Neasa Ni Ainifein won the women’s title at the IUAA Cross Country Championships in Dundalk last Saturday in a dominant performance from the University of Galway athlete.
Ni Ainifein won in a time of 18.01, 21 seconds clear of UL’s Claire O’Grady. Galway teammate Caoimhe Flannery finished fifth in 19.20, with Roisin O’Brien and Iona Foley Ellis completing the scoring four. University of Galway’s 62 points were level with UL, but they were placed fourth in a women’s team race won by UCC from DCU.
The men’s race was just as encouraging for Galway. Maynooth’s Tadhg Donnelly won in 24.49, but Oisin Davis of University of Galway and Craughwell AC, pushed him all the way and took silver only eight seconds behind. Cathal Kennedy was ninth and Padraig Faherty came in 12th. Donal Farren, Eoin Tierney and Oisín Dunne completed the six scorers, giving the University of Galway team a silver medal on 113 points behind a dominant UL.
With both races combined, UL took the overall title from DCU and UCC. University of Galway finished fourth, little more than a point and a half behind UCC. ATU Galway had two runners in the men’s race: Serhii Sylenko finished 74th in 29.57 and Rupert Claisse 106th.
UG also placed second in the Mixed Relay competition via Joss O’Connor, Aoibheann Reddington, Conor Liston and Holly O’Boyle.
Galway Cross Country Championships
Castlegar AC’s girls dominated the individual races at the Galway Even Ages Cross Country held in Bushfield, Loughrea last Saturday, October 10, as 330 runners finished across 12 cross-country races.
Castlegar won four of the five girls’ races. Zara Casserly set the tone in the U10 girls, finishing ahead of Amy Devitt of Galway City Harriers and Maeve Linnane of South Galway. Hana Faraj Gheziel won the U12 girls, while Suin Ni Chonaill took the U16 girls, and Orla Casey completed the set in the U18 girls, where Castlegar also won the team race.
Galway City Harriers were strongest in the team events, winning four team titles in the younger grades. Their most striking result came in the U12 boys where Dylan Devitt, Jarlaith Friel and James Langan finished first, second and third, and the club won the team race on just 17 points. In the U12 girls they edged Craughwell by four points even though nobody from the club made the podium.
The best team performance of the day came from Clare River Harriers in the U16 boys. Patrick Lee and Sean Howley finished first and second, and the club filled five of the first six places to win on 12 points.
Several other clubs also had winners. Dara Crimmins of Athenry won the 71-strong U10 boys, the biggest field of the day. Kate Whiriskey took the U14 girls for South Galway, and Craughwell’s packed finish behind her won them the team title. Matthew Burke won the U14 boys for Tuam, but Athenry took that team race thanks to their depth. Harry Barrett of Craughwell won the U18 boys. In the adult novice races, Sabrina Regan led Loughrea to a clean sweep of the Novice Women, and Shane Ryan of Tuam won the novice men.
Connacht Schools Indoor Combined Events
Moyne CS were the standout school at the CSAA Combined Events.
El’Nathan Okoh won the minor boys pentathlon with 3,002 points, the only boy to pass 3,000. He also had the best long jump, 800m and shot put in his age group.
John Fitzpatrick added the Junior Boys title on 2,980 points, 647 clear of the field, with a shot put of 13.43m. Andrew Fitzpatrick then completed the hat-trick in the first year boys, winning with the fastest 800m and hurdles.
The highest score of the competition went to Ruby Cunnane of Mercy College Sligo, who won the junior girls on 3,020 points. Her 60m hurdles time of 9.04 was worth over 900 points. In the minor girls, Lauren Kelly of Saint Raphaels College in Loughrea held off Ciara Schmidtmeier of Mercy College Sligo by 34 points, winning the hurdles, high jump and shot.
Galway and Oranmore ETSS won two medals in the inter boys. Adill Prochownik Mohamed won with 2,976 points, helped by a 60m hurdles time of 8.52, and Hugo Lynagh took bronze. St Brigid’s College Loughrea’s Ben Naughton split them, running the fastest 800m of the event in 2:02.86. Emily Clyne of Mercy College Roscommon won the inter girls, with a 1.60m high jump as her best event.
The largest field was the first year girls, with 38 finishers. Aoife Cullinan of Ursuline College Sligo won with 2,197 points, and Clarin College’s Aoife O Connell and Penny Forde took second and third.
Fixtures
This weekend sees the Autumn Open Cross Country, incorporating the Masters Cross Country trials to be held in Dublin on Sunday, October 18.
Ireland’s top masters’ athletes will compete for a spot on the team for the Home Internationals in November. Top senior racing include the likes of Thomas McStay of GCH and William Fitzgerald of Craughwell, alongside juniors of the calibre of Rian Collins, Ciaran Considine, Luke Walsh and David Frazer. Among the Masters chasing selection are Christine Kennedy, Nora Tierney and Catherine Thornton of GCH.
