Leinster Schools & Connacht Schools T&F 2022 (18th, 19th, 21st May)

A number of the Club’s underage athletes competed for their Schools and Colleges at the Leinster Schools T&F Finals in Santry on Wednesday 18th May and Saturday 21st May and at the Connacht Schools T&F Finals in Athlone on Thursday 19th May. This was the final step to the All-Ireland Schools T&F Finals in June. Every event was a straight final, only the top two in the sprints and top three in the longer track races (top four in the mile) would advance to the All-Ireland Finals, so the competition was fierce.

Ten of the Club’s athletes earned qualification, a bit down on previous years but still a good showing from the Club. At the Connacht finals, Aisling Lane (Mercy Ballymahon) was simply in a different class in the Inter 2,000m walk and qualified with ease for the All-Ireland finals. At the Leinster finals, equally unchallenged in the race walks was John Glennon (St. Finian’s) Junior 1,200m walk, Andrew Glennon (St. Finian’s) Inter 2,000m walk and Matthew Glennon (St. Finian’s) Senior 3,000m walk who simply stormed to very easy wins to put the three Glennon boys in the All-Ireland finals. Other qualifiers were Jamie Wallace (Colaiste Mhuire) Junior 1,500m, Grace Byrne (Loreto Mullingar) u/16 mile, Conor Sherwin (Colaiste Mhuire) u/16 mile, Ross Killalea (Colaiste Mhuire) Inter 3,000m and Diarmuid Fagan (Colaiste Mhuire) Senior 5,000m.

Kyle Faherty (Colaiste Mhuire) was unlucky and just missed out when he finished third in his Junior 100m (he also finished fourth in the Junior 200m). Fourth place too and missing a place was Caoimhe Kilmurray (Loreto) Inter 3,000m and Ross Killalea (Colaiste Mhuire) Inter 1,500m.

Also competing but missing qualification was Donagh Carey (St. Finian’s) Junior 1,500m, Conor Liston (Colaiste Mhuire) u/16 mile, Aimee Wallace (St. Finian’s) Inter 800m, Grace Byrne (Loreto) Inter 3,000m, Lorcan Mullen (Cistercian Roscrea) Senior 5,000m and Matthew Glennon (St. Finian’s) Senior 5,000m.