Nenagh gold for McGarvey

NENAGH proved to be another success story for the juvenile athletes of City of Derry Spartans over the weekend, as they came away from the National Indoor Championships with both individual and relay team medals.

City of Derry athletes were at the same venue two weeks ago for the first leg of these championships and claimed a total of eight individual medals. This time the talented Mark McGarvey won the boys' under 17 long jump, leaping an impressive 6 metres and 23cms in the process and there were a brace of relay sliver from the boys' under 16 and under 17 quartets plus relay bronze from the girls' under 16 squad.

Collectively this was an excellent return from a red hot national competition and will significantly boost the confidence of the club's young athletes league squad as they prepare for the start of the 2010 competition.

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Mark McGarvey had already won double bronze (60 metre flat and 60 metres hurdles) two weeks ago both last weekend's long jump gold was the one he wanted.

He had a tough battle with the runner up, Stafford of Bree AC, and his excellent 6m 23cms or 20 foot plus, was just one centimetre better than his tenacious rival.

Mark went on to claim relay silver as part of the under 17 4x200 metres quartet, alongside Andrew Bolster, Sean Harkin and Ryan McParland.

Another relay silver came in the boys under 16 event with Bolster and McParland in action once again, supplemented by Michael Cartin and Terry Melaugh, a busy session for Andrew and Ryan, but a very rewarding one indeed.

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The girls under 16 relay squad of Ciara Armstrong, Tamara Boyle, Claire Dougherty and Roisin Laverty also got on the podium with a gold run for team bronze in a very competitive race.

There was hard luck in the boys' under 15 race however, as the Spartans quartet of Connor Breslin, Jack McCloskey, Shane McGowan and Ruaidhri O'Neill finished out of the medals in fourth spot and Shane finished sixth in his under 15 800m final.

Meanwhile at Sunday's Titantic 10K road race in Belfast, Declan Reed posted 32 minutes and 47 seconds for eighth, Brendan Murphy was 21st in 35 minutes and 16 seconds.

The race which had 1056 recorded finishers was dominated by two London based African athletes Jean Ndayisena who won in 29 minutes and 58 seconds from the 30 minutes and 21 seconds effort of 2009 winner, Simon Tonui.

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Road racing continues next Wednesday, April 21 the action moves to the Magee Rock Road campus for the second of these 5K's start time is again 7.30pm on the Sainsburys/Bay Road circuit.

This one of course kicks off the 2010 Furey Insurances 5K series and also hosts the athletes Northern Ireland 5K road championship.

Entries will be taken on the night at the Magee Sports Centre on the Rock Road campus and there will be the usual generous prize list plus t-shirts for the first 100 entries received, entries are currently been accepted at the Magee Sports Centre.

Finally City of Derry will have a male masters 050 squad in action this Sunday at the national 10K road championships in Dublin's Phoenix Park, led by Sammy McAnaney, Peter Lilburn, Oliver McCullagh and Robert Bigger will provide support in what should be a top class field.