From Arkansas To Boston: Ireland's US Collegiate Stars Light Up Valentine's Weekend

The second full weekend of February brought another packed slate of NAIA & NCAA indoor action, with Irish athletes spread across the United States and delivering a blend of victories, personal bests and strong placings for their respective universities.

Action on Friday included the Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington, where UCLA’s Ailish Hawkins ran a personal best 9:26.56 in the Women’s 3000m.

In Houston, Texas at the Howie Ryan Invitational, Tallaght sprinter Seán Aigboboh lined up in the Men’s 60m for Houston. He clocked 6.81 in the heats before running a season’s best 6.77 in the final to take third overall. Longford’s Nelvin Appiah, competing for Louisiana, also featured in the Men’s 60m and recorded 7.90.

Chicago hosted the Blue Demon Alumni Classic on Friday, where Lifford Strabane multi eventer Ashleigh McArdle produced two personal bests for DePaul, running 9.21 in the Women’s 60m Hurdles and throwing 11.58m in the Women’s Shot Put. Also in Chicago, Wisconsin’s Cillian Gleeson chopped almost two and a half seconds off his personal best in the Men’s Mile, finishing second overall in 4:04.93.

Over in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Crimson Open on Friday, Adams State’s Louis O’Loughlin opened his impressive weekend in the Men’s 800m, winning his section and placing third overall in 1:51.17. In the Men’s Mile, Oisín Lynch ran 4:11.50 to finish 10th. Connecticut’s Diarmuid O’Connor recorded a personal best 8.28 in the Men’s 60m Hurdles, while Harvard’s Daire Mahon cleared 1.93m to finish eighth in the Men’s High Jump.

Across Friday and Saturday, the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas saw a strong Irish presence. University of Texas athlete Conor Kelly, the reigning European Under 20 outdoor 400m champion, competed in the Men's 400m indoors this season with a time of 48.17. Rice University’s Susie Nestor finished 15th in the Women’s 800m in 2:09.61, before returning as part of Rice’s Women’s 4x400m Relay squad that placed ninth in 3:39.41. Cork’s James Ezeonu represented Kansas State in the Men’s 60m Hurdles and clocked 8.16. Emerald AC athlete Sarah Hosey, competing for Tulsa, ran a personal best 4:50.01 in the Women’s Mile to place 16th overall. Illinois high jumper Siún Quinn cleared 1.71m to finish 11th in the Women’s High Jump.

In Clemson, South Carolina, the Tiger Paw Invitational also ran across Friday and Saturday and featured one Irish athlete. Representing that meet’s only Irish interest, Lucy-May Sleeman had a full programme. In the Women’s 60m she ran 7.29 in the heats, then 7.39 in the final. She also set a personal best of 23.68 in the Women’s 200m.

North Carolina hosted the Tryon Mid Winter Invitational across Friday and Saturday, where Limerick’s Nathan Cremin continued his recent run of  excellent form for Montreat College. He won the Men’s 600m in 1:18.90 and followed up with victory again in the Men’s 800m in 1:48.30.

Boston, Massachusetts staged the David Hemery Valentine Invitational across Friday and Saturday and it drew a sizeable Irish contingent. In the Women’s 3000m, Ava O’Connor ran 9:03.37 to finish 14th overall and move to the top of the Irish national list for the event this year. Oregon’s Abdel Laadjel took four seconds off his personal best in the Men’s 3000m, finishing 13th in 7:48.74, while Villanova’s Jack Fenlon recorded 7:59.91 in the 3000m invite. In the Men’s 5000m, McNeese State’s Ryan McCarthy ran 14:37.93.

The Men’s 800m saw Adam's State Oisín Lynch race in action for the second day in a row, clocking 1:54.49, with Cornell’s Finn Boyle recording 1:57.78. In the Men’s Mile, Louis O’Loughlin also competed for a second day in a row after his Cambridge run the day before and broke four minutes with a personal best 3:59.54. In the Men’s Mile invitational section, Holy Cross athlete Liam Lyons ran 3:54.90, while La Salle’s Seán Cronin posted a personal best 4:03.20.

In the Women’s 800m, Providence athletes Gemma Galvin and Maeve O’Neill both lined up, with Galvin running a personal best 2:08.07 and O’Neill placing ninth in 2:03.21. Boston College’s Claire Crowley added another Irish personal best in the event, clocking 2:12.54. In the Women’s Mile, Florida State’s Nicola Dinan ran a personal best 4:41.84, with Providence’s Cara Laverty close behind in 4:43.24. Ulster athlete Emmy Thornton finished 22nd in the Women’s 1000m in 2:54.80.

Saturday only meets rounded out the weekend. In Virginia Beach at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, Leevale athlete Killian Fahy, representing North Carolina, finished sixth in the Men’s 400m in 48.27 before playing his part in North Carolina’s winning Men’s 4x400m Relay team, which clocked 3:12.77.

In Grinnell, Iowa at the Darren Young Classic, Galway’s Lucas Fadden won the Men’s 200m for Grinnell College in 21.87.

In Allendale, Michigan at the Grand Valley State Big Meet Day II, Goshen’s Liam Shaw competed in two throwing events, recording 14.29m in the Men’s Shot Put and 11.92m in the Men’s Weight Throw.

Another weekend, another broad sweep of Irish involvement across the NAIA & NCAA circuit, with wins and PBs stretching from coast to coast.