Strong Leinster Showing for St Abbans Athletes in Athlone
Local 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 Under 15 and Girls Under 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.

Medals for St Abban’s AC at Leinster Indoor Championships
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.