Seventh heaven for Donegal athletes in Tullamore

Seven Donegal athletes won gold on day two of the National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore on Sunday.

Six field athletes brought back gold while Letterkenny AC sprinter Brendan Ndambira dived at just the right moment to top the podium.

Ndambira won the U15 100m, clocking 11.51 seconds.

Ndambira, now working under the direction of Kathryn McDevitt, inched over the line, earning gold, literally, by a nose.

Theo De Bonis of Ratoath and Joseph Magbagbeola from Navan both clocked 11.52 seconds, just 0.01 of a second behind Ndambira. Next to nothing between them, but Ndambira taking the golden nugget.

In the field, there were golds for Tir Chonaill AC pair Ava Anderson and Eoin Boyle, Finn Valley AC duo Mark Wilkinson and Blaine Lynch, Olympian YAC's Maeve McGeehin and Rosses AC's Eli Duffy.

Anderson won the U18 shot, reaching out to a best of 12.19m while Boyle got over at 1.83m to win the U19 high jump.

Wilkinson took gold in the U16 high jump with a 1.76m leap and club-mate Lynch threw out to 50.26m to top the pile in the U19 javelin.

McGeehin won the U14 girls javelin with a 29.95m throw and Duffy launched to 41.72m for gold in the U14 boys javelin.

McGeehin also took a silver from the U14 discus, throwing to 25.81 with Melissa Ward from Tir Chonaill AC third with a best effort of 24.19m.

Cabrine Pyne from Lifford-Strabane AC was the U15 shot silver medallist (10.78m), Dean Leeper of Finn Valley grabbed the silver in the U18 javelin (53.68m) and also silver for Tir Chonaill AC's Jamie Kennedy in the U18 triple jump (13.05m)

Tir Chonaill AC's Alannah Anderson took bronze in the U17 discus (28.84m), Cranford's Michael Moore was the 400m bronze medal winner in the U17 event (51.97 seconds), Luke Ward of Lifford-Strabane AC landed bronze in the U19 hammer (39.22m) and Finn Valley AC athlete Leah O'Gara won bronze in the U16 2000m race walk (10:13.60).

Letterkenny AC trio Harry McIlwaine, Anya Duffy and Philip McGee also brought home bronze.

McIlwaine ran 11.21 seconds for bronze in the U16 100m, with Duffy going over 2.40m for bronze in the U16 pole vault and McGee clocked 8:53.33 for bronze in the U19 3000m.

There were near misses from the podium and fourth-place finishes for Sheridan McMonagle (Finn Valley, U13 80m); Tiernan Kerr (Milford, U14 2000m walk); Briana Doherty (Olympian, U14 80m); Spencer Cole (Lifford-Strabane, U16 shot); Sarah O'Keeney (Letterkenny, U16 pole); Elsa Moore (Lifford-Strabane, U19 3000m).