Irish Athletics Awards...Nov 2013

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The National Athletics Awards were held last weekend and the following prizes were presented....

World Race Walk Champion Rob Heffernan (Togher AC) was named as the Athlete of the Year and Race Walker of the Year Award for 2013.

The Endurance Athlete Award went to Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) who successfully defended her European Cross Country title in Budapest, Hungary.

The Track and Field Athlete of the Year was awarded to Mark English (UCD AC) after he produced a number of high quality performances on the track including the second fastest time ever by an Irishman over 800m at the diamond league meeting in London when he ran a time of 1.44.84.

Ciaran O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) received the Indoor Track and Field Athlete Award for winning bronze at the European Indoor Track and Field Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Leevale Athletic Club won the Performance Club of the Year Award. Lifford AC were awarded Development Club of the Year.

Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) was named Junior Athlete of the Year. On a special day for Lavin her coach Noelle Morrissey was the winner of the Coach of the Year award.

Inspirational performance of the year went to Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) on the basis of her four gold medals (100m, 200m Long Jump and 4×100m) at the 2013 National Track and Field Championships.

 Ronnie Long was named as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The Outstanding Official Award was presented to Brian Dowling of Naas Athletic Club. The Master of the Year award was presented to Geraldine Finegan (Dunleer AC) after claiming the gold medal in the heptathlon and bronze in the pole vault at the 2013 World Master Championships in Brazil in October. The Mountain Runner of the Year was awarded to the Irish women’s senior team of Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Kate Cronin (Raheny Shamrock AC), Sarah Mulligan (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Sharon Trimble (North Belfast Harriers AC). The team won the bronze medals at the World mountain running championships in Krynica, Poland. The Ultra Running Award was presented to Eoin Keith for setting a new Irish 24 hour record of 152 miles at the Mary Peter’s track in Belfast in July. The AVIVA Tailteann Schools’ Awards were awarded to Marcus Lawler (CBS Carlow) and Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Colaiste Iosagain)

Source...Athletics Ireland