Ledwith best at Navan race

FR MURPHY athlete Andrew Ledwith reproduced the good form he has displayed in other events this year when he finished ahead of the field at the South O"Hanlon four-mile road race in Navan on Friday. Earlier this year the Iona University student was the best Irish performer in the men"s race at the World Cross-Country Championships and he also put in an encouraging display in the Meath singlet at the National Athletics League at Tullamore a few weeks ago. He ran 15.02 to claim runner-up spot in the 5,000m at Tullamore and in the South O"Hanlon event he went one better to secure top spot conjuring up an excellent run. Ledwith, who took a break from his training base in New York to compete in the race, crossed the finishing line in the South O"Hanlon event a time of 19.46 ahead of Thomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) who was second in 20.04 with Dunboyne"s Rory McDonnell third in 20.13. Lucy D"Arcy (Sportsworld) took top spot in the senior women"s race in a time of 23.43. The best finisher from local clubs was Hazel Scorer (Navan) who secured sixth position. The men"s team title was claimed by Rathfarnham WSAF with Armagh second and Bohermeen third. The women"s team event was claimed by Sportsword with Drogheda and District second and Trim clinching third place. Dunshaughlin"s Paddy Mangan found the right gears to claim the masters men o-40 event while Pat Comey (Trim AC) was best in the o-55 category. Other local athletes to impress were Annmarie McCloskey (Na Fianna) who was best in the women"s o-40 race with Linda Gunning winner of the o-45 event. Another Trim AC athlete Andrea Pearle out-ran her opponents in the junior women"s event. This popular race had a good representation from Trim with third place in the women"s team event going to the trio of Andrea Perle (first junior), Carrie Brogan (third W45) and Helen Power. In the men"s event there were strong runs from Sean Murphy, Enda Markey and Andrew Linsley. RESULTS Senior Men - 1, Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy); 2, Thomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC); 3, Rory McDonnell (Dunboyne): masters o-40 - 1, John Downes(Donore Harriers); 2, Noel Marum (Portlaoise); 23, David Carey (South O"Hanlon); o-45 - 1, Paddy Mangan (Dunshaughlin); 2, Domo Moran (Dunshaughlin); 3, Denis Kerr (Armagh): masters o-50 - 1, Dermot Kerr (Armagh); 2, Paddy Parrott (Metro St Brigid"s); 3, Chris Keeling (Raheny Shamrocks): o-50 - 1, Pat Comey (Trim AC); 2, Paul Myles (Donore Harriers): junior men - 1, Lu Van Manttoen (Donore Harriers); 2, Mark Tennyson (Armagh AC); 3, Sean Wall (Sportsworld). Senior women - 1, Lucy D"Arcy (Sportsworld): 2, Elaine Caul (Civil Service); 3, Mary Finn (Sportsworld); o-35 - 1, Rachel Morgan (Sportsworld); 2, Marguerite Higgins (Na Fianna); 3, Ann McLoughlin (Independent); o-40 - 1, Annmarie McCloskey (Na Fianna); 2, Geraldine Cusack (Independent); 3, Anne Duffy (North East): o-45 - 1, Linda Gunning (Bohermeen); 2, Angela Kerr (Armagh); 3, Caroline Brogan (Trim): o-50 - 1, Nuala Reilly (Drogheda & District): junior women - 1, Andrea Pearle (Trim). Teams: men - 1, Rathfarnham WSAF 40 points; 2, Armagh 64; 3, Bohermeen 73. 1, Sportsworld 142; 2, Drogheda & District 229; 3, Trim 378. Paddy Hanily (Fr Murphy) gave an outstanding display of weight-throwing at the Athletic Ireland National Masters Track & Field championships on Saturday taking home a fantastic tally of three gold medals. Hanily claimed the gold medal position in the master mens hammer event with a throw of 39.10. He then took the top spoils in the men"s discus event and rounded off a superb day with gold in the 35lb for distance, lobbing the weight out to 8 metres 47 cms. The Athletics Ireland National Masters Track & Field championships were held in Tullamore on Saturday. Trim Athletic Club were represented by Tony Aston, Pat Comey, Moira Aston, Moira Peppard and Ciaran Tobin. Most of the early action was conducted in 'normal" Irish summer weather condition, but the monsoon hit with a vengeance in the mid-afternoon. The deterioration in conditions made jumping and throwing very hazardous. This didn"t deter Tony Aston who won his first national title in the M3 hammer with a throw of 29.56. He was also in the shake up in the other throws, occupying fourth position in the javelin, discus and shot. A family double was completed when county competition secretary Moira Aston entered the hammer circle and finished ahead of the rest in the W3 category with a throw of 22.13m. She later went on to achieve second place in the shot, discus and javelin. On the track Moira Peppard added a national silver medal to her Leinster title in the 200m and finished third in the W2 100m. In the M3 long jump Ciaran Tobin finished a disappointing fourth in an event won by Pat Mahon from Gowran. Comey took to the track for the 5000m and finished second behind his masters international colleague Pat O"Shea (Iveragh AC). Less than an hour later he went back out into the torrents for a 1500m race in which he finished runner up to Pat Timmons (Raheny). The North Westmeath AC 5km in Castlepollard on Wednsday evening should attract plenty of runners from Trim AC and the Trim Fit4life group.