in the high jump she had 1.73m and in the shot putt achieved a throw of 10.74m.

The 800m saw the Meath woman complete in 2:32.76.

Morland and Zoe Mohan also competed in the u-20 and u-23 indoor championships in Athlone.

Morland won the women’s u-23 long jump with a leap of 5.75m.

She placed second in the women’s u-23 shot putt with a throw of 11.85m

Mohan won the women’s u-23 weight for distance with a throw of 6.52m.

Elizabeth Morland

 

Zoe Mohan