Track Season Opens - BANG !!!

The track season commenced last night with the first of the Dublin Graded meetings taking place on home turf in Irishtown. A number of Crusaders were out to test their winter work and knock off some cobwebs. The events with participating Crusaders included 100m, 400m and 1500m. The Ladies stuck to the field events with the Conway sisters competing in th Shot and Discus.


See full Crusaders Results and race reports.

Our young sprinters got things going with some speedy 100m races. Eoin Melvin was narrowly the quickest with 11.82 just pipping Tope, who has just returned to training recently. Fellow traiing partner and another of Larrys Crusaders for the Future John Canty clocked 14.38.

Next up were the 400m races. This saw John Canty produce a solid run just missing a sub 63. French man Maxime who ended last season in agony tearing his hamstring over 200m in the National league produce a solid opener in 53.72. Meanwhile inside the ring the Conway sister Phillipa and Karen were battling it out in the Discus. Phillipa produced a nice 32m throw to overhaul her aging sister by some 9 meters. It is suspected that Karen will now be seen more frequently at training with serious plans to reverse that result over the summer months.

1500m was next. There wer quite a few Crusaders taking part in this one. First up was the ever gutsy Chris Morahan and he continued to show us why he just keeps on improving. In the first 100m meters he got spiked and lost his shoe but that did not deter him. He battled on and finished, albeit with a blistered and battered right foot. Alan O'Keeffe, Breandan Carrigan and Rob Cross (Webb or Blanco we haven't wuite decided) were up next. Alan continued his run of good form puching the pace from 550 out only to be overhauled in final straight. Brendan clearly eased off the pies recently produced a 'New age' pb over this distance and showed his winter jacket has been shed and he is ready to run some personal best times this summer. In the A race Training partner GOC and Ivan ran hard to produce good openers. Well GOC ran hard, Ivan sauntered along until the final 250m kick he loves so much. Goc was well up the field for the race and hit the front with 300m to go. He pulled away briefly but a young man from fingallians ust got him inthe last 50m. Ivan came through like a steam train to grab third with a fast last 300m.

A great night of Athletics. A nice start t othe season and plenty of Red and White to be seen.

Full results Dublin Athletics Board Results

Crusaders Performances (Below)

Dublin Graded Track & Field - 16th April 2008

Men's 100 m
Name Club Time
Eoin Melvin Crusaders A.C. 11.82
Tope Odeiade Crusaders A.C. 11.90
John Keegan Crusaders A.C. 14.38

Men's 400 m
Name Club Time
Max Thommerel Crusaders A.C. 53.72
John Canty Crusaders A.C. 63.02

Men's 1500 m
Name Club Time
Gearoid O'Connor Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. 4.09.15
Ivan Kinahan Crusaders A.C. 4.09.84
Alan O'Keeffe Crusaders A.C. 4.14.59
Brendan Carrigan Crusaders A.C. 4.19.74
Robert Cross Crusaders A.C. 4.21.29
Buntuim Mlisana Dublin Front Runners 4.34.58
Chris Morahan Crusaders A.C. 5.20.94

Women's Shot Putt
Name Club Dist(m)
Philippa Conway Crusaders A.C. 8.17

Women's Discus
Name Club Dist(m)
Philippa Conway Crusaders A.C. 32.05
Karen Conway Crusaders A.C. 23.13