Fionnuala Britton underlined her status as Irish athletics’ biggest star with an assured performance at the Woodie’s DIY National Intercounty Cross-Country Championships in Santry.
The double European champion led from the start in the women’s 8km winning by just over a minute.
Behind her, Sarah McCarthy of Clonliffe passed Sara Treacy for second early in the race. After that, the race was on for places on the European team that defends its title next month in Belgrade, Serbia and Lifford’s Anne-Marie McGlynn unleashed her trademark kick to move into fourth place, passing Ciara Durkan of Skerries and DSD’s Maria McCambridge.
Paul Pollock of Annadale was the pre-race favourite for the men’s title and he lived up to his billing.Halfway through the race, Pollock made his move and soon had the race in his pocket. In the fight for the minor placings, Dan Mulhare of Portlaoise was battling it out with younger brother Michael, Stephen Scullion of Clonliffe and DSD’s three times champion Joe Sweeney. In the chase for the line, Michael passed Dan to take second, with Scullion a very close fourth.
Racing away from the field in the combined women’s U18 and junior race was Siofra Cleirigh Buttner of DSD. Her DSD clubmates Megan Ryan, Sarah Fitzpatrick and Clare McCarthy filled the next three places.
Sean Tobin of Clonmel was a clear winner of the men’s U18 and junior race, with Ruairi Finnegan from Letterkenny in second place after he sprinted past Kevin Mulcaire from Ennis Track Club in the final few hundred metres of the race. Pics at www.lindie.zenfolio.com.
* Dublin won all four Inter-County Championship titles – senior and junior men and women. Congrats to Paraic McKinney of Inishowen who was running the Intercounties for a 29th consecutive year.
* At the British and Irish Masters’ Cross-Country in Cardiff, Carmel Parnell W55 and Martin McEvilly M65 both won their classes, with the M35s the only team winners. It was an eighth title at this event for Parnell – she’s now just one off Karen Marshall of Northern Ireland’s record of nine wins. There was silver for the M40, 45, 50, 55 and 65 teams, while the M60 and 70s were 4th. Tommy Payne was 2nd M55, while Natasha Adams W35 and Kathy McCourt W40 also took silver. .Bronze medals went to Carmel Crowley W45, Niamh O’Sullivan W50 and Evelyn McNelis W65. The women’s W35,40,45 and 55 teams all took silver; the W50 and 60 teams took bronze.
* A record number of women turned out for the opening round of this season’s Meet and Train Winter League – a series of two mile cross-country races, hosted by member clubs. In this case, Fingallians in Swords were the organisers. Among those entering were five teams from Brothers Pearse and a squad from Lakshore Striders all the way from Blessington. Winner was Laura McDonnell from Tallaght, who is making a welcome comeback to athletics after a long break.
* Elizabeth Morland of Dunshaughlin CC proved the star of the Aviva All Ireland Schools Combined Events Championships in Athlone. Her score of 3617 not only gave her the intermediate title but was by some way the highest of the day. She scored a massive 931 for her time of 8.90 secs in the 60m hurdles and also topped the day’s scores for the shot (494), long jump (726) and high jump (830). Only in the 800m (636) was she bested, with Annabelle Morris, who finished third behind Morland and Sarah Connolly overall, proving the fastest (728). Carrigaline’s Sam Healy won the boys’ inter title with 3389 points. Mark Rogers of St Joseph’s Drogheda was best of the senior boys on 3075.
* Gary O’Hanlon and Angela McCann were the winners at the Stook 10-Mile in Gowran, Co Kilkenny.
* In NCAA Div 1 qualifiers in the USA last Friday, Waterford’s Shane Quinn (Providence), finished 7th in the East Region championships 10km course in Van Cortland Park, the Bronx. Raheny’s Kevin Dooney (Yale) was an excellent 11th and Mullingar’s Jake Byrne (Providence) 19th. In the women’s 6km, Sarah Collins (Providence) was an excellent third. Collins, who has lived in Switzerland most of her life, was signed up by Finn Valley as her Irish club. In the South Central qualifier in Waco Texas, Dave Flynn of Clonliffe was 16th and captained the winning team from Arkansas (who finished 1,2,6,9 and 16 and also won the women’s title).
* Deepest sympathy to Eamonn Coghlan and all the Coghlan family on the death of Kathleen – mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Sunday November 17
Woodie’s DIY National Intercounty C-C and Juvenile Even Ages, Santry
Women – Senior 8km: 1 Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole) 26.05 2 Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe) 27.07, 3 Sara Treacy (Molynalvy Kilcloon) 27.15, 4 Anne-Marie McGlynn (Lifford) 27.19 , 5 Ciara Durkan (Skerries) 27.20, 6 Maria McCambridge (DSD) 27.22. Teams – 1 Dublin 20, 2 Donegal 93, 3 Cork 97.
Junior/U18 4km: 1 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD), 2 Megan Ryan (DSD), 3 Sarah Fitzpatrick (DSD, W18), 4 Clare McCarthy (DSD), 5 Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald), 6 Yasmin Wilson (Ballymena & Antrim), 6 Racheal O’Shea (Cork). Teams – 1 Dublin 13, 2 Kildare 67, 3 Kilkenny 78
Men – Senior 10km : 1 Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) 31.02, 2 Michael Mulhare (Portloaise) 31.36, 3 Dan Mulhare (Portlaoise) 31.40, 4 Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe) 31.44, 5 Joe Sweeney (DSD) 31.50, 6 Michael Clohisey (Raheny ) 31.56. U23: 1 Ryan McDermott (Antrim) 32.18, 2 John Travers (Donore) 32.18, 3 Darragh Rennicks (Bohermeen) 32.35, 4 Liam Tremble (MSB) 32.45, 5 Jayme Rossiter (Clonliffe) 32.06, 6 Tommy Casey (Sligo) 33.34. Teams – A: 1 Dublin 76, 2 Antrim 104, 3 Cork 50. B: 1 Sligo 337, 2 Laois 369, 3 Cork B 382. C: 1 Louth 436, 2 Down 513.
Junior/U18 6km: 1 Sean Tobin (Clonmel),2 Ruairi Finnegan (Letterkenny), 3 Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis TC, M18), 4 Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea), 5 Con Doherty (Westport), 6 Mitchell Byrne (Rathfarnham WSAF). Junior Teams – 1 Dublin 93, 2 Meath 109, 3 Cork 188.
Juvenile Even Ages: Girls –
W12 2km (183): 1 Corrine Kenny , 2 Sarah Morrison (Cork), 3 Meghan Carr-O’Reilly ( Cork). Teams – Clubs (19): 1 Thomastown 103, 2 West Waterford 147, 3 Finn Valley176. Counties (12): 1 Cork 139, 2 Kilkenny 204, 3 Clare 230.
W14 3km (148 finishers): 1 Sarah Healy (Dublin), 2 Jodie McCann (DSD), 3 Nicola Duffy (Meath). Teams – Clubs (14): 1 DSD 134, 2 Bandon 172, 3 Finn Valley. Counties (13): 1 Dublin 96, 2 Cork 162, 3 Clare 240.
W16 4km(118 finishers): 1 Siobhra O’Flaherty (St LOT) , 2 Isabel McCarron (Skerries), 3 Amy Hamill (Glaslough). Teams – Clubs (12): 1 DSD 65, 2 West Waterford 80, 3 Skerries 112. Counties (10): 1 Dublin 114, 2 Cork 155, 3 Waterford 165.
Boys –
M12 2km (166 finishers); 1 Cian McPhillips (Longford), 2 Eoin Redmond (Riverstick Kinsale) , Michael Lawlor (Naas). Teams – Clubs (19): 1 Mullingar Hrs 44, 2 Westport 110, 3 St L O’Toole 171. Counties (12): 1 Dublin 127, 2 Westmeath 132, 3 Cork 152.
M14 3000m (158 finishers): 1 Aaron McGlynn (Finn Valley), 2 James Maguire (DSD), 3 Darragh McElhinney (Bantry). Teams – Clubs (16); 1 DSD 78, 2 Ennis TC 84, 3 Westport 109. Counties (13): 1 Dublin 96, 2 Clare 192, 3 Mayo 202.
M16 4km (140 finishers): 1 Christy Conlon (Beechmount Hrs), 2 Fergal Curtin (Youghal) , 3 Alan Monaghan (Bohermeen). Teams – Club (16): St L O’Toole 109, 2 Clonliffe Hrs 113, 3 Mullingar Hrs 120. County (11): 1 Meath 131, 2 Cork 139, 3 Dublin 150.
Stook 10-Mile, Gowran, Co Kilkenny (284 finishers; www.totaltiming.ie)
Men: 1 Gary O’Hanlon (Clonliffe/Amphibian King) 53.54, 2 Trevor Power (Waterfod AC) 56.10, 3 Myles Gibbons (SBR, M35) 56.49, 4 Paul Gannon (Dunboyne) 58.48, 5 Gary Condon (Sli Cualann, M40) 58.59, 6 Tommy McElwaine (SBR, M45) 59.09.
Women: 1 Angela McCann (Clonmel, W40) 63.11, 2 Grainne Connor 68.40, 3 Sandra Bowe 68.43, 4 Donna Dowling (KCH) 69.07, 5 Marie Fitzgibbon (Thurles Crokes) 71.38, 6 Caoimhe Foley (KCH) 72.01.
Women’s Meet & Train Winter 2-Mile League, Balheary playing fields, Swords.
1 Laura McDonnell (Tallaght) 12.07, 2 Claire Ni Fhaircheallagh (Dunboyne) 12.25, 3 Karen Behan (Donore A) , 4 Bronagh O’Hanlon (Tallaght) 12.37, 5 Janet Strickland (Donore A) 12.41, 6 Sinead Graham (Donore A) 12.49, 7 Karen Clarke (Bros Pearse A,W40) 12.51, 8 Catherine Bennett (Fingallians A) 12.51, 9 Patricia Fitzmaurice ( Sportsworld A) 12.53, 10 Brenda Egan (Sportsworld A) 12.54.
Saturday November 16
Aviva All -Ireland Schools Indoors Combined Events Championships, Athlone IT.
Girls –
Junior: 1 Arleen Crossan (Loreto Letterkenny) 3289, 2 Shannon Sheehy ( St Michael’s Navan) 31.79, 3 Niamh Kelly (SHS Drogheda) 31.58. Inter: 1 Elizabeth Morland (Dunshaughlin CC) 3617, 2 Sarah Connolly (Glenola) 3118, 3 Annabelle Morris (St Vincent’s) 3078. Senior: 1 Katie Hyland (SH Westport) 2946, 2 Amy McTeggart (OL Greenhills) 2932, 3 Jessica O’Connor (Col Mhurie Ennis) 2210.
Boys –
Junior: 1 Daniel Ryan (CBS Thurles) 3245, 2 David McDonald (Wexford CBS) 2008, 3 Damien Hickey (Davis College) 2573. Inter: 1 Sam Healy (Carrigaline) 3389, 2 Christian Robinson (Carrick GS) 3385, 3 Samuel Samson ( St Mary’s Galway) 3090. Senior: 1 Mark Rogers (St Joseph’s Drogheda) 3075, 2 Jonathan Hill (Sullivan Upper) 2933, 3 Ciaran McGinley (Gormanston) 2790.
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