Cork's Maeve O’Neill wins the women’s 800m in a Big East record time of 2:01.15.

Cork's Maeve O’Neill has raced to gold and glory at the 2026 BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships in Chicago on Saturday.

The Ballinacarriga athlete, a junior at Providence College in Rhode Island, showed her class to win the women’s 800m in a Big East record time of 2:01.15.

"The win was amazing," Maeve said afterwards.

This success comes just a week after the Doheny AC woman broke the Irish indoor 800m record with a stunning 2:00.33 at the Saucony Battle for Boston meet.

Maeve O'Neill's performance at the 2026 BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships was nothing short of remarkable. 

She set a new indoor personal best of 2:01.96 for the 800 meters and later achieved an even more impressive time of 2:00.33, which ranks as the ninth-fastest in NCAA indoor history. 

Her time also set the Irish senior indoor record in the 800 meters and met the qualifying standard for the World Championships. 

O'Neill's achievements at the championships not only showcased her exceptional talent but also solidified her as a standout athlete in the BIG EAST and beyond.