One of the most anticipated events of the Irish athletics calendar, the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships, got off to an excellent start in glorious evening sunshine in Tullamore this evening (Friday May 29th).
Championship records tumbled across a variety of events including in the Senior Boys 3000m Walk where Matthew Newell (Colaiste Bhaile Chlair) delivered a commanding performance in which he led the field from gun to tape. His winning time of 11:45.81 knocks over ten seconds off the previous record (11:57.47) held by Séamus Clarke, and subject to ratification is a new Irish U20 record for the event.
Caoimhe Phelan (Holy Rosary College Mountbellew) was an impressive winner of the Senior Girls 3000m Walk in 14:40.30.
There was a thrilling finish in the Intermediate Girls 2000m Walk, Pearl Sands (St Joseph’s Castlebar), edging out Leah O’Gara (Loretto Letterkenny) in the battle for gold by less than one second, 9:16.83 to 9:17.13.
The Senior Boys 5000m was won by Lucas Lyons (St. Clare’s Comprehensive Manorhamilton) who kicked passed Diarmuid Moloney (Nenagh CBS) with 300m to go. Lyon’s winning time of 14:21.68 was only four seconds outside John Treacy’s championship record which has stood for over fifty years.
Lucie Cawley (Mercy College Sligo) delivered a masterclass in front-running to obliterate her own championship record in the Intermediate Girls 1500m Steeplechase. Cawley took control of the race from the gun and crossed the line in a time of 4:46.72. Her previous record, set last year, was 5:01.84. Silver medallist Claudia Coyle (Seamount College Kinvara, 4:59.25) and bronze medallist Elizabeth Reamsbottom (Santa Sabina Sutton, 5:00.57) also dipped under the old record in what was a high-quality race.
In the Senior Girls 1500m Steeplechase there was no stopping Dearbhla Allen (St. Mary’s Dundalk) who knocked nearly five seconds off the old championship record, running an excellent time of 4:50.85.
In the field, Sophie Nwaedozie (Christ King Cork) broke the 17-year-old championship record in the Junior Girls Triple Jump, with a best of 10.83m in the fourth round, while Andrew Nolan (Lanesboro Community College) smashed the Minor Boys Shot Put record, throwing 17.98m.
The action resumes tomorrow at 9am in Tullamore, a live stream is available on the Athletics Ireland YouTube channel HERE.
