National senior bronze for Offaly athletes as Milner selected for European U-23s

A BIRR and Tullamore athlete took a bronze medal in the National Senior Track and Field Championships at Dublin's Santry Stadium last weekend.

Birr Athletics Club's Ebony Hogan and Jordan Hoang, a member of Tullamore Harriers were thrilled to capture bronze medals in the field events.

Hogan was third in the womens' weights for distance 28lbs event on Saturday evening. In a thrilling finale, jst 35 centimetres separatred Hogan and the two in front of her, Zoe Mahon from Cushintown AC and Casey Mulvey of Inny Vale AC. Hogan and Mohan have had some great battles over the year and them and now Casey Mulvey have emerged as the top three athletes in this event. Hogan threw 6.63 metres compared to 6.98 for Mahon and 6.79 for Mulvey.

Hoang was delighted with his return to form in the senior mens' triple jump. An international competitor, Hoang had drifted away from the sport for a spell but has now found his appetite again, returning to competitive action. He had a best jump of 13.35m with Conal Mahon of Tir Chonaill AC first in 14.38 and City of Lisburn's Joshua Knox second in 13.41.

They were the only Offaly medal winners from the championships which were presided over by the new president of Athletics Ireland, John Cronin, a former long serving Tullamore Harriers chairman.

There were other competitors in action. Mark Milner gave it his best shot in the mens 800 metre final but just couldn't sustain the pace when the final kick took place in the last 200m. A member of Tullamore Harriers, the Killeigh man was racing in the colours of UCD where he is on an athletics scholarship and he finished sixth.

However, it was a good weekend for Milner as he was selected for European Athletics U-23 Championships. The Killeigh man will run in the 800 metres at the championships which take place in Tallinn, Estonia from July 8 to 11.

Milner twice achieved the qualifying time in recent weeks and while his selection was expected, he will still have been delighted to receive official confirmation at the wekend.

He first hit the qualifying mark when he ran a personal best of 1.48 at the Irish Milers track meeting in Belfast a couple of weeks ago. He ran 1.48.30 in a subsequent competition in Italy.

He ran in the National Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry at the weekend and after easing through the heats on Friday, he finished sixth in the final on Sunday. Milner worked hard to get himself into contention in the last lap but couldn't match the finishing kick in the last 200 metres as Kildare's John Fitzsimons surged to victory in 1.49.48. The Offaly athlete came home in 1.50.64.

Now racing in the colours of UCD where he is on an athletics scholarship., Milner has progressed up through the juvenile ranks at Tullamore Harriers and he is coached by Kilbeggan man Joe Ryan.

He comes from a famous running family. His father and uncles came from Walsh Island and some of them were excellent runners back in the 1970s and 1980s.

Athletics Ireland are sending a strong team to the European U-23 championships and there is another local connection through Cork man, Darragh McElhinney. McElihinney is also in UCD and has been selected for the 5,000 metres. He is a regular visitor to Tullamore and can be spotted training on the Grand Canal greenway towards Rahan during his stays here – he is going out with a promising Tullamore athlete Danielle Donegan.