Despite blustery conditions, both girls and boys 800m records fell at Saturday’s Aviva Taillteann Schools Interpro in Santry.
First up were the girls and Siofra O Cleirigh Buttner from Colaiste Iosagain broke from the start, with Alanna Lally of Pres Athenry leading the chasers. Battling a strong headwind, Buttner held out to clock a magnificent time of 2 minutes 7.78 seconds.
This was not only a personal best but knocked almost five seconds off the record of 2:12.5 set by her DSD clubmate Aoife Byrne in 1996. Lally, in second place, was just fractionally off the record.
In the boy’s race, Karl Griffin from Abbey Vocational Donegal stretched away at the bell to win in 1 minute 54.61 seconds, just inside the 1989 time of 1:55 set by Fintan O’Reilly.
A third record came in the girls’ triple jump when Jessica Sheenan, Kinsale CS, jumped 11.37, beating Polish-born Ania Bednoz, Mercy Sligo, by two centimetres.
Female Athlete of the Meet was Ciara Giles Doran of Mercy Waterford. She won the 300m hurdles and 200m and then helped Munster to victory in the 4x300m relay.
Making it a sprint double was the Leinster boys’ captain Marcus Lawlor, who beat Greg O’Shea of Crescent Limerick in both 100m and 200m. A clear winner of the 400m was Marcus Martensson of St Andrew’s, who also helped Leinster to second behind Ulster in the 4x400m.
In the 1500m, front running Shane Fitzsimons of St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge came home in 4:00.92. David Harpur, Rice College Westport, was second in a personal best 4:06.32, with Aaron O’Hanlon, St Mary’s Drogheda, third.
A closely fought girls 1,500m saw Ella Fennelly, Mount Anville, sprint away from Aisling Quinn, Ursuline Waterford, to win in 4:52.63.
Blackrock’s Michael Brown had a good win in the triple jump, with his school mate Oliver Jager winning the shot and finishing second in the discus behind Belvedere’s Michael Hanlon. Maryfield’s Sarah McCarthy won the long jump.
Overall, Leinster won the boys’ trophy for an eighth year while Munster proved best of the girls for a fourth year. The top two finishers in each event qualified for the SIAB Schools’ International in Cardiff.
RECORD FOR KILLIAN
Killian Barry of Crusaders got the Woodie’s DIY National Junior and U-23 Championships off to a great start when he threw 68.38 to break his own national junior record.
That was followed by a new junior women’s hammer record of 57.98 for Ferrybank’s Cara Kennedy.
On the track, Steven Colvert of Crusaders won the U-23 200m, beating old rival Chris Russell of Ferrybank and Clonliffe 400m man, Brian Gregan. Paul Whelan of Dublin Striders won the 100m in a windy 10.72.
Paul Robinson of St Coca’s won the U-23 1,500m in 3:54.37, spoiling Darren McBrearty’s attempt at a double. The Letterkenny athlete had earlier beaten Tallaght’s Anthony Lieghio to win the 800m.
In the U-23 women’s 1,500m, Sara Treacy of Moynalvey just made the finish ahead of Loughborough-based Jordan Kinney. Treacy also won the 800m. A few days earlier, Treacy had clocked 4:22.44 for 1500m at the BMC meet in Birmingham.
Catherine McManus of Celtic DCH won the junior 100m, while in the junior boys’ 400m, DSD’s Joe Dowling held on to Paul Scanlon of Leevale.
RUSSELL ON THE DOUBLE
In Nivelles Belgium, Ferrybank’s Chris Russell won the 200m in a personal best 21.35, also taking the 100m.
Joanne Cuddihy of Kilkenny City Harriers won the women’s 400m in 53.28, while Clonliffe’s Brian Gregan time of 46.63 in the men’s race sees him topping he current Irish rankings list.
Ferrybank’s Kelly Proper won the 100m in 11.69 and 200m in 23.90.
BEIJING MEDAL WINNER FOR CORK CITY SPORTS
New Zealander Nick Willis, 1500m silver medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, leads the entry for Saturday’s 60th Cork City Sports at the CIT.
Willis most recently ran 3:36.46 at the New York Grand Prix. With former Cork winner Barnabas Bene from Hungary and a trio of fast Americans also entered, local athletes including David Campbell, John Coghlan and Ciaran O Lionaird are hoping for fast times.
In the long jump, Kelly Proper takes on former world champion Tianna Madison from the USA, who is still capable of jumping well over six metres.
* Tickets €10/€15; see www.corkcitysports.ie.
STRAWBERRY WIN FOR MINNOCK
Barry Minnock of Rathfarnham WSAF took the notable scalp of Sergiu Ciobanu from Clonliffe when winning the Strawberry Half Marathon in Enniscorthy. Minnock’s time of 68 minutes 5 seconds was a new course record and a personal best. His targets for the season are the National 10km and the Dublin Marathon. Ciobanu, who had won the Cork Marathon only three weeks earlier, aims to defend his title in Dublin. Before that, both men compete over 3000m at the Clonliffe Sports on July 8.
Barry Minnock of Rathfarnham WSAF took the notable scalp of Sergiu Ciobanu from Clonliffe when winning the Strawberry Half Marathon in Enniscorthy. Minnock’s time of 68 minutes 5 seconds was a new course record and a personal best. His targets for the season are the National 10km and the Dublin Marathon. Ciobanu, who had won the Cork Marathon only three weeks earlier, aims to defend his title in Dublin. Before that, both men compete over 3000m at the Clonliffe Sports on July 8.
Winning the women’s race for a second year was DSD’s Linda Byrne, fifth overall in 77 minutes 21 seconds. Caitriona Jennings of Sportsworld was second and Clonmel’s Angela McCann third. Winners of the five-mile race were local man Kevin Murphy and DMP veteran Anne Sullivan.
RAHENY ON THE DOUBLE
Raheny made the double at the Dunshaughlin 10km, with David Rooney first man and Aoife Talty first woman; 645 finished this long-established race. A day earlier, Andrew Ledwith led home 229 finishers at the St Coca’s 5km in Kilcock. Colin Costello was second and Aoife Brady first woman.
Biggest – and priciest – road race of the week was the Docklands 8km with 2,224 finishers. Raheny’s Vinnie Mulvey held off the challenge of Rathfarnham’s Barry Minnock for victory, Lizzie Lee from Leevale just sprinting clear of Caitriona Jennings from Sportsworld for the women’s prize. In Galway Regina Casey led home 776 finishers in the Galway Women’s Mini Marathon.
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