By T. Patrick O'Dowd
Gillian O'Sullivan from University College Cork (1:35.09) and Olive Loughnane (Loughrea A.C.) 1.35.36 were both inside the Olympic A Standard (1:36:00) again for the 20-kilometre walk event at the national championships held in Phoenix Park on 8 April. O'Sullivan set a Championship best as did men's winner Robert Heffernan (Togher A.C.) in 1.23.49. Last year Heffernan finished third when the race was staged on the approach road to the Jack Lynch Tunnel, behind winner Pierce O'Callaghan and Jamie Costin of Waterford. However, Heffernan has improved immensely this year and has recorded some remarkable performances. On Saturday he not only won, but came very close to the A standard for the Olympics. His winning time met the B standard and is just 49 seconds off the A standard. In the men's race, Andi Drake a guest from Great Britain took second in 1.25.56 followed by Jamie Costin (1.27.48), Jeff Cassin (1.30.58), Colin Griffin a junior (1.34.42), Pat Ryan (1.41.18), James Gibbons (1.42.45), and Vets Sean Pender (2.06.18) Bernie O'Callaghan (2.10.27) in eight and ninth respectively. In the women's race, Georgina Tuohey was third in 1.50.20 followed by Anne McGill (1.53.46), Grainne McGowan (2.45.54) and Geraldine Penrose placing sixth in 2.47.39.
Breeda Dennehy Willis (Bandon A.C.) placed eighth in 32.11.30 and Rosemary Ryan (Bilboa A.C.) was fourteenth in 32.36.13 at the European 10,000m Challenge Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, 1 April. In the men's competition, Dermot Donnelly, placed twenty-eighth in 29.44.18. Noel Berkeley placed sixth in the B race in 29:09.83 followed by Seamus Power (10th, 29.16.80), Peter Matthews (11th, 29:17.51) and Paolo Doglio (16th, 30.01.97).
Back from a stress fracture that forced him to miss the entire cross country and indoor track campaign, Tom Carey debuted with 4:05.6 (1,500m) at the Boise State Spring Opener held on 18 March. On the following weekend Carey ran 14:17.39 for 5,000 metres.
Western Kentucky University coach Michelle Murphy Scott of Carrignavar continues to set example for the athletes she coaches by taking part in lots of races. Last week she ran the 3,000m at the Alabama Relays, finishing a creditable third with a time of 9:44.52, with Caroline Daly of East Cork seventh in 10:05.85. The 1,500m at the same meet saw Olga Cronin of East Cork place sixth in a time of 4:35.93, with Valerie Lynch of Carrignavar 13th in 4:40.51. Terri Hennessy of East Cork was 12th in the 5,000m in 18:25.56, while Brian Murray was 30th in the mens 5,000m in 15:18.07.
Meanwhile, Ciaran Lynch of Limerick, on scholarship at Providence College, finished 21st in the 10,000m at the Raleigh Relays with a time of 30:54.56.
Providence College's Emer O'Shea (Co. Limerick) won the 800 meters in a time of 2:12.92 in a meeting of teams from University of Rhode Island, Brown, University of Massachusetts, Providence College, Northeastern, Southern Connecticut held at at Brown Univiversity., Providence, R.hode Island on 15 April. Kathryn Casserly (Co. Galway) placed second in the 1,500m in 4:34.14. In the men's meet Dermot Galvin (Kilrush) captured the 1,500 meters in a time of 3:55.31 and Ciaran Lynch (Limerick) won the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 9:24.60. Larry Morrissey ran 1:53.41 in the 800m.
Vinny Mulvey ran 14:16.20 to place seventh in the 5,000m at the Sea Ray Relays held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on 12-14 April. Brian Murray placed 23rd in the 1,500m in a time of 3:52.81. Carrignavar's Michelle Scott, coach at Western Kentucky University, was back in action over the weekend at the Sea Ray Relays, running the 5,000m. On this occasion, however, she had to settle for a place behind one of her charges Olga Cronin of East Cork. Cronin was sixth in a time of 17:04.64, with Scott seventh in 17:05.36. In the open 3,000m Caroline Daly of East Cork was 10th in a time of 10:18.02, while Valerie Lynch of Carrignavar was 13th in the invitational 3,000m with 10:13.42.
Ciaran Doogan University of Texas-Arlington ran 15:31.63 to place tenth in the 5,000m at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays held in Austin, Texas on 7 April.
Aidan Walsh (Kilnamanagh, Co. Dublin) who competes for Fairleigh Dickinson University ran 3:50.41 and placed third in the 1,500 metres at the Columbia Invitational Track & Field held on 15 April at Baker Field on the campus of Columbia University in New York. Iona College's David Brosnan stepped down from his usual events (800m/1,500m) and ran 49.07 to place fourth in the 400 metre event. Brosnan won his section (1:52.40) and placed second overall in his specialty the 800 metres.
Cormac Smith (Asics) ran 9:01.77 to place nineteenth in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays held in Walnut, California on 14 April. Tom Carey (Limerick) placed third in his section of 5,000m event at the Mt. Sac. Relays with a time of 14:22.76.
Leevale's Paul Carroll of Villanova was third in the 1,500m at a meet in Princeton with a time of 3:53.80.
Leevale's David Brosnan (Iona College) ran 3:50.69 to place seventeenth in the 1,500m at the Duke Invitational held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina on 7-8 April. Former BLOE 800m Champion Alan Simms, ETSU ran 1.55.13 in the Distance Medley Relay and 1.55.37 in the Developmental 800m. Brosnan placed third in the 1,500m in 3:50.63 at the Princeton Relays.