Incredible season for talented James Foot
JAMES FOOT of Bray Runners was the second athlete being given a special recognition award for his achievements in 2019 at the recent Athletics Wicklow Star Awards.
It would be true to say that nothing in particular from January through September suggested what was to unfold in the cross country season from October through December, albeit that he did have some success in the earlier months of the year. He competed in 2019 in the U12 age group.
James competed at the Athletics Leinster Juvenile Indoors T&F Championships in February in the boys U12 600m. He placed second in his heat in a time of 1:48.12, securing automatic advancement to the final.
In the final he won the silver medal in a time of 1:42.48 to gain entry to the National Juvenile T&F Championships at the end of March. In the boys U16 600m final there were 15 competitors. He placed fifth in a time of 1:46.99.
At the Athletics Wicklow T&F Championships at the beginning of May James won the boys U12 600m in impressive style by a margin of nine sec, clocking 1:47.7 (HT).
At the Aldi Community Games All-Ireland finals at the University of Limerick he represented Co Dublin, having won the Boys U12 and O10 600 m at the Dublin Community Games.
At Limerick he qualified through his heat to the final of the boys U12 and O10 600 m from a total of 26 competitors between the heats. He placed fourth in the final.
At the Athletics Wicklow Cross Country Championships in October, he became double champion in the boys U12 event over 2,000m and the boys U13 event over 2,500 m, winning both impressively.
At the Athletics Leinster Even Ages Cross Country Championships at Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, he came Leinster boys U12 Cross Country Champion, and two weeks later at the Leinster Uneven Ages Cross Country Championships he took the boys U13 title at Ferbane, Co Offaly.
The National Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country Championships were held at the National Sports Campus, Abbotstown in November.
The boys U12 race was a close tactical affair among the leading group. However, when it came to the final 100m James turned on the after-burner to be crowned National Champion.
The National Uneven Ages Championship were held at Cow Park, Dunboyne in December.
In the final stages it became a two-horse race between the national U12 gold and silver medallists, James Foot and Finn Duignan (St Cronans, Clare).
In the sprint finish for the line on this occasion the placings were reversed, but a national Silver Cross Country medal was a well-earned reward after a well fought race.
James Foot has earned special recognition as double Leinster U12/U13 cross country champion, national U12 champion and national U13 silver medallist.