EIGHT Skibbereen Community School students participated in the prestigious 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore.
All had qualified by finishing in the top three in their province and were among over 1000 young athletes from more than 300 schools that competed in two days of track and field action, from minor (U14) to senior (U19).
All eight Skibb students competed well, with three outstanding performances from field athletes Lorraine Coakley and Katie Kingston and track athlete Caoimhe Flannery.
Lorraine Coakley had a best throw of a very impressive 9.83m in the junior (U14) shot; it was the same throw as the gold medal winner, but Coakley’s second throw was shorter, and so was awarded the silver medal for her mighty efforts.
Katie Kingston, participating in the senior girls’ category (U19), finished second in a highly-competitive javelin competition (600g) with a huge throw of 38.05m, with only 67 centimetres separating the top three. Katie was also sixth in the discus (1kg) with a top throw of 27.99m.
Following on from her record-breaking Munster U20 2k steeplechase performance in Templemore the previous weekend (breaking the old record set in 2014 by 23 seconds), Caoimhe Flannery continued her top form in Tullamore. In the senior girls’ 1500m steeplechase, Caoimhe battled with last year's champion and eventual winner Eleanor Foot from Loreto Dalkey, before finishing in second place in a new personal best time of 5:10.4, with Ella Collins (Coláiste na Toirbhirte, Bandon) in third place. Encouragingly, both Katie and Caoimhe will be eligible for this competition for the next two years.
Other Skibbereen Community School athletes’ results: Adam O'Donovan (intermediate), fourth in javelin and seventh in shot; Elaine O'Sullivan (intermediate), seventh in javelin; Diana Coakley (intermediate), fourth in hammer; Sam Kingston (junior), sixth in javelin; Evan O'Sullivan (junior), seventh in javelin.
Other West Cork athletes in top five finishes at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships were: Max Clover (Bandon Grammar), third in intermediate triple jump; Dylan French (Bandon Grammar), third in junior shot; Eoin O'Callaghan (Hamilton High School), first in senior high jump, fourth in pole vault; Leila Cummins (Coláiste na Toirbhirte Bandon), first in junior hammer; Seán Lawton (Coláise Pobail Bheanntraí), fifth in senior 5000m, fifth in senior 1500m.
