The AAI National Indoor Track and Field Championships took place in Nenagh this weekend and provided some very exciting action and success for Leevale. Derval O’Rourke was in good form, taking the sprint hurdles in 8.77 and later placing third in the 60m behind Ciara Sheehy of DCH. Derval was just back after a bout of glandular fever which kept her out of competition since the world junior championships in Riga last year. Ailis McSweeney and Aisling Maunsell of Leevale finished 4th and 5th respectivelly in the 60m while Tracy Gosnell finished 6th in the Triple Jump. In the men’s events, National 60m record holder Donal McCarthy of Leevale won the short sprint in a championship record time of 6.84, but there was disappointment for his clubmate, junior Jer O’Donoghue, who did not line up because of calf cramps, after qualifying easily. The much talked about clash between the first two in the Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games was on everyone’s lips, with Leevale’s Millrose mile winner Mark Carroll dropping way down in distance to take on the Millrose runner-up James Nolan at his specialist distance. After qualifying easily for the final Carroll found himself back in last place after a hectic race start with Nolan just ahead. They covered the first 400 in a pedestrian 61.7. Nolan placed himself well for a finish sprint, and went away with some 300m remaining. Carroll chased, but never looked likely to catch Nolan who won in 1:54.57 with Carroll second in 1:55.72. Former Leevale athlete Ken Nason led for much of the way in the 1,500m before giving way to Gareth Turnbull with 250m remaining. Turnbull went on to clock 3:55.24, with Nason second in 3:56.29, and Padraig O’Dubhaigh of Leevale finishing 8th. (Full Results)