IN PICTURES: Laois athletes shine at National Children's Games in Tullamore

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St Abban’s AC were well represented at the National Children's Games & U12 Championships held in Tullamore, with a number of juvenile athletes producing strong performances on a highly competitive stage. As expected at national level, the standard was extremely high and medals were hard-earned, making the club's success all the more rewarding. SEE FULL REPORT BELOW THE PICTURE.

Special credit goes to all those who qualified for the Nationals, an achievement in itself that reflects the dedication and hard work being put in at training each week. Among the standout performers was Leo Smith, who secured a bronze medal in the U12 High Jump with a leap of 1.28m. Ava Brophy and Meabh Kearney had a particularly memorable day, taking gold in the U11 Pairs Long Jump and bronze in the 600m.

Also competing were Hannah Condron and Marnie Delaney in the U9 300m, and the pair later joined Ciara Kearney and Beatrice McMahon for the U9 4x100m relay. In the Boys U12 4x100m relay, Liam Doyle, Tom Condron, Reuben Kelly and Leo Smith ran strong legs to finish second in their heat. Leo and Liam also took part in the U12 Boys Long Jump, recording marks of 4.09m and 3.79m respectively.

Edward McDonald placed 10th in the U12 Shot Putt with a throw of 8.00m, while Shana Timmons finished just outside the medals in 4th place in the U12 60m sprint. Penelope McMahon also delivered a strong performance to place 5th in the U12 Girls 600m. The U12 relay team of Meabh, Ava, Penelope and Shana also finished 2nd in their heat.

Stage 4 of St Abban’s AC’s Fit4Life Summer League took place on a beautiful evening in Barrowhouse, with 178 participants crossing the finish line. Kristian Redmond was first home in a time of 13:08, while Leah Lawler was the first female finisher in 14:18. The next stage of the league is scheduled for Wednesday, 2nd July in Wolfhill at 7:30pm.

Meanwhile, at the Tailteann Interprovincial Games in Carlow, Joshua Crosby delivered a fine performance for St Abban’s AC in the Boys Shot Putt. His throw of 13.05m earned him a commendable fourth-place finish in a highly competitive field.