Raheny’s Conor Dooney won the men’s senior 10,000m race at the Leinster Cross-Country Championships held at the Blandsford Estate near Ballyroan in Co Laois.
The boys in green had five runners in the top six and with Simon Ryan second, Kevin Moriarty fourth, Brian Leahy fifth, backed up by Ian Conroy sixth, were comfortable winners of the team title on just 12 points.
It could have been a team double but although Aoife Talty took the women’s title ahead of her clubmate Elish Kelly and Karen Crossan was 15th , the club didn’t have a fourth finisher. Caroline Crowley in third place led Crusaders to victory, ahead of Liffey Valley. Winners of the junior races were Megan Morrissey of Thomastown, and Star of the Sea’s Andrew Coscoran who beat David Mulhare of Portlaoise.
Indoors, Rose-Anne Galligan ran a season opening 2:03.69 for 800m at the Nýtt Íslandsmet Anítu in Reykjavik Iceland – just off the World Indoors standard of 2:03 She finished second behind Anita Hindriksdottir who ran a world leading 2:01.82. Galligan’s personal best of 2:02.84 dates from last year’s European Indoors.
DSD’s Sinead Denny
At the Scottish Open in Glasgow, Irish winners were Kelly Proper of Ferrybank in the long jump with 6.26m, and Raheny pole vaulter Zoe Brown with 4.10.
DSD’s Sinead Denny ran a massive new indoor PB of 54.83 for 400m. That time left her a close second behind Diane Ramsey of Victoria Park-Glasgow who ran 54.25, also a PB.
In Athlone, Donore’s John Travers ran a stadium record of 4:01.47 for the indoor mile. Danny Mooney was 2nd with 4:02 and Joe Warne 3rd.
*Annadale’s Paddy Hamilton ran away with the Tuam 8km, with his time of 24 mins 21 secs putting him well over two minutes clear of the field of 456 runners. Second was Ferbane’s Stephen McKeigue, while third was Fintan Hyland of GCH who was also was first veteran. Winning the women’s race was GCH’s Regina Casey in 30.00, with Mayo’s Collette Tuohy second and first over 40 in 30 mins 45 secs.
*Tomas Fitzpatrick of Tallaght won the Heath GAA 10km in Co Laois in a time of 31 mins 49 secs. Second was SBR’s Tom Hogan in 32 mins 29 secs. Orla Drumm of Crusaders was 12th overall and first woman in 36 mins 56 secs. Tullamore’s Pauline Curley was second in 37 mins 31 secs. A total of 516 completed the race.
* Fionnuala Britton had ended her personal coaching relationship with Chris Jones, now Athletics Ireland’s national endurance director.
* A last minute sprint gave Hollie Gernon of Lakeshore Striders victory in the third women’s Meet and Train Cross-Country hosted by Lucan Harriers in Griffeen Park. In perfect conditions for running, Geslon tucked in behind the leaders on the first lap before making her break. Finishing second was Donore’s Karen Behan with Claire Ni Fhaircheallagh of Dunboyne third and Natalia Sokolowska of Sportsworld fourth. There were over 130 finishers. Results at www.womensmeetandtrain.blogspot.com. Pics at www.flickr.com/linde and www.lindie.zenfolio.com
* A close finish at hill running’s Winter League opener at Howth, where Raheny master Des Kennedy sprinted home ahead of Sportsworld master Eamma Cunnane and Vincent McGuinness of Crusaders. Times were 22 mins 54 ses, 22.59 and 23.03. Women’s winner was Laura Shaughnessy of UCD in 27 mins 21 secs. A massive 270 completed the race.
* In the first round of the Naas Duathlon Series at Punchestown, Irish duathlon champion Cathal O’Donovan was a clear overall winner by five minutes, while Caroline Conway repeated her women’s victory from last January.
Leinster Cross-Country Championships, Ballyroan, Co Laois. Full result www.athleticsleinster. com
Women – Senior (41): 1 Aoife Talty (Raheny Shamrock) 18:20, 2 Elish Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) 18:31, 3 Caroline Crowley (Crusaders) 19:00, 4 Fiona Kehoe (Kilmore) 19:13, 5 Leona O’Reilly (Liffey Valley) 19:26, 6 Elizabeth Egan (Bree )19:27. Teams – 1 Crusaders 31, 2 LiffeyValley 66, 3 Kilmore 74.
Junior (19): 1 Megan Morrissey (Thomastown) 16:12, 2 Louise Stack (Portlaoise) 16:31, 3 Avril Deegan (Ballyroan Abbeyleix) 16:38, 4 Laura Whitelaw Mullingar) 16:48, 5 Rachel Butler (St Senan’s) 16:56, 6 Anna Cleary Kildare 17:05. Teams – 1 Thomastown 35, 2 Naas 41, 3 Portlaoise 42.
Men – Senior (58): 1 Conor Dooney (Raheny Shamrock) 33.43, 2 Simon Ryan (Raheny Shamrock) 33.50, 3 Stephen Lawlor (St Abban’s) 35.00, 4 Kevin Moriarty (Raheny Shamrock) 35.14, 5 Brian Leahy (Raheny Shamrock) 35.28, 6 Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrock) 35.52.Teams – 1 Raheny Shamrock 12 , 2 St Abban’s 52, 3 Liffey Valley 70.
Junior (26): 1 Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea) 20:34, 2 David Mulhare (Portlaoise) 21:08, 3 Ahmed Hussain Abdi (Dunboyne) 21:21, 4 Peter Lynch (KCH) 21:25, 5 Shane Hughes (Millingar) 21:27, 6 Abdullahi Abhammed Abdulle (Dunboyne)21:51. Teams – 1 Meath 57, 2 St Abban’s 59, 3 Ballyraodn/Abbeyleix 94.
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