Athletics Report: LCETB Sports Day 2025
Thomond Community School took part in this LCETB run event in sun drenched Newcastlewest on Thursday 1st May. The hosts Hazelwood College ran the event with great efficiency and all in attendance were complimentary of the organisation and preparation which went into the smooth running of the event. There were seven LCETB Post Primary schools taking part and while Rathkeale came out on top with gold, it was Thomond Community College that won the hearts and minds of all present, with some outstanding performances from many of our students.
Huge congratulations to all of our students who participated in the track and field events. Every student who took part did their very best and we are very proud of their achievements. I would like to give special mention to some of our athletes who were exceptional on the day.
Firstly, to Jay Sean Griffin & Kenneth Duggan who won the Silver Team medal in the U16 Boys Shot Putt event; Secondly to Emily Chapell & Leah Sweeney who also brought home the Silver Team medal in the U14 Girls Long Jump event. However, its not all about the medals and it is all about students coming out of their comfort zones and challenging themselves to compete. Nobody in West Limerick epitomized this courage, grit and determination more than our very own relay teams who took part in the U14, U16 1X400 Sprint Medleys and Mixed Medleys.
The highlight of the track events was the U16 Mixed Medley. This relay race involved a team of two boys and two girls. Two athletes run 200m and two run 400m. This race completely captured the large crowd’s attention with Thomond out of the blocks first with Laura Buckley in Lane 5 powering to second place in the first 200m leg. After a slick baton exchange with Kacper Kepkpo, Thomond took the lead. If Kenya have their most famous son Moses Kiptanui - the first man to break the eight-minute mark for the 3000m Steeplechase, then they can keep him as we have Kacper Kepko, who ran the race of his life to finish the second 200m leg in first place.
In the third leg, Miriam Alade took the baton next and also ran the 400m with sublime elegance and composure. On the final 400m leg, Nicholas My Nunt took off like a Myanmar Airliner, but following an uncharacteristic baton exchange he found himself with too much to do on the home stretch. However, in the true spirit of Thomond he never gave up and pushed through the pain barrier all the way to the end-line. Superhuman stuff by Team Thomond! Others who excelled on the day were as follows:
Track Events
Girls U14 1X400: Rihanna Price, Shanelle Frawley Costelloe, Leah Sweeney & Emily Chapell
Boys U14 1X400: Patrick McCallig, Dyllon Whelan, Kenneth Duggan & Enzo Alonso
Girls U16 1X400: Hayley Ryan, Miriam Alade, Leah Sweeney & Laura Buckley
Boys U16 1X400: Kacper Kepko, Conor McInerny, Scott Ahern, Jamie Ryan
Boys U16 Sprint Medley: Jamie Ryan, Kenneth Duggan, Conor McInerny & Dyllon Whelan
Boys U16 Sprint Medley: Scot Ahern, Nicholas My Nunt, Kacper Kepko & Enzo Alonso
Field Events
U14 Boys Shot Putt: Dean Fitzgerald & Patrick McCallig
U16 Boys Shot Putt: Kenneth Duggan Jay Sean Griffin
U14 Girls Long Jump: Leah Sweeney & Emily Chapel