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Irish Schools, Tullamore, Saturday June 6th 2005

Waterford athletes top at All Ireland Schools
In Tullamore on Saturday last athletes from Waterford schools sparkled at the Kit kat All ireland Schools Track & Field Finals. They won fourteen individual titles and relay title and also secured 11 silver and 9 bronze individual medals.
Three Outstanding
Three athletes in particular shone and these were David mcCarthy, St. Augustine’s, Ciara Cronin, Abbey Community College and Niamh Whelan, Presentation Convent, Waterford.
In the Intermediate section David McCarthy had an outstanding double winning the 800 metres easily just outside the record, he was timed at 1 minute 55:51 and he also took the 400 metres with a personal best time of 51:49 seconds.
In the Junior grade Niamh Whelan, a comparative newcomer to the sport had a fine sprint double in the 100 metres and 200 metres, the latter with a new record of 25:00 seconds beating a record that had stood since 1975.
Ciara Cronin won the Junior 800 metres i a fantastic record tiem of 2 minutes 11:83 seconds, probably the best performance of the day. The old record of 2 minutes 13:7 seconds had stood since 1977 and was set by Marie Hennessy, Ursuline, Waterford, the senior record incidentally, is 2 minutes 10:07.
The other winners were Junior Boys: 80m Hurdles - Gavin Kennedy, De La Salle; Discus - Dale Kennedy, Abbey; Intermediate Pole Vault - Mark Bannon, St. Augustine’s; 300m - Mairead Deevy, Mercy; 80m Hurdles - Mairead Murphy do; 300m Hurdles - Kalyn Sheehan, Ursuline; Relay Ursuline; Senior: Discus - Sonya Kennedy, De La Salle; Pole Valt - Suzy Lonergan, St. Augustine’s; Long Jump - Kelly Proper, St. Paul’s.
Ursuline also won the Intermediate overall cup. In the most thrilling race of the day John Coghlan, a son of the famous Eamon, got up in the last stride to pip Kevin Cooper, Waterpark who ran a super race and lost by the narrowest of margins.
Four for European Olympics
After the schools finals in Tullammore, the AAI selected their teams to represent ireland at the European Under 18 Youth Olympics Festival in Lignano, Italy from July 2nd to 8th and there are four young Waterford athletes on the twelve strong team, three from Ferrybank AC and one from West Waterford. The three from Ferrybank are: Kelly Proper, Long Jump; Mairead Murphy, 100m Hurdles; Kalyn Sheehan, 400m Hurdles and David McCarthy is in the 800m and he is the West Waterford athlete. The three Ferrybank girls will also be on the relay squad.