Lystus and Ryan clinch gold
Double silver for McDonald after two tight finishes
THE ANNUAL Irish Life Health All-Ireland Schools track and field championships is one of the highlights of the athletics year in Ireland. This year was no exception as athletes from throughout the land gathered to do battle in an overcast but warm Tullamore.
Lystus Ebosele (Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy) bagged one of only two golds for Wexford with a brilliant win in the Senior girls’ shot putt (4 kg.). Her best effort of 11.55m was almost 1.5 metres clear of second place.
Ryan Carthy-Walsh of Good Counsel (New Ross) jumped 2.05m to take gold in the Senior high jump. With the Leaving Cert. looming Ryan had, in recent weeks, put revision ahead of athletics so he was happy to do just enough to take the win.
While there may only have been two golds to report, there was much to cheer about from a Wexford perspective, with a good number of athletes making the podium and more than a few near misses.
The Senior boys’ 100m provided one of the races of the day. David McDonald of Wexford C.B.S. crossed the line in a fantastic championship best performance of 10.52 seconds; so too, however, did Bangor Grammar’s fleet-footed rugby prodigy Aaron Sexton.
When the time-keepers looked to thousandths of a second to try to separate them, the Bangor boy edged it, and it was silver for David. The time puts both athletes 14th on the all-time list.
The two provided more edgeof-the-seat drama in the 200m. As they rounded the bend the Wexford lad had the advantage; down the straight he looked strong, composed and in command; metres to go and the powerfully built Sexton somehow got his nose in front to take the win in 21.12 seconds.
It was another silver for David, his time 21.26 seconds. One hopes that Wexford C.B.S. appreciates what a unique talent they have in McDonald, and the honour that he has brought to the school on the national stage.
All-Ireland combined events bronze medalist Saidhbhe Byrne (Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew) was fifth in the 75m hurdles (12.16s) and fourth in shot putt (9.89m).
Triini Jurisoo (Presentation, Wexford) was seventh in the Junior hammer (2.5 kg.) with a distance of 35.88m. Aisling O’Brien (St. Mary’s, New Ross) was tenth.
Brídín Doyle (Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew) was seventh in the Junior walk (6.30.24 minutes), while Aoibhínn Crean (Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy) placed tenth (6.42.83 minutes).
Ellie Cooney (St. Mary’s, New Ross) placed sixth in the Junior triple jump (8.86m).
Joshua Hewlett (New Ross C.B.S.) won a bronze medal in the Intermediate javelin with a best, and new P.B., of 56.20m.
In the Inter boys’ high jump, Jack Forde of Wexford C.B.S. had clear rounds up to and including 1.85m, a P.B.
With the bar then moving up to 1.88m, it was always going to be a big ask for the talented multi-eventer and current All-Ireland Under-16 combined events champion. He came up just short and ended the competition in fourth spot. Earlier in the day, Jack placed eighth in the triple jump (11.96m).
Gergely Pap, also Wexford C.B.S., won a bronze medal in the Inter shot putt (12.80m) as well as placing fifth in the 1.5kg discus (37.16m).
Dara Casey (St. Mary’s, Enniscorthy) was seventh in the Inter 100m hurdles (14.85s).
Róisín O’Reilly of Loreto (Wexford) claimed her first-ever national medal as she took the runner-up spot in the Inter girls’ 1,500m steeplechase in a new best time of 5.18.62 minutes.
Róisín, who has only recently taken to the event, looked strong throughout and was just five seconds adrift of the leader at the finish line. Of no less importance was the fact that she was a mere 0.09 seconds ahead of her nearest pursuer!
Later in the day Róisín lined out in the 1,500m, this time with no barriers to negotiate. Her earlier exertions saw her fall off the pace on the second lap. She found hidden resources on the final lap to rally, crossing the line in fourth spot, just one second behind the bronze medalist.
Fellow Loreto (Wexford) girl, Maeve Hayes, was eighth in the Inter high jump (1.50m).
Relay races are always sure to provide great entertainment to the watching audience. From the participants’ point of view, providing entertainment is the one thing they are not thinking of.
The main aim is to get the baton from start to finish as quickly as possible while respecting the technical rules: staying in lane, making the hand-overs within the zone and…not dropping the baton!
Loreto (Wexford) is currently blessed with a number of sprint specialists, and four of these lined out in the Inter girls’ 4 x 100m with just one destination in their sights: a podium place.
Liadh Dwyer took off from the blocks and powered around the first bend, passing cleanly to April Keeling; April powered down the back straight, holding some, gaining on others, and handed to Rachel Power who maintained the tempo around the final bend.
As the stagger unravelled, Loreto found themselves in fifth spot, so it was all down to Aisling Kelly on the anchor leg. She passed one, going like a train; she passed another, but there was no more track left. Bronze was the outcome!
Loreto (Wexford’s) strong overall performance at Intermediate level meant that, when the points were totted up, they finished third team behind St. Flannan’s (Ennis) and St. Vincent’s (Dundalk).
Kate Jackman of St. Mary’s (New Ross) placed eighth in the Inter girls’ Javelin with 27.60m. Her schoolmates, Tara Doyle and Grace Cloney, competed in the Inter triple jump, with a sixth place finish for the former (10.39m) and ninth for Grace (9.86m).
Éadaoin Stafford (Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy) placed ninth in both the Inter discus (1 kg.) and shot putt.
In the Senior girls’ discus (1 kg.), Marguerite Furlong of St. Mary’s (New Ross) won a silver medal, with 35.86m being the best of a consistent series of throws.
Lystus Ebosele, with a gold medal already to her credit, had to be content with a fifth place finish (29.65m). This was a good result for Marguerite but not so good for Lystus who threw over five metres further at the Leinsters.
Any time an athlete doubles up there is always the risk that the exertions of one event may impact negatively on another. Lystus knows this and will not be fazed by the outcome.
Amy Forde (Loreto, Wexford) threw a P.B. of 34.89m in the Senior hammer (4 kg.) to take fourth place, just under one metre off third.
Tríona Mooney (St. Mary’s, New Ross) placed fifth in the Senior 3k walk (17.37.19 minutes).
Pádraig Hore (New Ross C.B.S.) took the silver medal in the Senior discus (1.75 kg.), with 43.08m being his first, and only, successful throw of the competition. He also placed fifth in the Senior shot putt (6 kg.) with 12.35m.