IRISH TIMES / IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL Rising athletics star Ciara Mageean scoops Sportswoman of the Month

Middle distance runner, Ciara Mageean, has today been named The Irish Times / Irish Sports Council 'Sportswoman of the Month' for October, following her impressive performance at the Commonwealth Games in India last month.

Having narrowly missed out on the monthly award in July, which was won by fellow athlete Derval O'Rourke, Mageean gave another glimpse of her potential last month when she reached the final of the 1500m at the Commonwealth Games, her first major senior championship.

Despite the women's 1500m being one of the stronger track and field events at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, 18-year-old Mageean ran an excellent race coming 10th overall with a time of 4:10.85, her second fastest run to date.

"She was disappointed with finishing 10th," said her coach, Eamon Christie, "but she didn't seem to realise what she was up against - a world class field that included the Olympic champion, Nancy Langat, who won the race.

"She ran 4.12 and 4.10 back to back, in less than 24 hours, so I couldn't have been happier with her. It was a big step up, which she acknowledged when she got back home and thought about it. She always wants to win, though, that's her way."

This is Mageean's second time to win a Sportswoman of the Month award and she will battle it out against the other monthly winners in December 2010 for the overall Sportswoman of the Year title.