All pics from www.lindie.zenfolio.com. Reports courtesy Evening Herald Schools Sports Section.
West Leinster. Full results at www.westleinsterschoolsathletics.com.
Day 1 , Tue Apr 24
 |
| Sarah Fitzpatrick |
Sarah Fitzpatrick of Our Lady’s Terenure was making athletics history when she won the first ever schoolgirls’ steeplechase race held in this country. Even a stumble on her final leap over the dreaded water jump couldn’t stop her racing to victory. Behind her came Ciara Hewson of Maynooth PP and Roisin Nolan of St Wolstan’s.
This trailblazing trio will now compete at the Leinster Championships where places at the first ever All Ireland schoolgirls steeplechase in Tullamore next June are at stake.
Fitzpatrick was competing at intermediate level; winning the boys’ inter steeplechase was Daniel Byrne of Castleknock College while a clear winner of the senior race was David Scanlon of Terenure College.
Overall, the medals were well spread out thanks to the increasing number of schools in the west Leinster zone. One of the most notable was Colaiste Cois Life from Lucan, with Deaglan O Cathain winning the senior hurdles and Lauren Ni Dhubhlaigh and Labhaoise Ni Choileain, backed up by Orla Breathnach, dominating the minor girls’ javelin in their very first attempt at the event.
For Setanta in Clonee, George Makete won the junior boys 1500m, while taking the under 16 mile was Pierre Murchan of St Declan’s Cabra, not a new school but one that’s new to athletics. Murchan ran a smart race to beat Jack Kyle of King’s Hospital and Sean Flanagan from Maynooth PP.On a day when lots of sprint talent was in evidence, Keith Pike of Hartstown took the boys’ senior title, beating Ross McDermott of Belvedere.
Belvedere was having a good day both on the track and in the field. Michael Fitzpatrick won the senior 400m, Ryan Cleary took the inter walk, and Cian O’Sulivan the junior 80 m hurdles. In the field, Eamonn Heneghan won the pole vault, Oisin Taylor the high jump, James Kelly the shot, Mark Cavlo the hammer – and that’s just the list of senior winners of the inner city college.
Among the girls, Aoife Keyes of Our Lady’s Terenure won the inter girls 400m race in style while taking the senior 1500m was Emily Milner of Maynooth Post Primary. Out on her own in the minor girls 1100m was Eimear Fitzpatrick, sister of the aforementioned Sarah.
For St Wolstan’s Celbridge, Chanice Corcoran made it an inter 100m and 80 metres hurdlesadouble, while Aoife Galvin won the junior triple jump. The pink vests of Mount Sackville were to the fore in the javelin, with Ciara Fitzgerald winning the senior title, and Catherine Leahy best junior.
Day 2, Thu April 26
Belvedere dominated the throws; in the senior boys’ discus, Sam Gaine threw 38.16 to beat schoolmate Caimin Dunne, while Michael Hanlon threw 44.27m for an emphatic win at inter level. Thomas de Jong won the junior javelin, and Brian Egan the discus; in the minor competition, Sam Osbourne and Cillian Molloy won the discus and javelin respectively.
Tererure’s Stephen Gaffney had a fine jump of 6.20m to win the senior boys’ long jump, while on the track, Sean McCabe had a notable 800m win over his Templeogue team mate Mitchell Byrne, winner of the 1500m a few days earlier.
Sprinter Keith Pike from Hartstown added the 200m title to the 100m he had won two days earlier, while Eoghan Taggart from Rathcoole took the senior 5000m.
At inter level, Harry Purcell from Castleknock College won the 800m and Kevin Kelly from Scoil Dara the 3000m, beating Dylan Keegan of Templeogue. Joseph Ojewumi of Deansrath reversed the 100m result when he beat Keith Doherty from Drimnagh Castle in the 200m.
Winning the junior 800m was Jack Kyle from King’s Hospital.
Of the girls, Carla Sweeney of St Mac Dara’s won the junior 800m, while Emmanuele Oko threw 8.19m for victory in the junior shot.
Sarah Fitzpatrick of Our Lady’s Terenure added the 3000m title to her earlier steeplechase victory, while Emily Milner of Maynooth PP beat Aoife Keyes of Our Lady’s Terenure in the senior 800m.
East Leinster
Day 1 Tue May 1 – Boys
 |
| Laurence behind Kelly |
A dramatic senior boys 800m race proved the highlight of the opening day of the East Leinster Zone boys’ track and field championships.
Philip Laurence, an American studying at Blackrock, pushed the pace on the opening lap, but couldn’t shake off Lee Kelly from St Benildus. With 200m to go, Kelly moved to the front, but one last charge from Laurence brought him a deserved victory.
So sodden were the conditions in Irishtown that the starters’ pistol wouldn’t shoot, while abandoned for another day were the hurdles, pole vault, high jump, javelin and discus. After drying out the circle, the shot putt did take place with Oliver Jager of Blackrock winning the inter boys’ title.
On the track, the programme continued although the van selling hot chocolate did a roaring trade.
At senior level, Kevin Lynch of St Benildus won the 400m and Robert Keenan the 100m, while Kevin Dooney of CBC Monkstown battled the rain for a solid win in the 1500m, beating Blackrock’s Andrew Cullen and Killian O Maonaigh of Colaiste Eoin.
James Cullen was the clear winner of the inter 800m; in the 1500m, Adam Foley of Ard Scoil Ris came home first. Kevin Woods of CUS took the 400m and Blackrock’s Andriy Martynyuk edged the 100m.
Padraig Lennon of St David’s won the U16 mile; at junior level, Luke Campion of Wesley 800m, Christian McKenna 1500m and Matthew O’Callaghan 400m had good wins. Relay honours were shared between Clonkeen (minor and junior A) and Blackrock (inter, senior).
Day 2 – Wed May 2
Claire Foley of St Gerard’s beat Katie Doherty of Mount Anville and Megan Coomber from Maryfield to win the inter 100m.
 |
| Andrew Heney |
No surprises in the inter 800m, won comfortably by Siofra Cleirigh Buttner of Colaiste Iosagain. On a good day for the Stillorgan school, Sarah Ni Mhaolmhuire won the inter 3000m from Sion Hill’s Paloma Pineda. Megan Ni Riain won the senior 800m, Clar Nic Cartaigh the senior 3000m, Louise Ni She the minor 800m and Grainne Ni Fhrighil the minor high jump, while the open relay team also came home first.
Taking the inter girls’ javelin was Ciara Sexton of Rathdown, while Alix Hughes of Muckross won the inter discus.
In the boy’s programme, deferred from Wednesday, Andrew Heney of Mount Temple won the senior high jump with a leap of 1.85, beating Thembe Ndoala of Oatlands. Kevin Dooney of CBC Monkstown added the 5000m title to the 1500m he had won a day earlier. In second place was Killian O Maonaigh of Colaiste Eoin.
Day 3
Sarah McCarthy of Maryfield had a busy day. She started out by just edging out Elaine Begley of Institute of Education to win the 100m hurdles. She then nailed down her place in the 200m final by winning her heat.
A quick change into her school uniform and she was rushed off to Lansdowne Road where she picked up her Evening Herald Schools Sports Star of the Week award.
Back in Irishtown, Sarah won the 200m beating 100m champion Sarah Murray of Mount Temple and ended a hectic few hours by running the 4 x 100m relay for Maryfield.
Winning the junior 200m was Lauren Hanney of Loreto Foxrock. She beat Grainne McGuill from Muckross and Rebecca Murphy of Loreto Bray.
Kate Doherty of Mount Anville won the inter 80m hurdles from Alex Hughes of Muckross.
Claire Foley of St Gerard’s Bray, winner of the 100m a day earlier, took the inter 200m. In second place was Jade Leahy of Muckross, who had won the 300m, beating Rachel Murray of Mount Temple.
Sarah Ni Mhaolmhuire of Colaiste Iosagain, already the 3000m champion, beat Isabel Odlum of Rathdown to win the inter 1500m. Her school mate Sorcha Nic Umfraidh came home first in the senior 1500m, beating Amy Howard of Loreto Bray.
Amaris Borel of Avondale CC won the junior long jump. Rathdown won all three pole vault titles – Meg Tyrell junior, Martha Hassett inter, and the promising Rachel Swan senior.
Megan Coomber of Maryfield beat Amy Murray of Avondale to win the inter long jump. Holly McGurk of Holy Child Killiney won the senior title, beating Carol Shiels of St Raphael’s.
North Leinster. Details www.nlsau.net; no results as yet.
Day 1, Santry, Wed May 2
Ellen O’Hanlon of Holy Faith Clontarf made it an 800m and 1500m inter middle distance double. In the 1500m she tucked in behind Sarah Armstrong of Eureka Kells and only sprinted clear in the final 200m.
A comfortable winner of the inter boys’ 1500m was Leinster cross-country champion , Aaron O’Hanlon of St Mary’s, Drogheda. At senior level, Chloe Doran of Holy Faith Clontarf and Shane Fitzsimons of St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge won their respective 1500m races.
 |
| Aaron O’Hanlon |
Eoin Strutt of St Fintan’s and Jack Reid of St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge battled it out from the start of the U16 mile with Strutt only pulling away in the final 100m.
Winning the senior girls’ 400m was Aisling Drumgoole of Portmarnock; Oisin Foley from Dunshaughlin took the boy’s title.
Emanuel Kaguetl of St Joseph’s was an impressive winner of the inter boys’ 100m, with Niamh Hetherington of Dunshaughlin and Niall Flanagan of Ashbourne the senior winners.
· No field events because we didn’t get the results.
Day 2, Fri May 4
Ryan Whelan of Balbriggan CC threw 48.31, his best this season to win the senior boys’ javelin. In the battle for second place, Shane Aston of Boyne CS, who was competing in the high jump at the same time, threw 42.35 to edge out Tony O’Sullivan of St Fintan’s Sutton, who threw 41.56.
A tightly contested inter javelin saw Ruairi McCarthy coming out on top with a throw of 40.36. Conor Faulkner threw 39.04 for second and Daniel Finlay 38.29 for third.
Aaron O’Hanlon of St Mary’s Drogheda won the inter boys’ 3000m, while Ina Guiden of St Aidan’s took the senior boy’s 5000m comfortably, with Cormac Costello of Gormanston second.
South Leinster
Day 1, Wed May 2 (from www.carlowathletics.ie, so very Carlow orientated)
Field eventer Nicole Kehoe Dowling of St Leo’s Carlow set two new minor records with a best of 11.04m in the shot 28.04m in the javelin.
Siofra O’Flaherty also St. Leo’s, who was unbeatable all winter in cross-country, knocked four seconds off the old record when winning the minor 1100m in 3: 25.6, while Lauryn Kealy Borris V.S. reduced the minor 500m record to 1:21.4.
In the minor 75m hurdles, Ava Murphy equalled the record of 11.50; Ava also won the 80m sprint and helped her school to silver in the relay.
Another in record breaking form was Clare Murphy of Gael Colaiste Carlow winning the senior 400m hurdles in 62.1 seconds.
Rachel Doyle of St Leo’s won the 100m, was second in the high jump and helped St leo’s to relay gold.
Winning the inter 1500m steeplechase was Joe Barry of Knockbeg College. Robert O Crualaoich of Gael Colaiste Carlow won the minor boys’ 800m and David Lawler Presentation College the inter boys’ walk.
Day 2, Thu May 10
No comments yet.