from AAI website For the past month, combined event athletes from across the country have been put to the test in their bid to secure a place in the KitKat All-Ireland Schools’ Combined Events Championship which will take place on Saturday, 27th September 2008 at Morton Stadium, Santry. With the qualifying events over, the best combined eventers in Ireland will now meet at Morton Stadium, Santry, to compete in what promises to be a thrilling battle of wills among Ireland’s top schools’ athletes The Intermediate Girls competition is particularly competitive with Joanna Mills, Ballyclare High School, Orla Finn, Kinsale Community School, Rebecca McAllister, Antrim Grammar School, and Leinster Champion, Sarah Shovelin, Loreto Wexford, all very strong competitors. Last year’s junior champion, Joanna Mills, won the KitKat Ulster Championships with an extremely good score of 3,038 points and should be favourite to win on Saturday.
Another close contest will be the Intermediate Boys’ competition where Eamon Fahy, King’s Hospital, won the KitKat Leinster title with an impressive 3,339 points. But do not discount the Ulster challenge which is likely to come from Matthew Ramsay, Regent House, and David Reid, Larne Grammar School. In the same event will be the KitKat Munster Schools’ Champion, Keith Smith, Commeragh College and Simon Callaghan, Presentation Headford.
The Leinster pair Conor Daly, Knockbeg College, with 3,128 points and Paul Byrne, CBS Carlow, with 2,972 points had a great battle last week and expect them to be at the head of affairs again on Saturday in the Junior Boys’ event.
The Junior Girls’ event looks to be a straight battle between the Leinster schools’ champion, Rachel Healy, Alexandra College, and Megan Kiely, Ursuline Waterford, the Munster Schools’ winner.
Following Saturday’s event, the KitKat Irish Schools’ Team will be selected to contest the upcoming annual Schools’ Combined Events International which will be held in Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on 13th December 2008.