McCarthy to defend 800m title

DAVID McCARTHY (St. Augustine’s, Dungarvan) will defend his 800m title and attempt a double-up at 1,500m at the KitKat Munster Schools track and field championships at the UL Track in Plassey tomorrow.

The Waterford athlete has the unique distinction of winning the Irish schools intermediate cross-country title and the 400m and 800m titles in the same year but, since graduating to senior level, he has been concentrating on the 800m.

This year he had a very impressive victory in the Munster schools cross-country championships but missed the Irish schools championships and a mouth-watering clash with Dubliner, John Coghlan, due to illness.

With a scholarship on the horizon he is extending his repertoire this season and the 800m/1,500m double is well within his capabilities.

Another athlete likely to attract huge interest at the meeting is long jumper Kelly Proper (St. Paul’s, Waterford) who has just a couple of Irish records left to chase. She has set Terri Horgan’s outdoor senior record as a target for the season but, at schools level, she has Claire Ingerton’s senior records as the incentive for a big performance and, if conditions are right, she could claim the Munster version in Limerick.