Stars align at stunning schools’ champs

Stars align at stunning schools’ champs

It was a scintillating edition of the Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships where Sarah Healy (Holy Child Killiney) and Aaron Sexton (Bangor Grammar) were crowned the athletes of the meet in Tullamore today (June 2nd).

There was a host of top-class performances throughout the action-packed day of 122 events. Sarah Healy earned the female athlete of the meet with her record-breaking senior girls’ 1500m run of 4:18.32. Healy was in splendid isolation and eclipsed Ciara Mageean’s record of 4:19.00 with front-running display. For full results click HERE.

Aaron Sexton completed the senior boys’ 100m and 200m double with brilliant times of 10.52, a championship best performance (CBP) and 21.12. It was far from an exhibition though with David McDonald (Wexford CBS) second in both races – finishing on the same time in the 100m (that put both athletes 14th on the all-time list) and running 21.26 in the 200m. Further context is that the Irish national record was 10.58 in 1996.

The depth in the sprints was excellent throughout the age groups but particularly highlighted in the senior boys’ 100m. Conor Morey’s (PBC Cork) time of 10.74 was only good enough for 6th place. He had to wait until almost the close of play to combine with his PBC classmates to strike gold in the 4x100m relay with 44.14.   

Ciara Neville (Castletroy College) can count herself relatively unlucky to miss out on athlete of the meet having repeated her 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay treble from last year in the senior girls’ age group which also helped Castletroy to the senior girls’ team title. Neville clocked 11.62 in the 100m, 23.79 in the 200m and combined with her teammates to anchor them home in 48.66 in the relay.

St Malachy's Belfast had a host of fine performances to win the senior boys' College of Science trophy for the first time in their history. 

Rhasidat Adeleke (Pres Terenure) bagged double gold in the intermediate girls’ 100m in 11.68 and the 200m in 24.05.

Nelvin Appiah (Moyne CS Longford) soared to new heights in the intermediate boys’ high jump with a CBP of 2.02m. He wasn’t the only Moyne CS Longford schoolboy making headlines as Cian McPhillips had a classy performance to win the intermediate boys’ 1500m in 4:09.93 – he cruised the last lap in a swift 55 seconds.

The middle distance race of the day saw Charlie O’Donovan (Col Chriost Ri) claw back Darragh McElhinney (Col Pobail Bantry) in the last 20m. O’Donovan took the win in 3:55.97 to McElhinney’s 3:57.03 with Brian Maguire (St Benildus) third in 4:04.27. After a slow first 300m, McElhinney sprang to the front splitting the pack with only O’Donovan able to follow the searing increase of pace.

The tactic nearly paid off but O’Donovan just had the will, and the skill, to defend his 1500m crown.  

Alex Clarkin (Castleknock CC) won the senior boys' 110m hurdles with a clean race hurdling to 14.25 ahead of Shane Monagle (Ard Scoil na Mara Tramore) in 14.47 and Valentinos Goularas (Marino College) in 14.48. 

Davicia Patterson (Hunterhouse) continued her fine form to set a new CBP in the senior girls’ 400m running 53.90. And she needed it to fend off Ciara Deely (Loreto Kilkenny) who was second in 54.33.

 Jack Mitchell (Pres Carlow) completed the ultimate lactic treble winning the senior boys’ 400m hurdles in 54.71, the 400m in 49.23 and anchoring Presentation Carlow in the last event of the day in the 4x400m relay to a new record of 3:27.03.  

Niamh Fogarty (St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge) won the senior girls’ discus in 45.88m. Sommer Lecky (Strabane Academy) rose highest in the senior girls’ high jump with 1.79m while Sophie Meredith (SMI Newcastle West) won the senior girls’ long jump with 5.93m. Kate Hosey (St Attracta’s Tubbercurry) won the junior girls’ long jump with a CBP of 5.72m.

Casey Mulvey (St Clare’s Ballyjamesduff) won the intermediate girls’ shot put with 15.93m and the discus with 35.38m

Brendan O'Donnell (St Eunan's Letterkenny) was one the early winners on the day taking gold in the senior boys’ hammer with 65.64m while James Kelly (Royal & Prior Raphoe) won the senior shot put with a best of 16.88m.

Ryan Carthy Walsh (Good Counsel New Ross) had a good clearance of 2.05m to win the senior boys’ high jump.       

Wymin Sivakumar (Col an Spioraid Naomh) won the intermediate boys’ triple jump with a best of 13.51m and then won silver in the 100m hurdles in 13.64 behind Iarlaith Golding’s (St Coleman’s Claremorris) winning run of 13.38.

Ciara Kennelly (St Brigid's Killarney) won the intermediate girls’ high jump with 1.70m while Ella Scott (Christ King Cork) won a trophy for best hurdler winning the minor girls’ 75m hurdles in a record of 11.20 seconds.