The Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Year Awards will take place at the River Lee Hotel this coming Friday, 13th March. Cork athletes did extremely well in 2014, Leevale AC men’s team won the National League title for the first time in 40 years, Bandon AC’s Phil Healy rose to promence in the sprints and is now one of the fastest women in Ireland, Alex Wright achieved the qualifying standard for the race walk in World Championship & Michelle Finn was a member of he Irish team who finished 3rd at the European Cross Country Championships. Competition is very strong for the overall winner for 2014.
The Athletics Person of the Year Awards are proudly sponsored by The River Lee Hotel, The Evening Echo & Cork 96&103FM
The nominations are:
January – Niamh Murphy (Blarney/Inniscarra AC)
Niamh Murphy of Blarney/Inniscarra AC was the Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Month in Association. Niamh a renowned thrower won the Under 23 National Indoor Shot Putt title in January with an impressive putt of 12.85m.
February – Claire Fitzgerald (UCC)
UCC student Claire Fitzgerald won the Cork City Sports athlete of the month award for February on foot of her win at the National Indoor Champs in Athlone in February. Fitzgerald subsequently retained her Irish Universities Indoor title for the shot and also won the Universities Championships in Waterford for both the shot and discus. She also finished a highly creditable 13th at the European Cup Winter Throwing Champs. in Portugal with a throw of 14.29 metres in the shot and 48.40m for the discus.
March – Caoimhe Harrington (Colaiste Pobail Bheanntrai)
Caoimhe was the only Cork winner at the All Ireland schools cross country
championships at Cork IT on March 8th. She won the Junior Girls 2500m race.
Caoimhe then followed up with a rare Irish victory on March 22nd at the
Schools International in Bolton.
April – Mark Hanrahan (Leevale AC)
Mark Hanrahan received the April award for his victory in the senior men’s national
10km road championship which was incorporated in the Great Ireland Run in
the Phoenix Park on April 6th. The 2012 national 5000m track champion
completed the hilly 10km course in a time of 30min 20sec.
May – Davis College Mallow
Davis College won the Presidents Shield – a prestigious all round trophy in the Senior Boys category at the Irish Schools Track & Field championships. Along with that achievement the school had a famous victory in the Senior Boys relay
June – Phil Healy (Bandon AC)
On the 14th June at the EAP event in Geneva Phil Healy ran a personal best time of 11.53 sec in the 100m which qualified her for selection on the Irish team for the European track and field championships. Also in June Phil ran a very solid leg for the Irish women’s 4X100m relay team at the European Team competition in Estonia. Subsequent to those performances Phil had a busy few weeks in July. After winning the 100m and 200m National Under 23 titles at Cork IT track she ran a lifetime best of 11.36 sec to finish 2nd after a photo finish in the 100m at the Cork City Sports and after another photo finish at the National Senior championships in Dublin Phil and Amy Foster could not be separated for the gold medal.
July – Alex Wright (Leevale AC)
At the 63rd Cork City Sports on the 8th of July Alex finished 3rd in a high quality field of international walkers. His time was under the magical 11 minute barrier for the 3000m event. Alex then went on to complete a very successful month of July by winning the national senior 10,000m walk title at the Morton Stadium Santry in a time of 42:09.79.
August – Leevale Men’s Track & Field Team
Leevale men’s team secured victory in the National League Final premier men’s contest. This was the first time in 38 years since Leevale or any Cork team last won the National League title.
There were fine performances produced by Luke Hickey (walk), Mark Hanrahan (1500m), Sam Healy (HJ & LJ), David Quilligan (100m & 200m), Ben Thistlewood (5000m), James Heffernan (Hammer) and David Tierney (Shot Putt & 56lbs) to secure victory with a score of 116 points. Pat Moore (javelin), was also a member of the last Leevale teams to win the Leagues 40 years ago.
September – Scott Gibson (Bandon AC)
Scott ran 49.04 to win the 400m at the European junior inter club
in Leiria Portugal. In August he won the Celtic Games home
international 400m and earlier in the summer he set records in both
South Munster and Munster Intermediate Boys 400m at schools level.
October – Robert Heffernan (Togher AC)
Rob made the long trip to China to compete in a 4 day invitational race walking event. After the disappointment of Zurich the race in Shanghai provided Rob with the opportunity to test himself. Based on his performance Rob showed that he can still compete with the world’s best.
November – Michelle Finn (Leevale AC)
Michelle receives the award for an outstanding 2nd place in the senior women’s National Inter Counties Cross Country Championship held at Dundalk IT on November 23rd. This run also secured Michelle a place on the Irish team for the European Cross Country championships in Bulgaria in December where she ran a superb race finishing 23rd and was a scoring member of the Irish Senior Women’s team that finished 3rd place in the team contest.
December – Ben Thistlewood (Leevale AC)
On the 7th December at Santry Demesne Ben had a comprehensive individual victory at the National Novice 6k Cross Country Championship leading both his club Leevale and county Cork to gold medals in their respective team contests.
