The fastest Irish schoolboy of all time. The fastest schoolgirl too. One of the most impressive 800 metres ever run on Irish soil, and another classic middle distance double won in truly emphatic style.
Rarely has the Aviva Irish Schools Championships created so much competition for the headlines, and never have so many records fallen so ceremoniously as in Tullamore on Saturday.
If Marcus Lawler felt any pressure to deliver on his newfound status as Ireland's fastest schoolboy then he responded majestically: first up for the 18-year-old from Carlow CBS was the 100 metres, and despite a false startand although running into a -0.3 headwind, he blasted out a 10.59, and so secured record number one. Just over an hour later, Lawler was back on the track for his preferred 200m, and this time brilliantly broke through the 21-second barrier – his 20.87 seconds eclipsing both the Irish junior and schools record, both of which had stood for 30 years.
Lawler then rounded off his day by anchoring CBS Carlow to the 4x100m relay title, in time of 43.26. Phil Healy from Coláiste na Toirbhirte in Bandon also collected a senior girls' sprint double, her 11.83 and 23.98 also new Irish schools records.
Síofra Cléirigh Buttner of Coláiste Iosagáin in the 800m with a time of 2:03.81 completely smashed the 2:10.07, set in 2004 by Elizabeth McWilliams. Better still Buttner led from gun to tape.
If Buttner’s run was one of the most impressive 800m run on Irish soil, Seán Tobin from High School Clonmel definitely produced the fastest by a schoolboy, his 1:50.65 breaking the record of 1:51.1, which has stood since 1982. Later Tobin completed his double by front-running the 1,500m in 3:59.09.
Among the many other record breakers on the day were Zak Irwin from Sligo Grammar, with his 21.75 in the intermediate 200m; Daniel Ryan from CBS Thurles improved the junior boy’s long jump to 6.67m, as did Arlene Crossan from Loreto Letterkenny in the the junior girl’s, with her 5.58m. A record too for Darren Prout from Pres Ballingarry with his 14.04m in the intermediate boy’s triple jump.
Limerick’s Sarah Lavin broke Derval O’Rourke’s Irish junior 100m hurdles record of 13.62 with an excellent win in Geneva in a time of 13.50.
