Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

Kelly Proper National Championships star again.


Once again Kelly Proper has shown her marvellous competitive spirit in
a National Championship. In Athlone on Saturday and Sunday last Kelly
competed in three events and won all three decisively at the GloHealth
National Senior Indoor Championships to bring her total of National
Senior individual titles to 19 and in two of her victories she
recorded big personal bests.

Three of the best

  On Saturday Kelly won the first of her three titles in the long jump
which many felt was her favourite event and this was for good reasons
due to her marvellous record in the event since 2006. but in recent
years her great sprinting ability has meant that she is now regarded
very highly in this sphere. Her winning jump on Saturday was 6.22
metres and even though it was some way behind her best she still had a
very good series of jumps and won comfortably. She was due to run in
200 metres heats also on Saturday but this was not necessary as just
enough for a final entered and this was held on Sunday. First of all
however on Sunday she ran in the 60 metres heats and easily qualified
for the final in second place in the heat in 7.46 seconds just one
hundred of a second behind the leading qualifier on 7.45. In the final
she flew from the blocks to win decisively in 7.38 seconds a major
improvement on her previous best.the standard for upcoming European
Indoor Championships is 7.36 it was that close.Then 40 minutes later
she lined out for the 200 metres final and in this she was even more
impressive as she swept to her treble in a new big personal best of
23.27 seconds,which is the fastest time in Europe so far this year and
the second fastest time ever by an Irish athlete and not too far away
from the 23.20 standard required for the World Championships in
Beijing in August which can now be a target for her in the weeks and
months ahead. Kelly has had a marvellous career since she started out
in athletics many years ago and her record in Championships won
indoors and outdoors is testament to her commitment.  For the record
Kelly has won ten long Jump , six 200 metres and three 60 metres
Indoor titles, as well as eight long jump, four 200 metres and one 100
metres titles outdoors, plus Combined events outdoors and Indoors

Other medal winners.

Paul Murphy Ferrybank AC had a fine run in the 400 metres race
finishing second with a personal best time of 47.62 seconds, the race
was won by Dara Kervick in 45.63 now running with Clonliffe Hrs but he
did all his running up to recently with Carrick on Suir AC  and he is
a second cousin of Kelly Proper's. Three athletes collected bronze
medals and these were outgoing 800 metres champion Niall Tuohy of
Ferrybank  who was in a most competitive final eventually finishing
third in 1.52.35 behind two of Ireland's best 800 metres runners Mark
English who won in 1.51.34 and Declan Murray second  both of whom have
qualified for major Championships. Brother and sister Thomas and Lisa
Houlihan both had good results in the pole vault collecting bronze
medals Thomas with 4.60 metres and Lisa with 2.90 metres. Kevin Cooper
Ferrybank was 6 th in the 3000 metres final and Sean Curran West
Waterford was 7 th in his heat of the 1500 metres and not too far off
qualifying for the final.

 International in Athlone

On Thursday last the International meeting in Athlone saw the best
high jump in the world this year by Mutaz Essa Barshim,Qatar of 2.41
metres and the first sub 4 minute mile ever run in Ireland indoors  by
Ben Blankenship from USA who clocked 3 minutes 56.75 seconds. But
aside from this the meeting was a disaster for many athletes due to a
fault in the Timing System which saw many disqualifications. A number
of athletes from Waterford competed with Niall Tuohy 3 rd in the 800
metres in1.50.00 and Kelly Proper 5 th in the 60 metres and long jump.

Dungarvan 10 KM Details

The 33 rd  Annual Dungarvan Colleges 10 KM Road Race the final race in
Ml Roche Carpets Series was held in Dungarvan on Sunday last and
following were the results.Men 1 Brian Murphy (Carrick on Suir) 33;13
2 Danny Smith (Ballynonty ) 34;13 3 Darragh Kavanagh ( Leevale) 35:18)
 M40 Michael Murphy (Carrick on Suir) M45 Sean O'Sullivan (Midleton) M
50 Martin Hayes  West Waterford) M55 Gerry Cantwell do. Women 1 Ann
Doris ( Midleton) 39;26 2 Sally Forristal (St Joseph's) 39;46 3
Siobhán Mc Hugh (Clonmel) 40.24 F 35 Sinéad Kehoe ( United Striders) F
40 Corina Walsh (West Waterford ) F45 Catherine Clancy ( St
Catherine's ) F50 Geraldine Houlihan ( Carrick on Suir )  West
Waterford won men's and women's team prizes.120 competed. Series
winners Men; Kevin Kenneally ( West Waterford) Women Corina Walsh do.

National Cross Country in County Down

The All Ireland Senior and Junior Inter Club Cross Country
Championships are in Kilbroney Park Rostrevor County Down on Sunday
next as well as the Inter County Juvenile Relays with the first event
at 12 noon.

Munster Juvenile Indoors

 On Saturday and Sunday next the Munster Juvenile U/13 to U/19 Indoor
Championships are at Nenagh Indoor Stadium starting at 10 am both
days. Lots of athletes from clubs in Waterford will be competing over
two very long days of competition, full timetable on Munster Athletics
Website

USA Event

This week end the Big East Collegiate Indoor Championships are in New
York and Irish athletes will be competing