Congratulations to Jenny Egan-Simmons and DSD Women’s National League Team on being announced as The Echo Sports Star and Team for the month of August 2022.

August Sports Star of the Month: JENNY EGAN-SIMMONS

AUGUST proved a fantastic month for Lucan kayaker, Jenny Egan-Simmons. A superb bronze-medal win at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships K1 5000m in Halifax, Canada was followed up with a sixth-place finish at the European Championships in Munich. In the former, Egan and her rivals had to contend with a number of recent rule changes that saw the World 5000m broken up into six laps, including one long circuit and five short laps with two portages. In addition, a new knock-out (KO) rule saw the last-placed athlete on each lap instructed to leave the course when told by a judge. Despite all these changes, Egan battled to a podium spot, finishing behind Germany’s Jule Hake and winner, Emese Kohalmi of Hungary for what was the third Canoe Sprint World Championship medal of her career, following her silver in Copenhagen last season and a bronze in Portugal in 2018. In the European Championships that same month, she fought her way into the top-six, despite her paddle sustaining damage when it was hit by another competitor.

‘The Echo Sports Star of the Month’ Award for August is accepted on behalf of Lucan canoeist, Jenny Egan-Simmons, by Derry McVeigh of Silverhatch Sports Agency. Also pictured are Thos McDermott, Co-ordinator, South Dublin County Sports Partnership and Stephen Leonard, Sports Editor, The Echo.

August Team of the Month: DSD WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAM

STRIKING gold at this season’s Women’s National Track and Field League Premier Division Final in Tullamore, DSD AC have been declared The Echo Team of the Month for August. Among the highlights for the squad was Maria McCambridge’s victory in the 3000m along with other wins for Mollie O’Reilly in the 100m, Molly Hourihan in the 400m Hurdles, Anita White in the Javelin, Emma Roche in the Discus and Molly Mullally in the Triple Jump. Club captain, Rachel Dunne emerged runner-up from the 110m Hurdles as did Ciara Wilson Bowen in the 1500m Walk and Mullally in the Triple Jump and White in the Shot. There were third-place finishes for Jennifer Hanrahan and Avril Dillon in the 200m and Pole Vault respectively and fourth-place finishes for Charlotte Bourke (400m), Fiona Clinton (1500m), Isabelle Chambers (3000m Steeplechase) and Lucy Moore Fox (Hammer), while Isabelle Doyle emerged sixth from the High Jump. Hourihan, Bourke, Lynch and Doyle also combined to take the runner-up spot in the 4x400m Relay with O’Reilly, Hanrahan, Lynch and Dunne delivering a third-place finish in the 4x100m contest.

Avril Dillon receives ‘The Echo Team of the Month’ Award for August on behalf of DSD Athletic Club’s Women’s National League champions from Thos McDermott, Co-ordinator, South Dublin County Sports Partnership. Also pictured is Stephen Leonard, Sports Editor, The Echo.