The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Mounthawk set national 4x100 relay record
RECORDS tumbled amid some stellar performances at the Irish Life Health All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore last Saturday, with Mercy Mounthawk setting a new national record in the Intermediate boys 4x100m relay.
The first medal of the day came courtesy of Fiona Doyle (Intermediate School Killorglin) when she won bronze in the Senior Girls high jump and after that the medals came thick and fast. There was gold for Katelyn Reid (Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne) in the Junior Girls javelin, Niamh O’Mahoney (Pres Tralee) who led from the gun in the Intermediate Girls 3,000m and Ciara Kennelly (St Brigid’s Killarney) in the Intermediate Girls high jump.
Alyce O’Connor (Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine) won silver in the Intermediate Girls 1,500m and Michael Tony (Colaiste Ide agus Iosef) won silver in the Intermediate Boys triple jump.
By far the most exciting events of the day came courtesy of the boys from Mercy Mounthawk Tralee. Cillian Griffin took joint individual bronze in the Intermediate Boys 100m, in a blanket finish that saw the top four athletes all finish with 11 seconds on the clock. After a nail-biting wait, which saw the timing examined down to 1/1000th of a second, there was nothing to separate them and joint third place was awarded on a time of 10.984 – with second place 10.983 and first 10.98.
Beating hearts had barely settled before the school’s Intermediate boys 4 x 100m relay team took to the track. Fresh from breaking the Munster record, they had everything to prove. In a performance that left the commentators speechless, Melvyn Shalemba, Luke O’Carroll, Basit Oyebanji and Cillian Griffin took the baton round safely around the track in 43.19 seconds for a new national record.
Shalemba of also won bronze in Intermediate boys 200m.
The Mercy Mounthawk Senior Girls 4 x 300m relay team of Ciara McCarthy, Rachel Bowler, Orla O’Reilly and Diana Nagle, put in a gutsy performance for bronze in a time well within the old record.
MEANWHILE, in Ennis the county’s U-9 to U-13 athletes were competing in the Munster juvenile championships. Lios Tuathail had a great championship with Amy O’Connor taking gold in the U-11 girls 60m in a new Munster record of 9.09 seconds and silver in the long jump.
There was also gold for Saoirse Dillon in the U-12 girls 60m. Steve Reidy won silver in the U-10 boys 60m. In the relays the Lios Tuathail U-10 and U-12 girls 4 x 100m team took silver and there was bronze for their U-11 boys relay team.
Tralee Harriers medal winners were Sean Murphy, gold in U-10 boys turbo javelin with a new Munster record of 22.53m, Fionnan Ryan silver in U-12 boys turbo javelin, Stephen Harty silver in U-9 boys long jump, Laura Falvey bronze in U-11 girls 60m.
Competing for Kenmare was Luke Merrigan who took gold in the U-10 boys 500m. Kevin O’Shea (Farranfore Maine Valley) won silver in the U-12 boys turbo javelin.
Finishing just outside the medals in fourth place, but putting in strong performances, were Lios Tuathail athletes Kate Sheridan U-9 girls long jump, Tally Collins U-11 girls long jump, Dylan O’Callaghan U-11 boys 60m, Steve Reidy U-10 boys long jump, John Carmody U-12 boys shot and Harry Reidy U-12 boys javelin.
Doireann O’Shea (Farranfore Maine Valley) was fourth in U-13 girls javelin as was Stephanie Reid (An Riocht) in U-12 girls javelin, Danielle O’Riordan (Gneeveguilla) likewise in U-13 girls shot, and Lucy O’Connor (Tralee Harriers) in U-12 girls long jump.
Best of luck to everyone who has qualified for the national finals in July.