‘JUST run, don’t look back’ – that’s the advice Maeve O’Neill told herself in the final lap of her latest head-turning performance.

Just one week after breaking the Irish indoor 800m record, the Ballinacarriga woman (21) raced to gold and glory at the BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships in Chicago.

Showing her class, Maeve produced a stunning final lap to win the women’s 800m in a BIG EAST record time of 2:01.15. Third in the race last year, the Doheny AC star powered to the top of the podium.

‘Just run, don't look back,’ Maeve explained when quizzed on her thoughts on the final lap, as she powered away from the St John’s duo of Naiara Garcia Moreno and Nora Haugen.

‘You never know how close someone is behind you. You can't really hear anything when you're running. I was like “they're probably catching me” so I had to go as hard as I could.’

Maeve has enjoyed a tremendous indoor season.

The West Cork woman was also thrilled to produce the goods on the big day, explaining: ‘Competing to win was the main thing today versus times, which it has been every other race this season.’

But Maeve, a junior at Providence College in Rhode Island, wasn’t finished there. She linked up with the college’s 4x800m relay team – including freshman Gemma Galvin (Clare), junior Kiera Hall (New Zealand), and senior Cara Laverty (Derry) – to win her second BIG EAST title of the day.

After winning two BIG EAST gold medals, Maeve was then crowned the championship’s Most Outstanding Track Performer.

‘I think I've made such an improvement this year,’ she said.

‘Every race I run, I'm the fittest I've been, I'm the strongest I've been, so I go in with this new confidence; not overconfident either, knowing how good my competition is.

‘I’m really enjoying it right now.’