Writes Ciaran Dineen
Carrigaline’s Max O’Reilly has been named in a list of 20 athletes for Athletics Ireland selected to represent Ireland at the European U18 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel on July 4-7.
The Carrigaline Community School student will be heading to the Championships off the back of some fantastic recent form in which he has taken part in a number of different competitions across the country.
In May, Max, who is a member of the Riverstick/Kinsale Athletics Club, helped his school and classmates to some stunning performances, at both team and individual events. Max O’Reilly stole the show at the Munster Schools Championships as the CCS student won gold in both the 100m and 200m race in the Intermediate Boys category. Max ran an incredible time of 10.97 in the first race, breaking a national schools record. After doing so he managed to claim another gold in the 200m, running in a time of 22.75.
Earlier this year, Max became the U18 national champion and record holder in both the 60m and 200m sprints, as and has also been selected as a member of the National Relay Squad. This is a two-year programme which will see the young talent train with the rest of the country’s top athletes, with the aim of qualifying for the U20 World Championships in 2023.
Max secured his spot on the tour to Jerusalem at the end of May, when he finished first in the Munster Juniors and U23 T&F Event. He ran a time of 10.84 and finished ahead of fellow clubmate and Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven pupil, Glory Wenegieme. While that time was a new personal best for Max, he has since gone on to better it after recently competing in an U18 event in Franconville, France. In the final race, the Carrigaline athlete ran in a time of 10.79, which was enough for him to finish in second place.
As well as jetting off to France and Israel, Max will be hoping to continue to make progress closer to home in July, where he will also be representing Ireland in the SIAB Schools Track and Field International, which will be held in Belfast on July 16th. At the event, Max will be competing in both the 100m and 4x100m races.
Max is just the latest Track and Field star to emerge from the local area in recent years, with the likes of Sam Healy and Grace McKenzie having secured scholarships to the United States. Best of luck in the upcoming events Max
Comments