On Saturday last in Texas at the American National Collegiate Indoor Championships West Waterford athlete David McCarthy produced another fine performance.

Having won his way through to the mile final from the heats on Friday he was always in the leading group and eventually finished fourth in a time of 4 minutes, 2.24 seconds.

The race was won by English runner Lee Samuel from New Mexico in 4mins 00.36 seconds.

James Veale writes: The only Freshman to make the final of the American NCAA indoor championships indoor mile, David, although somewhat disappointed at not taking a medal on this occasion, will still be eligible for the event for the next four years, so time is certainly on his side.

David can be well pleased as also last week as he was voted USTFCCCA Northeast Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for his performances this season. He is the only Waterford athlete to have broken the four-minute mile marker, a feat achieved on his way to reaching these prestigious finals.

Villierstown’s Ray Treacy, head coach at Providence College, had nothing but praise for his fellow Déise man’s effort in this his Indoor Freshman year, commenting on the professionalism and maturity he showed in the final for an athlete of such a young age. Watch this space.

Munster Novice title for McCormack

On Sunday last in Rathkeale, Co Limerick, Niall McCormack, Ferrybank AC, won the Munster Novice Road Championship very impressively, beating a large field of runners in the process.

In the same race the Waterford team were third in the inter-county team section.

The team comprised McCormack, Philip Harty, Johnny O’Connor and PJ Guinan, West Waterford AC; Bryan Swaby, Waterford AC and John Behan, KCK.

In the ladies senior championship Corina Walsh of West Waterford AC was a very good fourth overall in the individual event,

Munster Road Championships

 

On Sunday next, March 22nd, the Munster Masters Road Championships are in Beaufort, Co Kerry.

The men’s races are at 1 pm and the ladies begins at 1.45pm. A lot of Waterford athletes will compete, both men and women, in various age categories and the venue is not too far from Killarney.

Looking further ahead, on Saturday, March 28th, the Schools Cross-Country International is in Bangor Wales and Kate Veale of St Augustines is on the Irish Intermediate team.

On Sunday, March 29th the Waterford AC 4 miles road is on in the city at 11am (starting at the Quay) and that weekend the All Ireland Juvenile Indoors are in Nenagh.

Awards

 

The Annual Athletics Ireland Juvenile Sports Star Awards Banquet will be held in the Arklow Bay Hotel on Saturday. Each year a young star from each of the 32 counties gets an award based on their performances in the previous year’s All-Ireland Juvenile Championships.

The 2008 Waterford County award goes Nicola Power of Ferrybank and there are also special awards going to Kate Veale, West Waterford AC for race walking and Thomas Houlihan, her clubmate, for the pole vault.

Waterford AC Training

 

The training arrangements for members of Waterford AC are to be found on the club’s website and also lots of other information.