Special to Irish Runner.com by Ricky Simms
With selection for the European Indoor Track & Field Championships at stake many of Ireland's top athletes returned from overseas training to compete in the AAI Indoor T&F Championships at the Nenagh Stadium, County Tipperary.
Fresh from her National Indoor record of 52.85 in Pireaus, Greece on Wednesday night, Karen Shinkins looked equally impressive as she scorched around Nenagh's tight turns to win the women's 400m in 53.50. Dublin City Harriers' team-mate Ciara Sheehy returned from a month's training in South Africa to win the sprint double at 60m and 200m.
Wanamaker mile Champion Mark Carroll (Leevale) was forced to settle for the silver medal in the men's 800m-behind Millrose runner-up James Nolan (UCD). After a pedestrian 62 second opening 400m, Carroll got caught at the back of the five-man field when, with 250m to go, Nolan unleashed his winning kick. Carroll fought back bravely over the final circuit but with a 52 second last 400m Nolan was a clear winner.
Brendan Reilly cleared 2.24m to win the men's high jump from Liverpool's Daniel Graham and former winner Antoine Burke. Reilly gave the local crowd something to cheer as he attempted to break Mark Mandy's indoor record of 2.27m, going close on his first attempt.
Gareth Turnbull maintained his unbeaten streak with his fifth win in five races. St. Malachy's Turnbull, who has won the AAI Games 3000m, Durham International 4K cross-country, AAA's 1500m and BUSA 12K cross-country in recent weeks, waited until 250m to go before moving clear of the in-form Ken Nason and Neville Davey. Both Nason and Davey are based in the US and have season's best times of 3:41 for the distance.
Donal McCarthy added the National 60m title to his Scottish one with a final time of 6.84 seconds, just three hundreds outside the National Record that he set in the Kelvin Hall. Tom Comyns and Paul Opperman showed no ill effects of their South African training trip with victories in the men's 200m and 400m.
US based Sinead Delahunty fought back in the final straight to overtake AAA's medallist Maria Lynch in the ladies 800m. Lynch looked to have the race won with a decisive kick with 150m to go, but Delahunty timed her finish to perfection to win in 2:09. AAA's race walking champions Robert Heffernan and Gillian O'Sullivan were convincing winners in their respective 5K and 3K events.
Elsewhere Louise Cavanagh had to go home disappointed having appeared to have won the women's 3,000m by 24 seconds in 9:33 ahead of Niamh Byrne. She was later disqualified for running on the inside of the track.
RESULTS MEN 60 1 Donal McCarthy (Leevale) 6.84 2 David Power (DCH) 6.89 3 Kevin Cogley (DMP) 6.89 200 1 Tom Comyns (Limerick AC) 21.70 2 Robert Daly (DSD) 21.75 3 Darren Hough (DCH) 22.77 400 1 Paul Opperman (DSD) 48.93 2 Joe O'Donnell (Dungarvan) 51.50 3 Colm Lynch (Iveragh) 53.29 800 1 James Nolan (UCD) 1:54.91 2 Mark Carroll (Leevale) 1:55.72 3 David Campbell (Maynooth) 1:57.49 1500 1 Gareth Turnbull (St Malachy's) 3:55.24 2 Ken Nason (Metro/St Brigids) 3:56.29 3 Neville Davey (Clonliffe) 3:56.77 3000 1 John Daly (Nenagh) 8:28.83 2 Martin Kearns (Lusk AC) 8:33.06 3 Alan Merriman (Liffey Valley) 8:33.34 60H 1 Paul Conroy (DCH) 8.37 2 Ashley Henry (Corran) 8.53 3 Christopher McDermott (Roscommon, U20) 8.58 5000Walk 1 Robert Heffernen (Togher) 19:51.69 2 Colin Griffin (Ballinamore) 21:33.59 3 James Gibbons (Finn Valley) 22:12.48 HJ 1 Brendan Reilly (Unattached) 2.24 2 Danny Graham (Liverpool Harriers) 2.15 3 Antoine Burke (UCD) 2.15 TJ 1 Michael McDonald (Ballymena & Antrim) 14.31 2 Patrick Shannon (Ballybrack A.C.) 13.85 3 Michael Corrigan (Naas) 13.69 LJ: 1 Darragh O'Farrell (Borrisokane A.C.) 7.01 2 Gareth Devlin (Ballymena & Antrim) 6.99 3 Kevin Burke (Dooneen AC) 6.64 SP1 John P Leahy (Limerick) 16.35 2 John Menton (Donore) 14.18 3 Paul Crowe (DMP) 13.83 PV 1 Liam Long (Blarney/Inniscara AC) 3.60 2 Ruairi O'Briain (Crus) 3.40 3 Eoin Naughton (Nenagh) 3.2 WOMEN 60 1 Ciara Sheehy (DCH) 7.56 2 Leanne O'Callaghan (Unattached) 7.68 3 Derval O'Rourke (Leevale) 7.79 200 1 Ciara Sheehy (DCH) 24.58 2 Marisa Smith (Clonliffe) 25.29 3 Leanne O'Callaghan (Unattached) 25.54 400 1 Karen Shinkins (DCH) 53.50 2 Martina McCarthy (Athenry) 56.75 3 Jennifer McKenna (Metro/St Brigids) 57.95 800 1.Sinead Delahunty (Kilkenny City Harriers) 2:09.93 2 Maria Lynch (DSD) 2:10.33 3 Margaret Mary Crowley (Bandon) 2:22.89 1500 1.Emmanuel McMahon (UCD) 4:51.27 2 Catherine Keohane (Bantry) 5:29.38 3000 1 Niamh Beirne (Lucan) 9:57.46 2 Mary Hanley (Na Fianna) 10:09.13 3 Ann Marie Larkin (UCD) 10:14.03 60H 1 Derval O'Rourke (Leevale) 8.77 2 Orna Donoghue (Carrick-On-Suir AC) 9.23 3 Alison Beck (UCD) 9.96 3000 Walk 1 Gillian O'Sullivan (UCC) 12:28.97 2 Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC) 12:41.98 3 Deidre Gallagher (Ballina AC) 14:14.73 HJ 1 Orna Donoghue (Carrick-On-Suir AC) 1.70 2 Deirdre Ryan (DSD) 1.65 3 Rose Mary Daniels (Na Fianna) 1.65 TJ 1 Mary McLoone (Tirchonaill AC) 11.57 2 Mary Devlin (Ballymena & Antrim) 11.47 3 Lynette Parke (Navan) 10.68 LJ 1 Antoinette Furlong (DMP) 5.71 2 Ann-Marie Lynch (KCH) 5.68 3 Sinead Swan (Taghmon) 5.48 SP 1 Eva Massey (North Down) 14.03 2 Bridie Lynch (Tirchonaill AC) 10.85 3 Laura Jane Carroll (Tullamore Harriers) 10.75 PV 1 Juliet Claffey (Borrisokane AC) 2.91 2 Kate Rudd (Nenagh) 2.40 3 Jean Tierney (Borrisokane AC) 2.40