Some athletics records don't need to be erased from the books but are simply bettered over time, such as at Saturday's Irish Schools Championships in Tullamore.
Ciara Neville from Castletroy College was among them when winning a senior sprint double, taking the girls' 100m in a record of 11.52 and anchoring her school to victory in the 4x100m relay in a record of 48.02. Her performances also helped Castletroy to the senior girls' team title.
Mayo thrower Michaela Walsh from Swinford smashed her own Irish junior record when throwing 62.79m in the senior girls’ hammer, moving her to second on the European rankings this year. She came back to win the shot put with another Irish junior record of 15.48m.
Newport's Sharlene Mawdsley also had eye-catching performances winning the senior girls' 200m in 24.02 and then returning to smash the record in the 400m, clocking 53.99. Aaron Sexton of Bangor Grammar powered his way to a sprint double in the intermediate boys' category, setting records over both 100m in 10.72 and 200m in 21.43.
Sommer Lecky from Strabane Academy also broke the long-standing senior girls’ high jump record with 1.81m eclipsing the 1985 mark by Ursula Fay.
Another record of sorts was set by the Ryan family from Thurles, five siblings competing on the same day winning a total of eight medals.
Anna Ryan (Ursuline Thurles) won the junior girls’ pole vault with a record of 2.92. Eldest Daniel (CBS Thurles) won the senior 110m hurdles and finished second in the shot put. David won double silver in the intermediate boys’ long jump and in the 4x100 relay for CBS Thurles helping the school to the intermediate boys’ team title. His brother Jack also played a key role winning the intermediate shot put. Youngest Dillon was fourth in the junior boys’ pole vault.
St Mary’s Galway became the first school from Connacht since the early 1970s to win the overall senior boys’ College of Science Trophy with 49 points – clearly ahead of Belvedere College on 30.
Elsewhere, Paul Robinson ran a season’s best of 3:38.16 for 1,500m in the Netherlands, Mark English ran 1:46.06 for 800m in Boston, and Brian Gregan won the 400m in Oordegem, Belgium in 45.90
IRISH SCHOOLS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS (at Tullamore)
Girls
Senior
100m
1 Ciara Neville Castletroy College 11.52
2 Janine Boyle St Columba S’lar 12.05
3 Aoife Lynch Luttrellstown CC 12.12
200m
1 Sharlene Mawdsley St Mary’s Newport 24.02
2 Aoife Lynch Luttrellstown CC 24.44
3 Janine Boyle St Columba S’lar 24.61
400m
1 Sharlene Mawdsley St Mary’s Newport 53.99R
2 Molly O’Reilly Loreto Dalkey 55.40
3 Ciara Deely Loreto Kilkenny 55.90
800m
1 Rose Finnegan Eureka Kells 2:12.81
2 Stephanie Cotter Coachford College 2:15.72
3 Suzie O’Flynn Holy Faith Clontarf 2:17.25
1500m
1 Stephanie Cotter Coachford College 4:31.98
2 Jodie McCann Inst of Education 4:32.00
3 Avril Deegan Pres Thurles 4:41.02
3,000m
1 Avril Deegan Pres Thurles 10:15.10
2 Aisling Kelly Kilrush C S 10:20.08
3 Niamh Ní Chiardha Col Íosagain Dub 10:24.95
100m hurdles
1 Molly Scott Scoil Chonglais 14.22
2 Kate Taylor Col Mhuire Ennis 14.80
3 Alison Burke St Dominic’s Cabra 15.01
400m hurdles
1 Niamh Malone Castleblayney 61.79
2 Arlene Crossan Loreto L’kenny 62.91
3 Niamh Gowing Mount Anville 64.37
1500m steeplechase
1 Toni Moore SH Omagh 5:22.77
2 Shona Dolken-O’Shea SP Bheara 5:23.13
3 Aoife O’Brien SH Westport 5:38.02
3,000m Walk
1 Orla O’Connor Waterpark 13:56.77
2 Niamh O’Connor St Wolstan’s 14:22.00
3 Anna O’Connor Waterpark 16:08.82
4x100m relay
1 Castletroy College 48.02R
2 Mercy Mount Hawk 48.48
3 Cross & Passion Kilcullen 50.85
4x300m relay
1 St Leo’s Carlow 2:59.89
2 Castletroy College 3:01.20
3 Bandon GS 3:02.38
High Jump
1 Sommer Lecky Strabane Academy 1.81mR
2 Cliodhna Blake SM Kilmihil 1.65m
3 Daena Kealy Borris VS 1.65m
Pole Vault
1 Ellie McCartney Belfast HS 3.66mR
2 Laura Cussen Col Choilm Cork 3.00m
2 Katie Ritchie Belfast Royal Ac 3.00m
Long Jump
1 Aoibheann O’Brien Mercy Mount Hawk 5.89m
2 Sommer Lecky Strabane Academy 5.62m
3 Ella Nicholson Bandon GS 5.59m
Triple Jump
1 Grace Furlong CBS New Ross 11.41m
2 Fodhla Nic Phaidin PS GhaothDobhair 11.31m
3 Kim O’Hare Sutton Park 10.92m
Shot Put
1 Michaela Walsh SM&P Swinford 15.48mR
2 Niamh Fogarty SJ R’bridge 12.80m
3 Angharad Loughnane GC Luimnigh 11.23m
Discus
1 Niamh Fogarty SJ R’bridge 43.65m
2 Angharad Loughnane GC Luimnigh 38.70m
3 Lauren O’Grady Mercy Mount Hawk 35.35m
Hammer
1 Michaela Walsh SM&P Swinford 62.79mR
2 Ciara Maguire Scoil Mhuire Trim 46.75m
3 Jade O’Farrell Bond Borrisokane C.C. 40.15m
Javelin
1 Grace Casey St Mary’s Naas 46.00mR
2 Maebh Ní Dháligh GC Mhuire AG 31.49m
3 Vicky Cusack Davis College 31.24m
Boys
Senior
100m
1 Mark Smyth St Fintan’s Sutton 10.70
2 Cillin Greene Pres Athenry 10.70
3 David McDonnell CBS Wexford 10.75
200m
1 Mark Smyth St Fintan’s Sutton 21.57
2 Cillin Greene Pres Athenry 21.68
3 Michael McAuley St Louis Ballymena 22.39
400m
1 Christopher O’Donnell Ballinode College 47.78
2 Jamie Pender Carlow VS 48.40
3 Jack Manning St Kieran’s 48.93
800m
1 Rory Lodge St Kieran’s 1:56.97
2 Mark Glynn Patrician Newbridge 1:57.06
3 Matthew Murnane CBC Cork 1:57.33
1500m
1 Charlie O’Donovan Col Chriost Ri 4:04.53
2 Fintan Stewart Lumen Christi 4:04.92
3 Robert Crowley Knockbeg College 4:05.36
5,000m
1 James Edgar Friends Lisburn 15:51.99
2 Fearghal Curtin Midleton CBS 15:52.71
3 Micheal Power St Augustine’s 16:02.00
110m hurdles
1 Daniel Ryan Thurles CBS 14.59
2 Joshua Armstrong Friends Lisburn 14.96
3 Shane Monagle Ardscoil na Mara 15.05
400m hurdles
1 Cathal Locke Crescent 53.79
2 Jack Mitchell Presentation Carlow 55.13
3 Ciaran Barnes Belfast HS 55.16
2,000m steeplechase
1 Brian Fay Belvedere College 6:07.68
2 Eoghan Keaney Terenure College 6:26.87
3 Ethan Dunn Dromore High 6:38.80
3,000m Walk
1 Andrew Carroll Salesian College 13:36.33
2 Adam McInerney Patrician Newbridge 14:29.91
3 Greg Hossenny St Aidan’s CBS 17:00.90
4x100m relay
1 CBS Wexford 43.58
2 Bandon GS 43.61
3 Dalriada 44.62
4x400m relay
1 Presentation Carlow 3:28.49
2 St Marys Galway 3:31.02
3 St Declans Kilmacthomas 3:32.36
High Jump
1 Ryan Carthy-Walsh Good Counsel 2.00m
2 Jerry Keary St Raphaels 1.90m
2 Bryan Ndejo Sligo Grammar 1.90m
Pole Vault
1 Johnny McKenna Patrician Newbridge 3.80m
2 Tadhg Ryan Scoil Chonglais 3.40m
3 Tadgh Murtagh GC Cill Dara 3.40m
Long Jump
1 Shane Keane Blackrock College 6.79m
2 James Murphy Ardscoil na Mara 6.77m
3 Shane Parle St Peter’s Wexford 6.66m
Triple Jump
1 Jordan Hoang Colaiste Choilm 14.84mR
2 Sean Thompson Belvedere College 13.97m
3 Brendan Lynch St Brigids L’rea 13.79m
Shot Put
1 James Kelly Royal & Prior 15.29m
2 Daniel Ryan Thurles CBS 14.94m
3 Ryan Baird St Michaels Col 14.92m
Discus
1 Darragh Gaffney St Finians M’gar 48.25m
2 Padraig Hoare CBS New Ross 41.91m
3 James O’Neill Borris VS 41.64m
Hammer
1 Conor Breslin Deele Col Raphoe 46.68m
2 Travis Coomey Bandon GS 46.63m
3 Jake Robinson Belvedere College 42.80m
Javelin
1 Gareth Crawford Strabane Holy Cross 58.53m
2 James Meier St Andrew’s College 52.91m
3 Dylan Kearns St Catherines VS 51.06m
