On Wednesday 14th May and Saturday 17th May 2025 10 Kilkeel High School pupils competed in 11 different events at the Mary Peters’ Track in the Ulster Athletics’ Championships.
The pupils performed exceptionally well with four medals achieved by the KHS students.
Grace McBride gained two silver medals in Senior Girls’ Shot Putt and Discus, Rhys Teggarty won a silver medal too in the Junior Boys’ Triple Jump and Adam Morris was 3rd in the Intermediate Boys’ High Jump. All these pupils then qualified for the Irish Schools’ Championships in Tullamore, County Offaly.
The other pupils produced very impressive performances too;
Matthew Sutton was       4th in the Senior Boys’ 5000m
Alexandra Annett was    6th in the Inter Girls’ Long Jump
Christopher Bailey was  7th in the Senior Boys’ 1500m
Ellie Hanna was             7th in the Inter Girls’ Shot Putt
Aaron O’Brien was        8th in the Minor Boys’ Long Jump
Rebecca Chestnutt was   9th in the Inter Girls’ Discus
John James Graham was 9th in the Junior Boys’ Discus
Maddie McDonald was  12th in the Junior Girls’ Long Jump.
At the Irish Schools’ Athletics Championships in Tullamore, County Offaly, there were some exceptional performances as well. Grace McBride in her last year at school produced an impressive 30.84m throw in the last round to take her from 6th to 3rd place to gain the Bronze Medal to go along with the Silver Medal she won in this event last year.
She was also 7th in the Shot Putt.
Rhys Teggarty came agonisingly close to a medal, just 10 cm off the 3rd placed athlete in the Junior Boys’ Triple Jump, jumping 10.62m. His 2nd furthest jump he has ever achieved; impressive considering this is his first year doing the Triple Jump.
In swirling winds and heavy showers, very difficult conditions for the high jumpers, Adam Morris produced some excellent jumps to finish in 6th position with 1.75m. A very creditable performance, just 5 cm out of the medals.
Congratulations to all those who represented the school so well in the County, Ulster and Irish Athletics’ Competitions, over 90 pupils competed for the school and these students all continue to lift the profile of athletics at Kilkeel High School at local, provincial and national level. Well done, everyone!
