Sligo Athletic Club: News Update

Mystery Turkey trot in Calry is cancelled due to the worsening weather conditions and icy conditions which would prove too hazardous to ask athletes to run .We hope to reschedule in the early New Year as a Trolley dash.
Sligo AC''s Annual Club Run over 2 miles takes place at 12 noon on St Stephens Day in Hazelwood. If athletes want a longer run come earlier but we encourage all to join the group for a casual jog at 12 noon .This is also an opportunity to fill your registration for 2011 and , if possible get a few euro for sponsorship. The club registration at 30 euro is one of the lowest in the Country and most of it goes to Athletics Ireland for membership and Insurance. Thus the club also needs some sponsorship to survive and prosper. The Club had over 260 registered members in 2010 and we assisted both young athletes and Seniors with entry to Connacht and National events along with a small contribution to travel to these events. Thus by joining the Club you help ensure the future for our young Athletes. See you on Stephens morning and have a happy and peaceful Christmas. Don't run over 100 miles a week during the festive Season! Finally best of luck to our Competitors in National Cross Country next Sunday.
The following Indoor Competitions takes place in the New Year. Please let any club Coach know if you wish to be entered and note closing Dates. Sat 15 Jan 2011: Junior Indoors closes 7 Jan. Sun 16th Jan AAI Indoors closes 7th jan. Sat 22th Jan Combined Events Senior/Junior/Masters closes 14th Jan. Sun 23rd Jan Masters Indoor closes 14 Jan. All above in Nenagh. Sat 19th and Sun 20th February Senior Indoors in Belfast closes 23rd January.
Fit4Life top 16 athletes from the Autumn series are as follows. Well done to all!
1. Clarke, Corina
2. Beatty, Hubert
3. Sweeney, Trevor
4. Parkinson, Tony
5. Janyst, Pawel
6. Sullivan, James
7. Mcglone, Kevin
8. Hosey, Lorraine
9. Kennedy, Linda
10. Teape, Bernadine
11. Martin, Louise
12. Whelan, John
13. Deering, Keenan
14. Gilroy, John
15. Keane, Ronan
16. Filan, Finbar

Sligo AC Athletics Update

Fit4Life: Race 5. On a day when many of the participants found it almost as difficult to negotiate a safe route to the start of the 2 mile run in Hazelwood as to do the run itself, a field of 43 eventually took to the line in what proved an enjoyable days sport. Two youngsters led the field home with Keenan Deering holding off Riona Connor for first with a slightly older trio of Bernie Flynn, Barbara Curran and Linda Kennedy filling third to fifth. Seamus Somers with 10 mins 46 secs was fastest home while Roseanne Mitchell was fastest woman in 13 mins 12 secs. Top ten finishers of Race 5 as follows;
1st. deering, keenan 14.50
2nd. connor, riona 15.57
3rd. flynn, bernie 15.12
4th. curran, barbara 16.51
5th. kennedy, linda 16.04
6th. henry, monica 15.41
7th. gilroy, john 14.54
8th. sweeney, trevor 13.28
9th. clarke, corina 14.49
10th. whelan, enda 14.00
Next Saturday at 12 noon the final leg of the League takes place over the same 2 mile circuit.
Presentation of prizes will be in the Southern Hotel at 6pm with light refreshments and the top 15 finishers overall will receive a prize.All are welcome as well as friends and partners.
Glasses missing from Race Course, Cleveragh on Saturday 4th December at approx 1pm. If anyone mistakingly picked them up please contact club officials at sligoac@gmail.com

Sligo AC News: Athletics update

National Cross Country Championships. Despite the Arctic conditions Sligo Athletics were well represented in the various under age, Junior and Senior Races on Sunday. First into action at under 12 level was Leo Doherty, Connacht under 11 Champion , who acquitted himself well to finish in 26th place in a field of over 100 runners. From this achievement he will look forward to the under 11 Nationals in Tullamore where a top 10 place would be a realistic target. The girls under 14 race saw Caeloinn Mc Gonigle and Laura Joyce fly the flag as they finished in the top half of a quality field. Claire Conlon and Orla Mulvihill represented the club at under 16 level and again did well in the difficult underfoot conditions. Ashan Patil in 47th place was closely followed by Gavin Foyle in the under 16 boys race and while Shane Kilcawley was 4oth in the boys under 18 event. Sharon Hodgins in 12th showed huge improvement in the girls under 18 race while in the the Junior events for under 20s Anna Reddin in 9th and Tommy Casey in 11th produced the best performances of the day. Seamus Somers and Tommy Carroll were the County representatives in the Senior Mens race (won by Dublin's Joe Sweeney - pictured) and Somers did well in his first Seniors to finish 87th while Carroll had to pull out with injury. Well done to all who competed from all at the club!
National Novice Cross Country will be on the 19th December in Tullamore, Co.Offaly. Sligo AC women and mens teams athletes for the above please contact Terry Hayes in the next few days for confirmation of entry. Closing date 2nd December 2010.
‘Do a LAP for the Outdoor Gym’ at the Mitchell Curley Park, Kevinsfort on Sunday December 5th.The fundraising project committee are asking the local community to take part in walking or jogging around the park on December 5th and over the months of December and January and to pledge €1 or raise sponsorship of €1 per 1km lap. The community fundraising target is €12,000 or 12,000km.We would be delighted if you could attend on the day. The launch begins at 2.30pm with speeches and the completion of laps. Santa will be there to meet the children and complete the first lap! Local celebrities have been invited too. Pledge cards are available now from any of the committee members and at the launch on Sunday December 5th.
Regional Development Squads. Please see details at this link for upcoming Regional Development Squads - http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=16037 . Please encourage athletes in your club named on the squad list and their coaches to attend. Full details in the enclosed link.
The Connacht branch/IRFU are delighted to inform you that there will be a fitness workshop for all coaches in Sligo, Monday the 29th of November. The workshop will focus on fitness and conditioning for young players to adult beginners at strength training . This workshop will be based on the newly updated fitness and conditioning content in the Mini and foundation coaching courses. The focus of this workshop is physical activity and movement skill development. The evening will concentrate on stages 1 and 2 of the Long Term Development Pathway, Title - “Fitness for young players and adults beginners at strength training” Presenter - Antoine Mobian ( Connacht academy fitness coach) & Des Ryan (I.R.F.U. Fitness Education manager) Date – 29/11/10 Time – 7.30pm to 9pm Venue – Sligo Grammar school , Sligo Cost - €5 Registration - Coaches must register with Eamonn Molloy or Jimmy Duffy on 091 561 568

Sligo AC News: Running Shoes

The first and probably the most important cross country race of the winter will take place in Derry on Sunday next. It’s the AAI inter county National Championships for senior men and women and the juvenile championships are also held in conjunction. The road to Derry from Sligo will be busy on Sunday morning as we have athletes competing in all grades. Few will forget 2009 when our senior mens team brought home bronze medals for the first time in the history of the event. The chance to equal that or even build on it probably is beyond the team this year. The absence of David Kelly unavailable due to work commitments, Emmett Dunleavy injured, Martin Conroy who is in Australia and Paddy Brennan who has flown the nest to Donegal is a huge blow. However the addition of Thomas McBride, Seamus Somers and new recruit John Hennigan is positive for the team. Tommy Carroll is a much stronger athlete than last year so it’s not all doom and gloom around our senior mens team. Last year we also celebrated a stunning victory by Mary Cullen in the senior women’s race and unfortunately injury has ruled her out of this years race but Sligo AC athlete Eimear O’Brien makes her debut in this race and does hold an outside chance of making the team for the European cross country. Another man with serious ambitions of making that team is Tommy Casey who lines out in the junior mens race with high hopes. Anna Reddin is a starter in the ladies equivalent and will harbour similar ambitions to Tommy. Sligo juvenile athletes have been in flying form in the Connaught championships and travel to Derry in confident form. The North Sligo duo of William Crowe and Cian McBride always seem to peek in All Ireland championships and I expect it will be no different on Sunday next. Sligo AC athletes Leo Doherty, Caolinn McGonagle and Sarah McGeogh are class athletes and are expected to run well. Both Sligo clubs will also have teams in some of the age groups while a number of county teams will also declare in the juvenile section. So a fascinating day lies in store on Sunday next where teams for the European championships will be announced after the event. Let’s hope that we have a Sligo representative on one team at least.
Two interesting road races with a distinctly Christmas flavour should now go into all readers diaries. The first is the Calry Athletic club “Turkey Trot” which will take place in Calry on Saturday December 18th starting from the Marian Hall Calry. The second is “The great Sligo Santa dash” which will start from Sligo southern hotel on Wednesday December 22nd at 7pm. This promises to be a great occasion with a massive Christmas party taking place after the race with music, food and craic.

Open letter from Sligo AC's Secretary to Sligo Champion

Dear Editor,
Next Sunday the National Inter Counties Cross Country takes place in Derry ,one of the biggest events on the Athletics Calendar and won last year by Sligo native Mary Cullen. I understand Michael Carney (Nth Sligo AC) sent in information about this event but whether he did or not i would have assumed the event would have received some coverage. As such I looked forward to reading my Champion this week.
Page 91 recorded Junior Soccer victory v Roscommon and contract talks with Richie Ryan reported by M.Moran. Page 92 Article by Tommy Brehony re burnout and GAA Minor Board appointment reported by Leo Gray. Pages 93 and 94 GAA Notes. Page 95 Swimming, Boxing and Martial Arts. Page 96 Badminton, Handball and Gymnastics. Page 97 Rugby. Page 98 Golf. Page 99 and 100 Soccer and Junior/ Youth Soccer. Page 101 Article re Bit O Red by M.Moran. Page 102 Match Gavin Dykes selection v Sligo Rovers reported by M.Moran. Page 103 Sligo Rovers Triumph reported by Jim Gray. Page 104 Sligo Rovers sign new players reported by M.Moran.
It gives me no pleasure to keep highlighting your poor coverage of Athletics but i feel you have a responsibility to give equal coverage to all Sports. This email is going to almost 300 Athletics associates and let them decide if they wish to read the Champion. Yours in sport, Secretary Sligo AC.

Sligo AC News Update: Fit4Life League

Four highly competitive races gone and two to go in this years Autumn Fit4Life League and Corina Clarke continues to hold a commanding lead from Hubert Beatty who is just ahead of Janyst Pawel and Tony Parkinson. From previous years we all know that the final shakeup can change totally even over a single race! The final two races are over two miles in Hazelwood Forest, Calry, on Saturday 4th and 11th December starting at 12 noon.
On December 11th at 7pm the presentation of prizes to the top fifteen in the League will take place in the Southern Hotel at 7pm with some finger food and an opportunity for all club members to have a Christmas drink. Top ten athletes so far as follows;
clarke, corina 10pts
beatty, hubert 64pts
janyst, pawel 66pts
parkinson, tony 70pts
teape, bernadine 87pts
sweeney, trevor 96pts
whelan, john 102pts
hosey, lorraine 105pts
sullivan, james 109pts
martin, louise 133pts