Mayo athlete breaks championship record at schools athletics finals

A Mayo student has broken the championship record in winning the senior boys 3,000m walk at the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore.

Seamus Clarke of St. Muredach's College, Ballina, battled it out with Matthew Newell of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in an event that lived up to the pre-meet billing as one of the races of the championships.

Clarke opened up a lead over the closing stages to get the better of his Irish international team-mate on this occasion, setting a new championship record of 11:57.47 to better the previous record of 12:15.69 set by Colin Griffin back in 2000.

Newell walked his way to silver in 12:20.16, with Luke Fitzmaurice of Lough Allen College taking bronze in 13:24.16.

The intermediate girls 3,000m run was also one of the races of the meet, with Freya Renton of Sacred Heart Westport fighting with Emma Hickey of St. Mary's of New Ross for victory.

Hickey’s kick over the final 200m ultimately saw her claim gold in what was a hugely talented field, but both her time (9:28.14) and that of Renton (9:33.87) were well inside the previous championship record of 9:49.82. Megan Brunt of Loreto Dalkey crossed for bronze in 9:53.59.

Hickey and Renton would go on to re-oppose in the 1,500m later in the afternoon, with Renton flipping the tables on Hickey to take the title in 4:30.59 and Hickey crossing for silver in 4:34.00.