Double gold for Ballina students at national schools championships
Seamus Clarke of St. Muredachs College, Ballina on his way to victory in the senior boys 3000m walk during day one of the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships, Tullamore Harriers Athletics Club. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Ballina duo Clodagh Gill and Seamus Clarke won gold at the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships came to a thrilling conclusion at a sun-drenched Tullamore Harriers Stadium last weekend.
The two-day athletics extravaganza saw over 1000 athletes from 300 schools produce a host of thrilling performances.
Padraig Corduff (Rice College Westport) ran the Senior Boys 5,000m on Day 1 amongst an extremely competitive field. He ran a phenomenal personal best of 15.26, finishing seventh overall.
In the Junior Girls 1,200m Walk, Pearl Sands and Lillian O’Brien, representing St Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlebar, got Mayo athletes on the podium as they claimed gold and silver in 5:27.92 and 5:39.72 respectively.
It was then the turn of Seamus Clarke (St Muredach’s College, Ballina) to show why he is establishing himself as the dominant force in race walking as he blew away the opposition to win the senior boys 3,000m walk in 12:45.71.
There was also a place on the podium for Siobhan O’Reilly (St Mary’s Secondary School) who won bronze in the senior girls 3,00m walk in 16:17.86 On day 2, Emma Edmundson (Sancta Maria College Louisburgh) finished fourth in the intermediate girls javelin and seventh in the in intermediate girls shot put. Paul Edmundson (Sancta Maria College Louisburgh) also represented his school in the discus, finishing in 11th.
Clodagh Gill (St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina) and Anna Gardiner (Assumption GS) produced a titanic tussle in the stacked Senior Girls 3,000m, with Gill ultimately coming out on top in a winning time of 10:01.98.
The 1500m finals were a compelling watch. Freya Renton (Sacred Heart Westport) went it alone in the junior girl’s race, finishing in 4.27:95 which was just half a second outside Emer McKee’s 2023 championship record. Her twin sister Holly finished in a very respectable fourth, just outside the podium places.
Elsewhere, Ruairi Hollywood (Rice College Westport) ran in the 1500m Senior Boys race and got an PB of 4.16, as well as finishing in the top ten.
