Costello again pips Darcy

COLIN COSTELLO of Gormanston repeated his Leinster heroics when pipping De La Salle, Bagenalstown’s Danny Darcy in a spectacular 1,500m final at the Kit Kat Irish schools championships in Tullamore on Saturday.

Just like their provincial final battle, Darcy took control from the start and the Carlow teenager led through an opening lap of 59 seconds, 800m in 2:03 and 2:48 at the bell. But then Costello, a double medallist at the European Youth Olympics, produced a later charge down the home strait. Costello won in 3:47.62 with Darcy second in 3:48.72.

The excitement paled into insignificance when compared to the senior girls' 1,500m where Ciara Durkan, (Loreto, Balbriggan) fought back twice to inflict a rare defeat on Azmera Gebrezdi in a spectacular contest.