Brilliant Gregan sets exceptional standard

ATHLETICS:EVERY YEAR the Irish Schools Championships uncover some exceptional talent; and once in every few years they uncover an athlete like Brian Gregan. It wasn't just that Gregan lowered the senior boys' 400-metre record to an astonishing 47.66 seconds; it was that he did it with such ease and style, and with star-quality potential evident in every stride.

The 18-year-old from St Mark's in Tallaght arrived in Tullamore on Saturday with a fast-growing reputation, having already run a Leinster record of 47.49. Here, he needed to improve the 48.54 set by Tomás Coman 10 years ago, and though he seemed to canter down the back stretch, he steadily depressed the throttle to knock almost a second off an already impressive mark.

He eased across the line, raised his sunglasses, and gave the clock a slight nod of approval. It seemed a relief as much as anything, especially after four false starts.

"Getting the record was pretty important," he said. "It got quite frustrating there at the start."

Truth is 47.66 is close to world-class territory, and Gregan, tall and powerfully built, is only getting going. He missed 18 months with a groin injury, but has benefited from the patient nurturing of that long-serving schools mentor John Shields. On a recent power test he went way off the scale for his age, his energy output equating to 6,000 calories a day.

It was a perfect day for running - warm and windless - and just a short while earlier Gregan saw his own record in the intermediate 400 metres, 48.65, fall to Curtis Woods of Downshire, who posted 48.30 to record one of several championship doubles; he had earlier won the 200 metres.

In fact the sprint doubles came thick and fast. Chris "Rambo" Russell from Waterpark earned the title "fastest schoolboy in Ireland" by winning the senior 200 and adding the 100, but he had to work for it and his left calf seized up as he crossed the line.

Niamh Whelan from Presentation Waterford pulled off a similar sprint double in the senior girls' category and is another to watch.

Ciara Everard of Presentation Kilkenny proved her extraordinary fitness in posting a brilliant senior double at 400 and 800 metres - arguably the hardest track double - clocking 56.89 and 2:12.92.

As the afternoon wore on the distance runners took centre stage, and among the first to impress there was Alan Ingram of Hazelwood Integrated: he made it a double in the junior boys' 800 metres and 1,500 metres - always a cherished prize.

It got hotter too and while that did not lend itself to front-running, it hardly seemed to bother Shane Quinn from De La Salle Waterford; the son of the Irish steeplechase record-holder and former Olympian Brendan led from gun to tape to win the intermediate boys' 1,500 metres in a cool 3:59.89.

Ian Ward of Belfast Royal and Prior then took the "blue riband" - the senior boys' 1,500 metres - with a beautifully controlled run, driving home in 3:56.64, to hold off Ryan Faulkner of St Malachy's.

Other record breakers on the day were Joanna Mills, who posted 39.20 to win the intermediate girls' 300 metres; Ciara King of Bower Athlone, who took the intermediate triple jump with 11.73 metres; and Claire Fitzgerald of Presentation Tralee, who won the intermediate discus with a throw of 41.92 metres.

Every year, the Irish Schools championships prove the best athletics meet in the country, and Saturday was no exception. It comes around like an endless conveyor belt of talent.

Others to stand out were Catherina McMahon from Belfast Royal Academy, who won the intermediate girls' 800 metres, and Ben Reynolds from Sullivan Upper, with a sensational senior 110-metre hurdles victory.

Belvedere College won the College of Science Cup, awarded to best overall senior boys' team, for the 10th successive year. It was a fitting tribute to their athletics mentor Phil Conway, himself a shot-put Olympian back in 1972, who is retiring after many years of service to the school.