Maher sets sights on double glory

PATRICK MAHER (Davis College, Mallow) will compete in both the 400m and 400m Hurdles at the Munster schools championships in a week’s time after a one lap cruise at the second session of the South Munsters at the CIT Track in Bishopstown yesterday.

The conditions may not have been quite as good as they were when he set a new Irish 400m hurdles junior record at the same venue a couple of weeks ago and, in the process, posted his qualifying standard for the world junior championships later this summer but he hardly broke a sweat as he coasted to a 51.41 sec victory – he ran 50.08 secs to win the national junior indoor title earlier this year.

It leaves him with the option of doubling up at the Munster schools and Irish schools championships over the coming weeks, renewing his rivalry with some of the most promising young athletes in the country.

“I’ll definitely run both,” he said. “I have doubled up successfully before but not at schools level. I will run the 400m flat at the AAI Games in Castleisland on Sunday.”

Ryan Creech (Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire) also has a double-up option over the coming weeks. After winning the 5,000m at the first session a week earlier, he sprinted clear of the field with over a lap to go to win the 1,500m yesterday.

“To be honest I have not been feeling good at all,” he said. “After the European cross-country championships my whole body broke down and it was a succession of injuries.

“To be honest I have done this on just two weeks training. I have not been able to get in a solid block of training but things are improving so I have to be happy with today’s run. My target is 14:30 for 5,000m this year but I have a hip problem that needs to be addressed. I want to make an impression in this year’s European cross-country championships in the Algarve.”

Danny Mullins (St. Goban’s, Bantry), who won the 3,000m a week earlier, won his primary event, the intermediate boys’ steeplechase, while Dean Cronin (Coláiste An Phiarsaigh, Glanmire), winner of the 800m the first day, won the inter boys’ 400m in 52.66 secs.

Joan Healy (Coláiste na Torbairthe, Bandon) who won the intermediate girls’ 100m and finished second in the 200m at last year’s Irish schools championships completed the double yesterday winning the senior girls’ 100m in 13.21 secs and the 200m in 26.12 secs.

David Killeen (Coláiste An Spioraid Naomh) also had a sprint double winning the senior boys’ 100m and 200m titles.

After finishing first and second in the 800m a week earlier twins Christine and Jessica Neville (Mount Mercy) were back in action in the inter girls’ 300m with Christine winning in 41.18 secs from Grainne Moynihan (Macroom) and Phil Healy (Coláiste na Torbairthe, Bandon) while Jessica, after falling with the finish in sight, scrambled over the line in fourth place.