Nestle Munster Schools Track and Field Championships

The Nestle Munster schools track and field championships were held in atrocious weather conditions at the RSC track in Waterford today.  The weather made times very much irrelevant, but there was, however, some very exciting competition.  Ian Donovan of Colaiste Choilm in Ballincollig and Leevale was the early leader in the senior 800m, but Martin Byrne of St. Aidans took over the lead after some 200m.  On the second lap it was Gerry O’Flaherty of St. Flannans who raced into the lead only to be overtaken by Byrne.  O’Flaherty was not finished, and took over the lead again with 200m to go.  From there to the line there was a terrific tussle between the three runners.  In a driving finish it was Donovan who showed ahead in a time of 1:59.3, with the other pair dead heating for second in 1:59.5.  The senior 1,500m turned out to be a test of speed over the last 400m.  Ian Donovan started the sprint but had to give second best to Shane Power of CTI who ran 52.6 for the lap, just ahead of Shane O’Shaughnessy of Mayfield CS.  The winning time was 4:48.8.  The senior 5,000m attracted the biggest field of the day.  In this race the runners stayed together for the first two laps, but then Brian Keane of Cork College of Commerce and Leevale, running as a guest, decided that the pace was too slow for him, and threw in a 67 second lap, with only James Grufferty of Bruce College going with him.  However, it was down hill after that as he battled against the strong winds, but he still won in a time of 15:22.6, ahead of Robert Wade from Kilmacthomas who ran on strongly for second, with Michael Herlihy of North Mon third, and Grufferty fourth.  Rosin Quinn of Ursuline Waterford won the women’s 1500m in 4:42.6, faster than the senior boys!!  Fionnuala Lombard of Mount Mercy had a double winning the senior shot with 11.12 and the discus with 28.15.  The sprints were dominated by Tim Flannery of Nenagh CBS, winning the 100m in a time of 10.5, ahead of Jer O’Donoghue of St. Brendan’s Killarney who clocked the same time, and Flannery also won the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles in a good time of 57.8.  Derval O’Rourke of Christ the King had her usual double in the 100m and 100m hurdles.