The much anticipated 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships got off to a flyer in Tullamore this evening with the next generation of Irish athletics stars producing a superb showing of track and field action at the Tullamore Harriers Stadium (May 30th).
The senior boys 3000m walk was billed as one of the races of the evening and it didn’t disappoint with Seamus Clarke (St. Muredach’s College Ballina) and Matthew Newell (Coláiste Bhaile Chláir) duking it out from the gun. Clarke opened up a lead over the closing stages to get the better of his Irish international teammate on this occasion, setting a new championship record of 11:57.47 CR to better the previous record of 12:15.69 set by Colin Griffin back in 2000. Newell walked his way to silver in 12:20.16, with Luke Fitzmaurice (Lough Allen College) taking bronze in 13:24.16.
Last year’s intermediate champion Robin Óg Murphy (Mercy College Ballymahon) continued her winning run to take the senior 3,000m walk title in 15:24.03 ahead of Aoife Tuthill (Colaiste na Toirbhirte) 15:54.47, and Holly Shaughnessy (Presentation College Athenry) 16:08.79.
Individual performance of the night arguably went to Cillian Gleeson (Colaiste Chiarain Leixlip) who went solo from the gun in the senior 5000m, crossing the finish in 14:19.66 which was just outside John Treacy’s long standing schools record of 14:17.0H from 1974.
The senior girls 1500m steeplechase also bore witness to an outstanding track performance with Caoimhe Flannery of Skibbereen CC smashing the championship record on her way to gold in 4:56.02 CR. Dearbhla Allen (St. Marys Dundalk) was second in 5:05.33, with Katie Hennessy (St. Aloysius Carrigtwohill) third in 5:18.51.
Diarmuid Moloney (Nenagh CBS) was an impressive winner of the senior 2000m steeplechase, negotiating all obstacles safely to cross in a winning time 6:05.46. Alex O’Tuama (Gonzaga College) took silver in 6:11.05, with Max Murphy (Good Counsel College New Ross) 6:11.63.
