Bandon athletes have had a number of successes recently at the various indoor championships. Eric Stam won the U19 All Ireland Combined Events Indoor Championships held in Nenagh on 28th January. Also competing well but outside medal positions were Kate Bernard, Rachel O’Donovan and Carla Hicks all U14 and Ella Nicholson (U15). Joey Henchy made the trip to Kelvin Hall in Glasgow the previous weekend to compete at the Scottish Indoor Open Championships where he won both his 60m and 200m races. Bandon AC athletes had some stellar performances at National level at the National Junior Indoor Championships in Nenagh on 22nd January with Phil Healy having an impressive double win in both the 60m sprint and the 200m. Patrick McSweeney won the shot and finished third in the 36lb Weight for Distance. Laura McSweeney and Eric Stam both won bronze in Shot with Eric finishing fifth in Long Jump.

On the Cross Country circuit a number of club athletes represented their schools at the South Munster Schools Cross Country Championships held at CIT on 27th January. Fiona Everard won the Minor Girls race. Ingrid Burns won silver in Junior Girls with Aisling Everard taking the silver in the Intermediate Girls race. Gearoid Crowley won bronze at Junior Boys level. Mark O’Sullivan finished 9th in the Senior Boys race. Also competing well were Ella Nicholson, Eva Stack, Ciara Houston, David Laffan and Thomas McCarthy. The Club will hold its Annual Awards Night at the GAA Pavilion in Bandon on Friday 17th February. The West Cork Athletic Board holds its Annual General Meeting on Monday 6th February at 8pm in the Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway. Finally, the second Bandon Half Marathon and 10K Road Races will take place on Saturday 12th May. Online entries are open on the website www,bandonhalfmarathon.com. Full details will be announced soon.

By Kate Coveney PRO West Cork Athletics Board

The Annual General Meeting of the West Cork Athletics Board will be held at 8pm on Monday 6th February at the Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway. All Clubs in the West Cork area are requested to send delegates. In the past year, the Board organised the West Cork Track and Field Championships, a Cross Country Championships and also the West Cork Schools Cross Country along with a number of Summer Leagues. In a new move, the Board launched the inaugural West Cork Race Series. Athletes registered with West Cork Clubs were invited to compete in various road races culminating in the West Cork Cross Country Championships. It is hoped to expand on the series in the coming year. Clubs affiliated to the Board include Bandon, Bantry, Clonakility, Courceys AC, Doheny AC, Skibbereen and West Muskerry.