A LONG hard winter has augmented the usual problems faced by athletes in their training and with many competing for the first time this year over the weekend poor results would be considered in light of recent circumstances. No such excuses were needed however for Kerry's athletes who bucked the trend at the Munster Indoor Juvenile Championships with many returning personal bests and strong performances early in the season.

The county had many multiple medal winners over the weekend but easily the top performer was Eoin O'Carroll of Tralee Harriers who took a staggering five gold in the Boys U-16 with wins in the shot putt, high jump, long jump, the hurdles and in taking the 60m title set a new Munster Record in 7.43 seconds.

The continued rise of St. Brendans AC was very pronounced at these championships with the club taking a total of 38 medals, over half the total medal tally of the counties clubs for the weekend.

Leading that charge was Ailbhe Courtney who won the U19 Girls 60m in a personal best 8.22, took silvers in the hurdles, 200m, long jump, high jump and triple jump and somehow found not only the time but the energy to take third in the 400m as well as contribute to the clubs bronze winning 4x200 relay.

In the U-18 Boys Clarence Kennedy took a trio of gold medals in the hurdles, the 60m and the triple jump, adding a silver in the long jump and even a bronze in the shot putt.

David Hogan won the U-18 boys 400m and was a member of the 4x200m winning relay team along with Edward O'Carroll, PJ Galvin and Ben Dennesen. Galvin's run of strong performances in the high jump continued with a third place finish at 1.75m, just 5 cm off the joint winners. Aishling Guerin was the winner of the U-15 Girls walk in a time of just over 5.30.

Quinn Newsome McDonnell took silver medals in the U15 Boys hurdles, long jump and high jump with personal bests in all three while silvers also went to Daniel Shannon in the U-16 Boys hurdles and 200m and also to Dylan Roche in the U-19 Boys triple and long jump.

Other St. Brendans Athletes who made the podium were Amy Phelan, Katie Rogers, Jack Regan Kirwan, Ben Dennesen, Edward O'Carroll, Adrian Buckley, Eoghan Courtney, Pa Gilbert, Danny O'Shea, Jimmy Shanahan, Brendan Dunne, Caoimhe Marley and Amy Phelan.

In the U-19 Boys 4x200m relay, the St. Brendans A team took gold over its B team in second.

For Tralee Harriers Louise O'Connor took silver in the U-16 Girls 200m and high jump and a bronze in the hurdles. Ciara Walsh finished a close second in the U-18 Girls high jump and Dearbhail Foley took bronze medals in both the U-19 Girls 60m and long jump.

In the U16 Boys triple jump Michael Godley was second in 12.02m while bronze medals were won by Danny Pierce in the U-16 Boys high jump, Gerard Browne in the U-15 Boys shot putt and J Mary Doody in the U15 Girls high jump. The U-16 Girls shot putt saw a battle between Kate Boyd of Tralee Harriers who finished third with 9.02 and Hannah O'Sullivan of Gneeveguilla who was second with 9.58m.

Other Gneeveguilla athletes to medal were Eimer Foley, third in the U-17 Girls 1,500m, Mel O'Callaghan, third in the U15 Boys Hurdles and Shane McAuliffe who's 12.24m throw got him second in the Boys U19 shot putt.

In the girls U-15 Kayleigh Cronin of Spa Muckross jumped 4.74 for first place and then added a silver in the shot putt with 9.30.

Iveragh's Adam King won the Boys U-14 800m in a time of 2.24.45 while Cillian O'Donovan, fresh from last weeks win at the Munster School Cross-country was second in the U-15 Boys 800m. Their club mate Bridgit Dennehy was third in the U-17 Girls 800m.

In the U-16 Boys Kevin O'Sullivan of Star of the Laune took double bronze medals in the 800m and 1500m races while Listowel, who have always fielded strong relay teams, took a silver medal in the boys U14 race. THE prestigious Isle of Man Race walking competition, the HSBC Manx Harriers Open Meeting, has always seen strong results by Farranfore/ Maine Valley athletes and this year was no exception.

In 2001 Gillian O'Sullivan became the first ever female to complete the gruelling 20km race in less than 90 minutes.

While the club's up and coming batch of walkers aren't ready for that distance yet, the sister/brother pairing of Emma and Niall Prendiville recorded excellent times with Emma winning the Women's 5km by almost a minute and Niall, who had been kept out of the indoor Intervarsities with injury, finishing a close second in the Men's 10km race.

- James Nagle