Ciaran McDonagh Debuts with 7.83m Jump
Johanna Doyle 2nd at Heps
Vinny Mulvey Finding Form

Ciaran McDonagh won his season opener jumping 7.83m (+1.7) at the Clemson Orange & Purple Classic held in Clemson, South Carolina on 11th May. The jump equals his and Ireland's #7 all-time in the long jump.

Mark Howard (Fingallians AC) opened his season winning the second heat of the 100 metres in 10.58 (+2.6) and placing 4th overall. He is training with Peter Coghlan and his Speed Dynamics group led by Coach Paul Doyle. Howard, the reigning Irish 200m Champion, and Bronze Medallist from the European U-23 Championships last year, also competed in the 200-metre event where he placed 5th in 21.75 (+1.5).

Coghlan (Crusaders AC) ran a windy (+3.6) 13.60 to win his qualifying heat. In the final, he placed third in a legal 13.68 (+2.0).

Speed Dynamic teammate Karen Shinkins won a 400m race (52.04) in Gosier, Guadaloupe and then set a personal best for 200 metres (23.60) in St Martin.

Eva Massey (North Down) placed first in the shot putt with a toss of 14.92m at the XI Meeting Internacional D'athletisme on 11th May in Palafrugell, Spain. Gareth Devlin placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 7.09m (+1.1).

Harvard's Johanna Doyle (Bray, Co. Wicklow) placed second in the hammer with a throw of 56.55m at the 2002 Heptagonal Games Outdoor Track & Field Championships held on 11-12 May in Annapolis, Maryland at the US Naval Academy. Brown University Senior Enda Johnson (Monaghan Phoenix A.C.) ran 3.54.71 to place third in his 1,500m qualifying race (Heat 4) and did not advance to the final.

Aidan Walsh, who runs for Fairleigh Dickinson University won the 1,500m title (3.52.28) at the Northeast Conference Championships held at Mount St Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland on 5th May. Walsh (Kilnamanagh, Co. Dublin) also placed fourth in the 800 metres in 1.54.63.

Johanna Doyle - photos by
Randy Miyazaki, DitPhoto.com

Johanna Doyle

Arkansas teammates Alistair Cragg and Westley Alkin placed second and fifth in the 10,000-metre event (10th May) at the Southeast Conference Championships held at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi on 9-12 May. Cragg ran 29:33.77 while Alkin ran 30.42.61. On Day 3, Cragg qualified for the 1,500m final running 3:47.91 in his section. On Day 4, Cragg placed third in the 1,500m running 3.45.45. Cragg finished second in the 5,000m (14:21.12) and Westley Alkin earned valuable points for the Hogs finishing sixth in 14:37.21. Unfortunately, the sprinters and jumpers of Tennessee earned more points edging Arkansas in the men's team title. John McDonnell (Crossmolina, Co. Mayo) said of his Razorbacks performance, "I was very, very pleased with the way our athletes competed and the chemistry on the team. That's what I really like. They laid it on the line like the teams of old, but we just didn't have enough bodies and Tennessee was the better team this time."

Vinny Mulvey led a trio of Iona College Gaels across the finish line in the 10,000-metre event at he 2002 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships held at Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey on 4-5 May. Mulvey was first (30.22.82) with Scotsman Graeme Reid second (30.22.82) and England's Peter Riley third in 30.22.97. Sean Connolly won the second section in the 800m in 1.57.60 placing 4th overall. Connolly also placed third in the 1,500m running 3:52.39. Mulvey and Reid swapped places in the 5,000m with Reid winning (14.51.58) and Mulvey second (14.57.29). In the women's meet, Dubliner Karen Conway (Manhattan College) placed second in the hammer with a throw of 40.90m. Conway, who is from Dundrum, threw her personal best (46.70m) earlier this season at the Joe Selleh Track Meet held in Tempe, Arizona on 22 March.

Vinny Mulvey - Iona College

Vinny Mulvey

Mark McManus whose parents are from Drumcondra, Co. Dublin and competes for the Nike Farm Team placed tenth in the 5,000m in 14.23.08 at the Cardinal Qualifier held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California on 10th May.

Desmond English (Dundrum South Dublin) placed 17th overall and fifth in his heat the 800m in a time of 1.52.19.

McManus hopes to compete in Ireland this summer and comes equipped with personal bests of 1.52.00, 3.44.32, 4.02.16, 8.14 and 14.03.

Mark McManus

Mark McManus

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