None Ciara Mageean Breaks Sonia O’Sullivan’s Record
David Campbell third in Belgrade
5,000m Standard for Brendan O’Neill
David McCarthy wins American Regional All Ireland Schools Track and Field
A glorious sunny day certainly brought out the best in the athletes taking part in the All Ireland schools track and field championships at Tullamore Harriers stadium today.
The action got under way at 9am and it didn’t take too long before records began to tumble.
Kate Veale (St. Augustines Dungarvan) has been upgrading the walks record books for some time now and continue the trend when she smashed the intermediate 2,000m walk. Her winning time of 8:45.07 smashed the old record of 9:17.9 set by Ann Loughnane in 2002 in a race that saw her finish well clear of her rivals.
Rachel Aker’s 2004 record of 52.91m was re-written when Aoife Hickey (Loreto Kilkenny) threw 53.60m in the fourth round to win the senior girls hammer.
Ciara Giles Doran (Mercy Waterford) added 1cm to Claire Ingerton’s 1989 junior long jump record when she jumped 5.53m in the fourth round, and followed up with 5.52m in the final round.
Koroush Fouroughi (Gormanston) cleared 2.14m to win the senior high jump and then went very close when attempting 2.18m. His winning height bettered the 2.13m record of Richard Robinson set in 1983.
Marcus Lawlor (CBS Carlow) was an impressive winner of the junior 200m, and his time of 22.80 bettered the record of Colman O’Flaherty set in 1976.
Jason Harvey (Campbell College) led the senior 400m hurdles from the gun as was still ahead as he approached the final hurdle. However, a battling run by Patrick Maher (Davis College Mallow) brought him past his rival for a narrow victory.
Ciara Mageean (Assumption Ballyhinch) took te lead from the gun in the senior 800m, with Ciara Everard (Pres Kilkenny) on her shoulder. From the bell Mageean began to edge away from her rival, but with 200m to go she really stretched her legs and pulled away for a most convincing win. Her time of 2:05.38 destroyed Elizabeth McWilliams 2004 record of 2:10.07.
And, for good measure, Mageean also set a new Irish junior 800m record, beating none other than Sonia O’Sullivan’s 1987 record of 2:05.72
There was some consolation for Everard when she later won the 400m, while Mageean was an easy winner of the 1,500m later in the afternoon.
Adam Ingram (Hazelwood) had to pull out all the stops to win the inter 800m after Mark English (St. Eunan’s Letterkenny) set a very strong pace to lead into the straight. His winning time of 1:53.97 bettered James Nolan’s 1993 best of 1:54.68.
Darren McBrearty (St. Eunan’s) did everything right in the senior boys 800m, but a strong finish by Mark Patterson (Bangor Grammar) brought him past the leader to take the lead close to the line to win.
Jessica Sheehan (Kinsale CS) won the junior triple jump with a best of 10.69, bettering the 10.54m record of Linette Park set in 1998.
Joanna Mills (Ballyclare High) equalled the 1999 intermediate record of Ann Marie Lynch when she won the long jump with a best of 5.80m.
The senior boys pole vault saw Thomas Houlihan (St. Augustine’s) equal Neil Young’s 1995 record of 4.50m.
Shane Quinn (DLS Waterford) was never headed in winning the intermediate 1,500m by a distance.
The Irish Milers Club 1,500m saw Mark Christie (Mullingar AC) win easily in 3:45.52, with John Coghlan (Metro St. Brigid’s) overcoming the strong challenge of Craig Murphy (Togher) for the minor placings.
The championships must rank as one of the best competitions held for many years, a fitting tribute to all the athletes and officials.
David Campbell third in Belgrade
David Campbell (St. Coca’s AC), back from a spell in Australia, got his European season under way with a very promising third place finish in the 800m in Belgrade Friday night. His time of 1:48.00 was just three tenths of a second adrift of Kenyan Richard Kiplagat’s winning 1:47.68.
The American Regional championships are under way this weekend and David McCarthy (West Waterford) showed his well being by winning his heat of the 1,500m in 3:43.56, the fastest of the qualifiers.
East Regional Greensboro, NC
Heat
1 David McCarthy FR Providence 3:43.56Q
5,000m
22 Ashling Baker JR Iona 16:58.94
5,000m
30 Richard Yeates JR Providence 15:06.52
International Meeting Artur Takatch Belgrade, Serbia
800m
1 Richard Kiplagat KEN 1:47.68
2 David Takacs HUN 1:47.91
3 David Campbell IRL 1:48.00
4 Geoffrey Kibet KEN 1:48.12
5 Goran Nava SRB 1:48.23
6 John Litei KEN 1:49.46
5,000m Standard for Brendan O’Neill
Brendan O’Neill (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was amongst the happiest athletes in Manchester last night after dipping inside the qualifying standard for the European under 23 championships at the British Milers Club meet.
Big PB’s were also recorded by Sean Connolly, Mark Hanrahan, Martina McCarthy, Linda Byrne, Brian Markham, and Rory Chesser.
Reebok Grand Icahn Stadium, New York, N.Y.
1,500m
10 Deirdre Byrne Ireland 4:12.36
11 Kalkidan Gezahegn Ethiopia 4:13.03
12 Lindsey Gallo United States 4:13.81
13 Nicole Edwards Canada 4:14.54
14 Roisin McGettigan Ireland 4:15.46
BMC Grand Prix I – Sport City Manchester
800m
3 1:51.20 Steven Morrow U23 Ballymena & Antrim
800m
6 2:07.72 Martina McCarthy Dublin City / Ireland
1,500m B
7 3:51.15 Brian Markham U23 Ennis Track
13 3:57.49 James King Milford / Ireland
1,500m C
11 3:54.20 Tommy Carroll U23 North Sligo / Ireland
1,500m D
3 3:55.94 Paddy Hamilton Annadale
11 4:02.79 Darragh Flynn U20 Raheny Shamrocks / Ireland
1,500m
2 4:17.29 Hazel Murphy Dundrum South Dublin / Ireland
5,000m
3 14:06.77 Sean Connolly Ireland
4 14:08.14 Mark Hanrahan Leevale / Ireland
5 14:08.43 Lee Merrien Newham & Essex Beagles / Bath Uni
6 14:10.61 O’Neill Brendan Ireland
5,000m B
14 14:47.90 Simon Ryan U23 Raheny Shamrocks / Ireland
15 14:50.86 Martin Conroy Sligo / Swansea / Ireland
5,000m C
10 15:42.59 David Fitzmaurice U20 Clonliffe / Ireland
5,000m
3 16:09.87 Linda Byrne Dundrum South Dublin / Ireland
3,000m Steeple
1 8:54.20 Bruce Raeside Notts / Cambuslang
2 8:58.35 Mark Kirwan Raheny Shamrocks / Ireland
3 8:59.08 Rory Chesser U23 Ennis Track / St. Mary’s Uni / Irel
6 9:11.78 Emmett Dunleavy Sligo / Ireland
10 9:38.44 Noel Collins U20 Omagh / Ireland
David McCarthy wins American Regional
David McCarthy (West Waterford AC & Providence College), fastest of the qualifiers from yesterdays heats of the 1,500m, was back in action today in the final, and ran a superb race to win in a time of 3:41.37. Just over six tenths of a second separated the first six in a blanket finish.
McCarthy’s time is another new PB for him, replacing the 3:42.34 he ran at the start of May
East Regional Greensboro, NC
1,500m Final
1 David McCarthy FR Providence 3:41.37F 10
2 Matthew Gibney SO Villanova 3:41.71F 8
3 Liam Boylan-Pett SR Georgetown 3:41.76F 6
4 Andrew Jesien SR Virginia 3:41.89F 5
5 Jim Wyner SR Cornell 3:41.99F 4
6 E.C. Gibbs SR Georgia Tech 3:42.01
