The rise of progressive athletics club Killarney Valley continues apace. As the indoor season reaches its conclusion, KVAC can proudly reflect on a historic few months that included sending men’s and women’s teams to the National League for the very first time.

The Killarney teams gave good accounts of themselves in Athlone and Dublin. The women’s team of Sarah Leahy, Melissa Ahern, Ellen Moloney, Alison Butler, Grace O’Meara, Rachel Griffin, Ciara Kennelly and Katlyn Moynihan finished 10th overall, while the men’s team of Connor Gammell, Sam Griffin, Karl McCarthy, Dara Looney, Oisín Lynch, Jason O’Reilly, Darragh O’Leary, Jordan Lee and Kevin O’Callaghan came 11th.

“The achievement of our club being able to cover so many events at this national level as a team was always an ambition of ours,” coach and committee member Tomás Griffin said. “The goal was to achieve this by 2024, so to achieve by 2022 gives us great heart that our sport is definitely on the rise in Killarney.”

In the Munster Championships held throughout February and March, KVAC athletes claimed eight individual gold medals and a relay team gold. They also won six silver medals and seven bronze.

At National Championship level the green and purple vest was definitely noticed for all the right reasons. KVAC had five national silver medalists this season, as well as seven bronze. Five KVAC athletes finished in the toughest of spots - fourth place - in national finals and two finished fifth. The national silver medalists were Sarah Leahy in 200m in both National Seniors and Irish Universities; Ciara Kennelly in National U23 and Irish Universities; and Jordan Lee in National U23s.

The National Bronze medalists were Sarah Leahy 60m and Irish Universities; Jason O’Reilly U17 400m; Oisín Lynch U17 800m; Keelin Veerasoo U17 triple jump; Michael Murphy Maters O55 60m; and Darragh O’Leary with UL’s cross country team.

“The over-arching theme for this indoor season has been the sense of ‘team’, even though athletics is viewed as an individual sport,” Griffin explained. “We can hold testament to the fact that when the culture and ambition is built on ‘We are Better Together’, then the future continues to be ‘KVAC Rising’.

Great credit must go to coaches Con Lynch (distance); Tomás Griffin and Alan Delaney (sprints, hurdles and jumps); Tom Doherty (throws); Bríd Stack, Jean Courtney, Jerry Griffin and Sylvyn Veerasoo (teens); and Kevin and Karen Smith, Amelie Leventi and both Anna O’Sheas (juveniles).