Three European standards and road best for McCormack highlight weekend

Three European standards, a road personal best for Fionnuala McCormack and impressive schools’ performances at the provincial championships highlighted the athletics weekend

Claire Tarplee (St Coca's) and Christine McMahon (Ballymena & Antrim) competed at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava on Friday night. Tarplee recorded a 1500m best of 4:10.65 to run a European B standard while McMahon ran 57.85 for the 400m hurdles to run her second B standard. 

Tomas Cotter (Dunleer) became the sixth fastest Irishman in the 3,000m steeplechase when he ran 8:37.12 at the Hoka One One Distance Classic in Los Angeles – a European B standard.

Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole) continued her Rio preparations with fifth place finish over 10k at the Great Manchester Run in 32:23 – a new road personal best for the distance.

Ciara Neville of Castletroy College and Sharlene Mawdsley of St Mary’s Newport starred at the GloHealth Munster Schools Track and Field Championships on Saturday, held in extremely windy conditions at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre.

Neville won the intermediate girls’ 100m in 12.84 and the 200m in 25.26 into strong before anchoring her school to victory in the 4x100m relay in 50.26. Mawdsley won the senior sprint double in 12.87 and 24.64.

There was records aplenty at the Ulster Schools’ Championships in Antrim Forum with Christopher O’Donnell from Magh College in Bundoran scorching to a 48.57 in the Senior Boys’ 400m to set a new mark.

St. Eunan’s Brendan O’Donnell impressed in the Inter Boys’ Hammer registering an lengthy throw of 66.84m.

Janine Boyle (St Columba’s) was the outstanding Intermediate Girl sprinting to new records over both 100m and 200m with clockings of 11.98 and 24.97.

At the GloHealth Connacht Schools’ in Athlone IT last week Michaela Walsh of SM&P Swinford was an emphatic winner of the senior girls shot with 14.94m. She also won senior girls’ hammer with 51.46m. -

At the Leiden Half Marathon, Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) finished third in 67:14. North Belfast’s Gladys Ganiel won the women’s race in 78:28.

Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey and Leevale’s Lizzie Lee were the best of the Irish at the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m in London on Saturday night. Clohisey finished sixth in the men’s race in 29:24.4, while in her track debut at the distance, Lee was 13th in 33:32.7.

Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track) failed in a brave attempt to break Frank Greally’s national junior 10,000m record of 30:17. The Ennis athlete had to settle for 31:12.7. In Loughborough, Bandon’s Phil Healy ran a season’s best of 11.53 to win the women’s 100m, with sister Joan fourth in 11.64. Ireland’s women’s 4x400m team ran 3:35.