Sligo Athletic Club: News Update

A range of athletic events took place over the weekend, from 10k road races in Eniskillen & Maugherow to National League events in Tullamore with Sligo AC athletes travelling to all. In the Enniskillen Rotary 10k on Saturday Eamon Dunbar crossed the line in 36.10, Damian Kennedy followed in 38.21 with Mark Burns hot on his heels in 38.23. Enda Dineen ran strongly throughout to finish in 39 minutes flat. The following day, Sunday, the Maugherow 10k (pictured) took place where a large number of local athletes toed the line, including a few brave ones that had ran the day before in Enniskillen! North Sligo's Thomas Kelly was the first home over this tough hilly course in just over 36 minutes with Sligo AC's Neil Walton making a return to competitive action taking 2nd place. Round One of the National League also took place on Sunday where a wide variety of disciplines had Sligo AC entries. A full round-up of these results will be posted shortly.

Sligo Athletic Club Update: National League

Sligo start their push for National league success this comming weekend in tullamore: The team is a good mix of both new and old faces and is strong enough to be in a great position for round 2. Stephen reynolds will throw the hammer & 56lbs, he came 2nd in last years final and will aim to go one better this year. Aaron Murtagh will double up in long jump & triple jump in which he will be seeking max points in one or both events. Martin Conroy should also gain max points in both the 3km walk and 3km steeple. We have new recruit Ciaran Collins who was multiple National underage champion over 400m pulling on the Sligo AC vest for the first time, he will run the 400m in which even as his first race in a few years has got be up there challenging. Damien O'Boyle from Calry will double up in Shot Putt & Discus in which, with his juvenile pedigree, he will be a hard man to beat. We have National Senior schools 1,500m champion Tommy Casey running in either the 800m or 1,500m but whatever race he does can be relied on to be challenging for max points. Both relay teams look very strong, with in the 4x100m Gary Hynes, Ciaran Collins, Kevin McGlynn and Ryan Monaghan should be there or there abouts and it will take a good 4x400m team to beat Ciaran Collins, Martin Conroy, Tommy Casey and Dermot McDermott to top spot in that event. Sligo also welcome back Gary Hynes from the states where he is on a soccer scholarship. He will double up in both 100m and 200m where he will get valuble points if he is anywhere near as good a shape as last year. Kenneth Lippset will be there or thereabouts in the high jump as will Conel Boal in the javelin. Ultan McNasser lines out in the 5,000m, his first competitive race on the track over this distance where he will try to achieve a new personal best. The very best of luck to all of the team and with athletes the calibre of Tommy Carroll, David kelly and Emmet Dunleavy to come back into the fold over the league through the summer who would bet against Sligo winning this competition this year?

Sligo AC News Update: U9,U10,U11 Connaught Team Competition

Sligo AC U9, U10, U11 and U12 travel to Galway on Saturday next for the Connaught Team competition for U9, U10 and U11. These athletes qualified from the Co Sligo section of the event in sprint, middle distance, long jump and ball throw earlier and hope to qualify for the All Ireland event in late June. Competing will be Leo Doherty, Conor Melvin, Lillian Casey and Ellen McGeough who all qualified for the All Irelands last year and should be successful in their chosen events. We wish all athletes well in this event. U12 athletes compete also in both boys and girls with many on their first time out in Connaught Track and Field. A bus leaves from Sligo Garda station at 8.00 a.m. for those travelling by bus with competition beginning at 11.00 a.m.

Assistant Coaching Course update!

An ‘Assistant Coach’ coach education course will take place in Screen, Co Sligo on Thursday 24th and Monday 28th June 2010. This is an introductory level course and places are still available. The aim of the assistant coach course is to give basic skills to the beginner coach to help assist a more senior coach in the delivery of coaching sessions to young Athletes. It is an introduction to the coaching of three key events, running (Sprints and Endurance), Jumping (Long Jump) and Throwing (Shot Putt). The course duration runs from 6pm to 9:30pm on both evenings. There is no exam needed to be passed to complete this course, the cost of which is €60. Any club members interested please contact Anne McHugh 087-2355103.

Sligo Athletic Club News: Athletes shine on national stage!

The All-Ireland schools championships were held in Tullamore, Co.Offaly, last weekend where a number of Sligo A.C athletes took part representing their various schools. Perhaps the highest profile victory went to Grammar school student Tommy Casey (centre) who competed in the senior 1500 metres. Eyewitness accounts stated that after the opening three laps, Casey easily distanced himself from the rest of the chasing pack to cross the line in a new personal best of 3.59:11 whilst becoming the 2010 Senior schools champion over 1500m. Dylan Carty, also from Sligo Grammar school, competed in the Junior 1200m walk finishing a brilliant second in a time of 5.45:23 whilst Anna Bednorz (Mercy Convent) jumped a distance of 11.13 metres taking silver in the Intermediate triple jump. Other athletes who took part in various disciplines were Anna Reddin, Rachel Kilgallon, Aisham Patil & James McGeough. Well done to all! Elsewhere Sligo AC's Lucy Brennan once again put our Club on the national stage taking first place in the 2010 Cork City marathon in a time of 2.54.41. This was Lucy's third time to stand on the winners podium in Cork & in her current form she's very likely to add to this victory of the coming summer season. Ballinamore Open Sports events took place over the weekend (bank holiday monday) with Sligo AC's juveniles taking part. Dylan Carty, fresh from his exploits in the national schools, took gold in his walking event, Nadine Deering won gold in the under-10 80 metres whilst also picking up bronze in the 300m whilst her sister Amy won two silver in the under-8 60 and 80 metres, great results for these two young athletes. Closer to home, a small contingent of Sligo AC athletes made the trip northwards to compete in the Donegal town 5k. James McAlister (Belfast) won the race outright in humid conditions in a time of 14.52. Sligo AC athletes fared out as follows; U McNasser (16.40) M Casserly (17.35) R Connor (18.56) D Byrne (19.41) C McCarthy (20.08) E Reddin (20.41) and W Parke (21.08). Well done to all who competed!

Spartan Challenge: Dublin Marathon 2010

Four lucky winners will win a once in a lifetime experience to be trained, advised and kitted out by 'the best of the best' and will become one of our four, official SPARTANS.
Experts Paula Mee and Karl Henry will be taking our SPARTANS through an intensive training and fitness regime over the course of sixteen weeks (the amount of time it takes to bring an unfit individual to marathon-ready fitness), and will be given an accompanying nutritional program to achieve the very best results. Each SPARTAN will also have the chance to post their weekly blog online, reporting on their trials, tribulations, achievements and progress throughout their training.
Our SPARTANS can walk, jog or run the marathon. Walking 26 miles is just as big an achievement as jogging or running 26 miles so remember, the SPARTAN challenge welcomes ALL fitness levels.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this amazing opportunity, is create your profile by registering on the website http://spartan.spar.ie/ , and then share your profile with as many people as possible, to get as many votes as you can. The four people with the most votes win!