7th July 2010Masters Championships and Tailteann Games Medal Haul

Local athletes showcased their talent across the age bands over the weekend with big performances at the NI Masters championships at the Mary Peters track and at the Juvenile Inter Provincial Tailteann Games in Tullamore.

Eight Masters gold and one silver were won between them in Belfast,by the City of Derry quartet,Danea Herron, Jacqueline McGinley, Robert Bigger and Declan Reed.

Tailteann Games medals came from three of the Spartans younger stars,Andrew Bolster,Mark McGarvey and Anna Barr and at the Limavady Round the Bridges road race,six locals led by the red vests Emmet McGinty in the runners up spot, pushed into the top ten finishers.

Robert Biggers treble M50 Masters gold haul---800m/400mHurdles/Triple Jump-- was the local highlight in a profitible day on Sunday and Danea Herron also got a treble,gold in Long Jump and Irish record equalling figures of 25m 99cm in the F50 Javelin plus 80m Hurdles silver. The in form Jacqueline McGinley took the F40 1500m/3000m double and Declan Reed showed a clean pair of heels to all his M35 rivals as he posted 15m47s for the 5000m gold.

Tailteann Games
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Andrew Bolster continued to improve his 400m Hurdles times with a very impressive new PB of 57.9secs for silver in Tullamore on Saturday and Mark McGarvey also claimed silver in the 100m Hurdles, in which clubmate Ryan McParland tumbled and failed to finish. Anna Barr had an excellent day,claiming a new sub 41s 300m PB for silver and then silver again in the Relay.The three other locals in action all came close to medals,Sean Harkin fourth in the 2000m Steeplechase,Claire Dougherty fourth in the High Jump and the fifth placed Roisin Laverty in the Long Jump.

Staying with the Juveniles the final qualifying positions in the Young Athletes League have been confirmed with City of Derry leading the way by almost 500 points after the three qualifying rounds. Olympian have also qualified in third spot but the Spartans are expected to seal the League and the trip to the UK Finals in September when Antrim hosts the NI Final at the end of July.

Gerry Lynch 27/6/10