Foster and O’Neill keep Irish flag flying

AMY FOSTER, silver medallist at the European Youth Olympics a few weeks ago, revelled in the sunshine at Tullamore on Saturday when she won a gold medal in the 100m, took silver in the 200m before anchoring the Irish schools to silver in the 4x100m relay at the international track and field match between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.

The energy-sapping conditions in the middle distance events did not deter Brendan O’Neill (St. Michael’s College), who turned in the performance of the day with a gun-to-line victory in the boys’ 3,000m in 8:33.84.

The Dubliner toyed with Lee Carey, the English representative, and then literally ran away from him with three laps remaining. The last time they met was in the schools international cross-country when O’Neill had to settle for third place behind the English boy.

English representative Tara Kafke had to pull out all the stops to separate Amy Foster from Glenlola Collegiate School and the diminutive Waterford girl Niamh Whelan (Presentation).

Foster was always in control, winning in 12.1 secs with Kafke second ahead of Whelan, who took the bronze medal in 12.3 secs.

Jasmine Rowe (England) built on her quick start to win the 200m in 24.44 from Foster, 24.75, with the other English girl, Ruth Ann Watson, third in 25.24 and Harriet Cross from Bandon Grammar School rounding off a fine schools season in fourth place in 25.34.

Katie O’Shea (Presentation, Milltown) collected full points in the girl’s hammer with a performance that was well over a metre better than Welsh girl, Nicola Stevenson.

The Milltown girl had a best throw of 45.06 to Stevenson’s 43.28.

And that throw by Stevenson just held off the challenge of Linda Cronin from Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, who has had some great competitions with O’Shea throughout the Munster and Irish schools campaigns.

She took the bronze medal with a throw of 43.09 and win what was the fourth bronze medal from this particular event for the Cronin family. Her older sister, Ann Marie, won three bronze medals at schools international level.

The Irish girls outshone the boys, with Laura Cogan (St. Kevin’s) stepping up to win the shot putt with a best of 11.80m.

And Imelda Morrison (Col. Eoin, Youghal) underscored her consistency all season by finishing second in the long jump with an impressive 5.76m.

Sarah Treacy, whose mother, Siobhan, is a former international, took the silver medal in an action-packed girls’ 1,500m which was won with a powerful surge from England’s Stevie Stockton in 4:34.57. But up the final 300m there were four in contention, including the Irish pair, Sarah Treacy and Suzanne Huet (Loreto, Foxrock) with Eilish McColgan, daughter of the former world champion and Olympic silver medallist Liz McColgan, slightly off the pace.

In the 3,000m Ashley Murray, daughter of the 1991 European 3,000m champion, Yvonne Murray, took the bronze medal behind Rebecca Gough of England and her Scottish team mate, Siobhan Coleman, after Ireland’s Patricia Barry (Ursuline, Thurles) had set a ferocious pace before eventually settling for fourth place.

In the boys’ events there were bronze medals for Andrew Kenneally (Coachford Community College) in the hammer, Conor Murphy (Naas CBS) in the 800m, Eoin Hannon (Our Lady’s, Templemore) in the long jump and he was fourth in the 100m hurdles, Luke Mangan (Belvedere) and in the Shot Putt and Jason Harvey (Campbell College) in the high jump.

At the end of an exciting day England won the boys’ match with 277 points to 154.5 for Ireland and 153 for Wales while the Irish girls were closer, England winning with 247 pts to 174.5.