All-Ireland triumphs for Harriers ‘Masters’

A HOST of Omagh Harriers athletes hit top form at the All-Ireland Masters Indoor Athletics Championships at the weekend where, along with personal bests, individual accolades and records, they clinched the coveted men’s and women’s 4×200 metres titles.

The men’s team consisted of coach Trev McGlynn, Andrew McFarland, David Millar and Mark McBrearty, who excelled, recording a stunning new club record of one minute 41.49 seconds in the process, about three and a half seconds quicker than 12 months earlier.

Despite nursing a few niggly injuries, McGlynn led the team off and created a good lead for McFarland to extend. He then seamlessly passed the baton to Miller who further gapped their rivals, leaving Newtownstewart’s McBrearty with the honour of sprinting home to victory.

The women, meanwhile, weren’t keen to be overshadowed by their male counterparts and they also claimed gold in a club record time of one minute 59.1 seconds with a stunning performance.

Claire Quinn ran the lead-off leg, engineering a good lead for Leona Garrity to extend further before handing the baton to Orlagh Colton, who sprinted well to leave Strabane runner Shauna Stewart, who suffered an injury while earning a bronze medal in the long jump competition, to grit her teeth and battle through the pain barrier to seal the triumph.

“It’s the best achievement with this group and it’s something I have been aiming for for seven years,” beamed coach and athlete, McGlynn.

“There were tears of joy from some of the people in the team, it was good.”

As well as achieving success collectively, the Harriers contingent also impressed individually with McFarland earning a new Championship record of 11m to claim gold in the men’s triple jump. He was also third in the 60m in 7.79 seconds.
Millar was second in the 60m with a new PB of 7.7 seconds and was third in the 200m in a PB of 25.2 seconds.

Strabane man McGlynn was second by just three centimetres in the long jump, mainly due to injury and enduring some run-up issues that left him well short of the board at take-off, and he was second in the 60m hurdles, finishing just behind World silver medalist Ger Cremin.

Claire Quinn was second in the W35 60m sprint, setting a new Irish record in the process in 8.35 seconds and she was second in the 200m, breaking the old Irish record in 27.4 seconds.

Leona Garrity achieved two individual medals, winning the W40 60m with a new PB of 8.4 seconds and won the 200m in another massive PB of 27.6 seconds.

Orlagh Colton won the W50 60m hurdles, was third in the 60m with a new PB of 9.05 seconds and won the long jump.

And Trina Gallagher, who competes for Fermanagh’s OMG club but who trains with the Harriers, won the W60 60 metres hurdles, was second in the long jump and was second in the 60m hurdles in a new PB of 9.4 seconds.

Elsewhere, past Omagh CBS pupil and current Omagh Harrier Sean Diamond had a brilliant run in the Omagh CBS 10k on Saturday to take the honours in 35.23 minutes with Pat McCrory also taking first place in the over 50 section in 37.26 and 9th overall with John McKenna 8th overall 37.15.

In the 5k race Rory Dolan again had a fine run to take 3rd place in 18.15 with Ben Dolan 4th 18.27 and Dara Daly 14th 21.02. Elaine Kerlin just missed out on a podium finish in 21.36.