IRISH SCHOOLS TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026

Joshua Awujoola (Dromore HS) was crowned Ireland’s fastest schoolboy by winning the Senior boys 100m and 200m in 10.74 and 21.72. Harry McIlwaine (Royal Prior Raphoe) won the Intermediate Boys 200m from Brendan Ndambira (St Eunan’s Letterkenny) making it a Donegal 1-2. Brendan was also second in the 100m in a time of 11.02. There was also success in the sprints for Ethan Carr (Antrim GS) who had a convincing win in the Intermediate Boys 400m in 48.62, a time which was also under the qualifying standard for the European U18 Championships. Cameron McCracken had a big margin of victory in the Senior Boys 110mh, his time of 14.58 was just over two seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Ballymena Academy’s Dylan Ritchie was third in 17.15.  Sara Devany (Regent House) won the Intermediate Girls 80mh with the smallest of margins her time of 11.54 was a few thousands of a second ahead of Athenry’s Rachel Warde. In the Intermediate boys 400mh St Colman’s Newry’s Ronan Scullion ran 56.72 to take the title. The flat 400m Senior Girls title went to pre-race favourite Erin Friel (Loretto Letterkenny), she was pushed hard over the last 50m but managed to hang in for the win in 54.59.

In the distance events Lucia McMullen (Lurgan Junior HS) had a great run winning the Minor Girls 800m by one hundredth of a second from Trim’s Fianaith King in 2.18.01. In the Junior girls 800m Niaomi McClelland (Ballymena Academy) finished second in 2.15.04. The Intermediate Girls 800m was one of the most hotly contested races of the day with just over a second separating the top four finishers, Grace Evans (St Patricks Maghera) secured third place in 2.11.12. Ryan McMahon (Beech Hill Monaghan) was also third in the Junior boys 800m in a pb of 2.04.20. Madison Welby (Friends School Lisburn) improved on her fourth place in the 800m by finishing second in the Intermediate Girls 1500m in a time of 4.37.59. Kate Kelly (Mount Lourdes Enniskillen) placed third in the Junior Girls 1500m in 4.44.42. The Intermediate Boys 1500m Steeplechase produced a great run from Jack Donnelly (St Michaels Enniskillen) who finished second in 4.27.46. Emma Stewart (Banbridge Academy) had busy weekend, she was third in the Senior Girls 3000m in 9.46.96, then later in the afternoon finished second in the 1500m in 4.33.77. Odran McBrearty (St Columbas Stranorlar) chose to focus on the 5000m over the weekend and was rewarded with a bronze medal in the Senior Boys 5000m in 14.50.81. Leah O’Gara (Loretto Letterkenny) finished second in the Intermediate Girls 2000m Walk in 9.17.13.

There were plenty of medals for our field eventers. Zak Fox (BRA) had a massive 40cm margin of victory in the Junior Boys Long Jump with a leap of 6.43m, Ethan Lee (Ballyclare HS) also won the Intermediate Boys Long Jump with 6.68m. In the Minor Girls Long Jump Cadhla Morgan (St Catherines Armagh) finished second with a leap of 4.93m, with Larne Grammer’s Sophie Acheson third with 4.86m, Annabel Mulvany (Ballymena Academy) was also third in the Intermediate Girls with 5.35m. In the Minor Boys Long Jump Jaoquin Ang (BRA) was second with 5.33m. In the Senior Girls Triple Jump Lucy Markwell (Hunterhouse) jumped 11.22 to finish second, Layla Haslett (Strathearn) was third in the Junior Girls with a jump of 10.32m. In the vertical jumps Isabella O’Dowd continued her good run of form by winning the Intermediate Girls High Jump with 1.66m, Emily Hanley (Carrick GS) finished third with 1.63m. Adam McCauley (St Eunan’s Letterkenny)  finished second in the Junior Boys High Jump with a jump of 1.65m, Joseph Ike (St Columbas Stranorlar) was also second in the Intermediate Boys event with 1.85m as was Jude Glover (Grosvener HS) in the Senior boys with 1.86m

In the throws there was more successes, with a win for Zak McKenna (Beech Hill Monaghan) in the Junior Boys Discus with a throw of 45.61m, in the Intermediate Boys Dominik Lipowski (Grosvener GS) was second with a throw of 43.73 with Sam Grossmith (Wallace HS) third with 42.21m. Sam went one better in the Javelin throwing 48.69m for second place. Spencer Cole (Oakgrove) was third in the Senior boys Discus throwing 43.22m. In the Intermediate Girls Discus Emma Reid (Glenlola) was second throwing 35.87m and Ciara McDaid (Loretto Letterkenny) was third in the Junior girls with 27.50m.  Caoimhe Gallen (St Columbas Stranorlar) also did the double, she had an impressive win in the Senior Girls Hammer throwing 54.91m to win by over ten metres then went on to win the shot with 12.30m.In the Junior Girls Shot Millie Sandy (St Cecilias Derry) finished third with 11.68m, Joseph Ike (St Columbas Stranorlar) added to medal from the high jump with third place in the Intermediate Boys Shot with a put of 13.55m. It was an Ulster 1-2 in the Intermediate Girls Javelin with the positions reversed from the recent Ulster Championships, Cabrini Pyne (Raphoe) threw 37.40m to take the gold with Carys Carlisle (Ballyclare HS) the silver with 36.32m. Carys’s teammate Austin Adair also finished runner up in the Senior Boys Javelin throwing 50.65m, however it was SERC Lisburn’s Curtis Ford who won the gold with a throw of 58.37m to make it another 1-2 for Ulster.

The relays were the final races of the weekend and as ever provided much excitement for the spectators. Larne GS got things off to a great start for Ulster by winning the Minor Girls 4x100m in 52.54, in the Minor Boys 4x100m Methody secured the silver medal running 49.97. Coleraine GS kept the winning streak going in the Junior Boys race taking the title in 46.95 with Methody third in 47.64. Methody completed the hattrick of wins for Ulster Schools by winning the Senior Girls 4x100m in 49.89 with Grosvenor GS third in 51.02. There were more podium places for the Ulster Schools with Regent House second in the Intermediate Girls 4x100m, Belfast Inst and Grosvenor GS second and third respectively in the Intermediate boys and Belfast Inst with third in the Senior Boys 4x100m.

Wallace HS had a great championship with an overall points win in the Minor Boys and the Intermediate Boys competition. Dromore HS were also overall winners in the Senior Boys. There was further success for Regent House, second in the Intermediate Girls and Larne GS second in the Minor Girls. BRA in the Minor Boys and St Columbas Stranorlar in the Senior Girls were also on the podium with third overall.