Strong Leinster showing for St Abban’s athletes in Athlone
Three Masters together - Patsy Baldwin, Bernie Lawless and John Territt
ST Abban’s juvenile athletes enjoyed a hugely successful start to the 2026 Leinster Juvenile Indoor Championships, which got underway in Athlone with the relays and older juvenile field events. Competing against the best young athletes from across the province, the club returned home with an impressive haul of 12 individual medals and three relay medals, underlining the strength and depth of athletics in St Abbans.
There was podium success in the relays, with silver medals for the Girls Under 13 4x200m team, while the Girls U/15 and Girls U/19 relay squads both claimed bronze. Several other relay teams produced strong performances, narrowly missing out on medals but gaining valuable Leinster championship experience.
Individual honours were spread across a wide range of events. Gold medals were won by Faye Brennan, Joshua Crosby, Elaine Miller, Rueben Kelly, Joseph Lawlor and Cara English, with standout performances in the Triple Jump, Shot Putt, Pole Vault and High Jump. Silver medals went to Eabha Farrell, Leo Smith and Grainne Doyle, while bronze medals were claimed by Lily O’Neill, Aaliyah Troy and Elanna Kelly.
Notable performances included victories for Elaine Miller in the Girls Under 19 Triple Jump, Cara English in the Girls Under 18 High Jump, Joshua Crosby in the Boys Under 17 Shot Putt and Reuben Kelly in the Boys Under 13 Pole Vault. Many athletes were competing at Leinster level for the first time and acquitted themselves admirably, with a large number now qualifying for the upcoming National Championships.
Overall, it was an excellent day for St Abbans athletes, with strong results, plenty of personal bests and promising signs for the remainder of the indoor season.
St Abban’s athletes delivered a series of strong performances at the Leinster U20, Senior and Master Indoor Championships, held at the TUS Indoor Arena in Athlone, with several podium finishes across track and field events.
At under-20 level, Annabelle Lawlor claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 800m, clocking a personal best time of 2:23.69, while James Hyland finished fifth in the men’s 400m in a new PB of 52.94 seconds.
Senior competition saw further success, with Grace Fitzgerald taking gold in the women’s Long Jump with a best leap of 5.34 metres. Aoibhín McDonald also struck gold, winning the senior women’s Pole Vault with a clearance of 2.90 metres. Katie Baldwin enjoyed a busy and productive day, finishing fifth in the Long Jump and securing bronze in the Triple Jump with a best effort of 10.24 metres.
In the Masters events, John Territt won silver in the men’s Shot Putt (O60) and added another silver in the men’s Weight Throw with a personal best of 6.86 metres. Patrick Baldwin claimed gold in the men’s Weight Throw (O55), while Bernie Lawless finished second in the women’s Weight Throw (O40) with a PB of 4.50 metres and placed fourth in the Shot Putt.
Overall, it was a successful weekend for local athletes at Leinster level, with medals, personal bests and encouraging performances across all age groups.
