TWO Skibbereen Community School athletes set new records at the South Munster Schools’ Track and Field Championships held at the MTU Cork track.
As hundreds of students from all over Cork and Kerry descended on MTU Cork, a number of West Cork athletes dominated the headlines after a blistering day of action that matched the summer sun.
For Skibbereen Community School, it was a memorable day as all nine athletes finished in the top four of their events and they won eight medals between them: six gold, one silver and one bronze.
For Caoimhe Flannery (senior girls' 1500m steeplechase) and Sam Kingston (junior boys’ javelin 600g), it was an extra special day as both set new South Munster Schools’ records. Caoimhe’s winning time of 5:04.64 was a six-second personal best and also six seconds faster than the previous record-holder Ella Collins (Coláiste na Toirbhirte, Bandon). In winning gold, Sam threw a mammoth 43.85m which was 98 centimetres further than the previous record set in 1975; an incredible effort that he then beat at the Cork County Championships last weekend, throwing 44.85m.
Skibbereen Community School’s other gold medallists were Ciara Delaney (senior girls' 400m), Katie Kingston (senior girls' javelin), Elaine O'Sullivan (intermediate girls’ javelin) and Laura Mae Coakley (junior girls’ javelin). Lorraine Coakley won silver in the intermediate girls' javelin, Evan O’Sullivan brought home bronze in the intermediate boys' javelin, while Dáire Bohane was fourth in the intermediate triple jump.
Sam Kingston set a new South Munster Schools' record when winning gold.It was a great day for rising young stars across West Cork who made the podium and now qualify for the Munster Schools' final on May 17th:
Minor girls (U14) – Cara Daly (Sacred Heart Clonakilty) won silver in the minor girls’ 100m. Jennifer Bamford (St Brogan’s Bandon) won a silver medal in the shot put.
Junior girls (U15) – Adaora Nnemeka (St Brogan’s Bandon) won gold in the 100m. Emma Lynch (Bandon Grammar School) was first in the triple jump, and Aoibhinn Rice (Sacred Heart Clonakilty) was second in the triple jump.
Senior girls (U19) – Saoirse Twomey (St Mary's Macroom) and Olive O'Flynn (Sacred Heart Clonakilty) were joint third in the 3000m. Juliet Bliss (St Brogan’s Bandon) won gold in the 1200m walk, and Clodagh McCarthy (Sacred Heart Clonakilty) won bronze in the 1200m walk.
Junior boys (U15) – Dylan French (Bandon Grammar School) won gold in the shot put, and Jack Kingston (Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí) was second in the shot put. Jamie Chambers (Bandon Grammar School) won bronze in the javelin.
Intermediate boys (U17) – Finn Yore (De La Salle Macroom) won gold in the 1500m steeplechase. Max Clover (Bandon Grammar School) won silver in the triple jump. Lewis Lenihan (Bandon Grammar School) won gold in the javelin and Alex Bramouille (Bandon Grammar School) took home silver in the javelin.
Senior boys (U19) – Harry Good (Bandon Grammar School) won bronze in the 400m; Finian Lawton (Ballingeary) won gold in the 3000m and Daniel Dollard (Hamilton High School) was third in the 300m. Sam Barry (Bandon Grammar School) won silver in the triple jump, and Jack Van Niekeik (Bandon Grammar School) was third in the triple jump.
