BY KIERAN McCARTHY
MAEVE O’Neill produced another personal-best performance to race to a brilliant bronze medal at the Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
The Ballinacarriga athlete is turning heads in the first year of her scholarship with Providence College in Rhode Island, much like Newcestown’s Jane Buckley, now a sophomore, did in her freshman year in 2023.
For O’Neill (20), this was her first time running under 2:05 for 800 metres, as she crossed the line in 2:04.87 to better her PB for the third time in less than two months, having run 2:05.95 and 2:05.78 in March. It’s another indicator of how she’s benefiting from her decision to swap West Cork for the States.
In fourth place at the halfway mark, with a split of 59.91, the Doheny AC trailblazer pushed herself into the medal places on the second lap to finish behind winner Madison Martinez (2:04.18) and Nora Haugen (2:04.77) in second, who was just one tenth of a second ahead of O’Neill.
This performance has earned the West Cork athlete All-Big East accolades, ranks second in program history and will now see O’Neill compete in the NCAA Championship prelims later this month in Kentucky.
