No question about who dominated the All Ireland Schools Combined Events Championships. With a brilliant score of 3909 points, Elizabeth Morland of Dunshaughlin was in a class of her own.
Competing in the intermediate category, Morland improved on every one of her Leinster scores. She started with a time of 8.96 secs (918 pts) in the 60m hurdles, faster than the 9.01 secs she had run to win the Leinster title. In the shot, she improved from 11.62m to 12.15 (671 pts); in the long jump from 5.46 to 5.56m (717 pts): in the high jump from 1.66m to 1.71 (879) and in the 800m from 2:33.51 to 2:27.58.
Winning a classy junior competition, with six of the girls over 3000 points was Kate O’Connor of St Vincent’s Dundalk. Standards were also high in the senior competition, with Grace McKenna of Colaiste Mhuire Crosshaven winning by less than a hundred points from the Leinster champion Annabelle Morris of St Vincents, who improved on her Leinster score of 3078 with 3243 points.
Best of the boys was Daniel Ryan of Thurles CBS who won the inter title with 3500 points. In a tight battle for second place, Tim Bowler of St Mary’s Enniscorthy held off four others who also scored over 3000 points.
Matthew Behan of CUS title with a time of 8.08 secs for the 60m hurdles and 23 seconds exactly for the 200m Rolus Olosa of King’s Hospital improved on his Leinster total for second place, with a 10.93m effort in the shoot his best result. Shane Mooney of Summerhill Sligo won the junior title.
AT THE 25th IRISH UNIVERSITIES ROAD RELAYS, DCU finished overall winners after winning the men’s race and finishing second of the women. UCD won the women’s race; UCC was third. Athlone IT was second and UCD third of the men. Making up the winning UCD women’s team were Ciara Everard, Ciara Mageean, Ellie Hartnett and Aislinn Crossey, who were winning for a second year and set a new event record.
Everard got the team off to the best possible start with a course record 4 mins 48 secs.for the opening mile leg. Ciara Mageean followed this up with a course record for the two-mile leg of 10 mins 17 secs, smashing Fionnuala Britton’s time of 10.26. Ellie Hartnett maintained the lead with a personal best 10 mins 53 secs for two miles handing over to Aislinn Crossey who brought the team home on the final mile.
The winning DCU A men’s team consisted of Darragh Lynch, Joe Warne, David McCarthy, Brian Kelly and Cormac Kelly. Athlone had led on the opening mile, with Shane Fitzsimons just ahead of Richard Owens from UCD and UL’s Niall Tuohy, and Darragh Lynch just off the pace in sixth place. Liam Brady maintained Athlone’s lead on the first of the two-mile legs ahead of UCD’s Con Doherty; DCU was still sixth. All changed on the three-mile leg, with David McCarthy’s blistering time of 13 mins 28 secs bringing him home with two seconds to spare on John Travers of Athlone. Darragh Rennicks re-took the lead for Athlone on the second two mile legs, but his eight second cushion wasn’t enough, and it was Cormac Kelly on the final mile who brought DCU home in first place.
NIAMH FITZGERALD of Lucan Harriers, better known as a track athlete was a clear winner of the opening round of the Women’s Meet & Train Cross-Country League hosted by Dunboyne. Fitzgerald finished the two-mile course in 11 mins 38 secs, putting her over half a minute clear of Donore’s Kim Hickey, with Louise Carragher of Clonliffe third. A record 128 women turned out; special welcome to newcomers Trim! Next race is on Sunday January 4 in Bushy Park (11.0), with Sportsworld the hosts and four grades applied to the team results. Thanks to Ciaran Tobin of Trim for the pics.
Sunday November 16
Women’s Meet and Train C-C League Rd 1, Dunboyne (2-miles; www.women’smeetandtrain.blogspot.com
1 Niamh Fitzgerald (Lucan A) 11.38, 2 Kim Hickey (Donore A) 12.15, 3 Louise Carragher (Clonliffe A) 12.24, 4 Catherine Bambridk (Sportsworld A) 12.30, 5 Carol Howard Cullinane (Dunboyne A) 12.35, 6 Claire Ni Chaircheallagh (Dunboyne A) 12.56. Team points (25): Clonliffe A 63, Fingallians A 70, Sportsworld A 73, Dunboyne A 83, Donore A 103, Trim, 124, Bros Pearse A 146, Dunboyne B 159, Lucan A 166, Crusaders A 170, Lakeshore 
Striders 197, Donore B 209, Crusaders B 226, Blackrock A 266, Fingallians B 287, Sportsworld C 288, Clonliffe B 309, Donore C 322, Lucan B 350, Lucan C 355, Bros Pearse B 357, Lucan D 382, Lucan D 392, Sportsworld D 403, Fingallians C 438.
Saturday November 15
Irish Schools Multi-Events Championships, Athlone. www.athleticsireland.ie
Girls – Junior: 1 Kate O’Connor (St Vincent’s Dundalk) 3614, 2 Sophie Meredith (SMI Newcastle West) 3546, 3 Vicki Cusack (Davis College) 3351. Inter: 1 Elizabeth Morland (Dunshaughlin CC) 3909, 2 Arlene Crossan (Loreto Letterkenny) 3459, 3 Niamh Kelly (SH Drogheda) 3110. Senior: 1 Grace McKenzie (Col Mhurie Crosshaven) 3329, 2 Annabelle Morris (St Vincent’s Dundalk) 3243, 3 Naomi Morgan (CHS Coleraine High School) 3160.
Boys – Junior: 1 Shane Mooney (Summerhill Sligo) 2863, 2 David Ryan (Thurles CBS) 2840, 3 Aaron Sexton (Bangor Grammar) 2818. Inter: 1 Daniel Ryan (Thurles CBS) 3500, 2 Tim Bowler (St Mary’s Enniscorthy) 3303, 3 Keith Marks (Ashbourne CS) 3293. Senior: 1 Matthew Behan (CUS) 3249, 2 Rolous Olosa (King’s Hospital) 3085, 3 James McCormack (St Colman’s Claremorris) 27.02.
Irish Universities Road Relays,NUI Maynooth
Men – 1 DCU A 41 mins 26 secs, 2 AIT A 41:42, 3 UCD 42:28, 4 DCU B 42:58, 5 UL A 43.15, 6 UCC A 43.19. Fastest legs -Leg 1 (Mile) Shane Fitzsimons (AIT) 4:19, Leg 2 (2 miles) Liam Brady (AIT) 9:14, Leg 3 (3 miles) David McCarthy (DCU A) 13:28, Leg 4 (2 miles) Darragh Rennicks (AIT) 9:29, Leg 6 (Mile) Kevin Kelly (DCU B) 4:15.
Women – 1 UCD A 31:08 (rec); 2 DCU A 32.11, 3 UCC A 32.22, 4 UL 43.03, 5 UCD B 34.29, 6 TCD A 34.53. Fastest legs – Leg 1 (mile) Ciara Everard 4:48 (rec); Leg 2 (3 mile): Ciara Mageean (UCD) 15:05 (rec). Leg 3 (2 miles)Ellie Hartnett (UCD) 10:53; Leg 4 (mile) Mary Ann O’Sullivan (DCU) 5:08.
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