Leinster’s finest in action in Wexford
All four seasons experienced as warm day followed by thunder and lightning
THE LEINSTER Juvenile uneven ages (Under-11 to Under-19) and Senior cross-country championships took place in Adamstown on Sunday.
Notwithstanding the heavy and persistent rain of the past week, the sod was remarkably firm. At least to start with.
For this was a day that, in the space of a few hours, raced through all four seasons. A day that started warm and mild with glorious sunshine clouded over in the early afternoon, and when those clouds opened the rain was relentless and merciless.
Thunder, lightning and hailstones followed. These conditions made it very difficult for athletes in all races from the Under-15 girls onwards, with the course cutting up a little more with each race.
The day opened with the non-championship Under-9 races. In the boys’ race, Shane Laffan of Bree ran a really strong gun to tape race to finish in third place. Clubmate Billy Doyle finished strongly to take eighth place.
The United Striders boys, Fionn Mac Eochaidh and Matthew Wall, finished eleventh and twelfth respectively.
In the girls’ race, Kayleigh Butler of Taghmon placed fifth, Saoirse Flanagan (D.M.P.) eighth, and Éabha Wilson (Bree) twelfth.
The first championship races on the programme were the Under-19, 4,000m for the girls, 6,000m for the boys.
At the Leinster Junior cross-country held two weeks ago in Navan, Aedan Rogers was very much in contention when he was forced to retire through injury. There were no injury worries for the young Striders man in Adamstown.
The talented Kilkenny City Harriers athlete, Shay McEvoy, took off from the gun and quickly built up a lead on a smaller chasing pack led by Aedan. As the race progressed, Shay consolidated his lead while Aedan and Mullingar’s Jack Moran did their best to reel him in.
Into the last lap and Aedan upped the tempo and broke away from Jack who himself was overhauled by Willie Kelly of St. Abban’s. While Shay galloped on to take the win, Aedan could sense that, as he came through the muck in the final gap, the hounds were baying behind him.
He responded and came home to take a well-deserved silver.
Other Wexford finishers: 23, James Boland (U.S.); 31, Peadar Byrne (D.M.P.); 32, Rory Cassidy (Kilmore).
Wexford’s first big team success of the day came in the girls’ Under-11 race in which they took the county team title with 109 points, one point ahead of Kildare on 110, with Meath third (127).
The team was led home in fine style by Emma McCarthy of St. Killian’s in fifth place, with Grace Kelly of Menapians running her best race yet to take the tenth spot. As both girls finished in the top twelve, they received individual medals. Both automatically qualify to compete on the Leinster team at the All-Irelands.
In placing 13th, Rayna Thompson of Kilmore just missed out on an individual medal and a place on the Leinster team
Other Wexford placings: 16, Éabha Keane (D.M.P.); 22, Sarah O’Mahony (D.M.P.); 43, Ava Barry (Kilmore); 51, Heather Costello (U.S.); 72, Stephanie O’Connor (Enniscorthy); 87, Lea Bolger (Bree); 96, Sarah Kirwan (S.B.R.).
In the boys’ Under-11 race, the Bree duo of Cian O’Donovan (ninth) and Jayden Kenny (16th) led the club to a fifth place finish. With clubmates Tom Finn 48th and P.J. Breen 60th, the team placed fifth, missing out on qualification for the All-Irelands by two points.
Wexford also placed fifth in the inter-county competition. Cian makes the Leinster team for the All-Irelands.
Other Wexford finishers: 24, Aidan Bowe (S.B.R.); 43, Tomás Brennan (Enniscorthy); 58, Enda Byrne (S.B.R.); 69, Cormac Delaney (United Striders); 78, Conor Leacy (S.B.R.); 87, Darragh Stone (D.M.P.); 95, Paddy O’Neill (S.B.R.); 96, Oisín Larkin (Enniscorthy).
The county’s first top three finisher of the day was D.M.P’s Claragh Keane in the girls’ Under-15 3,500m. Claragh was one of a small early group which defied the driving rain and hailstones to pull away from the main pack.
By the last lap she was clear in second place behind the classy Hannah Kehoe of Gowran who would go on to win. Coming up to the turn into the short home straight, Amy Geoghegan of Mullingar Harriers began to eat into Claragh’s lead over her.
With less than 20 metres to go she managed to nip in front, relegating Claragh to the bronze medal position. Overall, the D.M.P. girl should be very happy with her run.
Other Wexford placings: 30, Aoibhinn Mernagh (D.M.P.); 34, Eimear Halpin (Menapians); 44, Kate O’Flaherty (Kilmore); 54, Arwyn Thompson (Kilmore); 61, Therese Lawless (S.B.R.); 63, Ellie O’Mahony (D.M.P.); 64, Eimear Fortune (Kilmore); 70 Emma Cullen (D.M.P.). D.M.P. was sixth club and the county team was also sixth.
Ben Wall of United Striders went one better in the boys’ Under-15 race when finishing a very gutsy second behind the fine St. Senan’s athlete, Tadhg Connolly. Ben’s clubmate, Myles Hewlett, followed closely to take the bronze medal.
With Striders packing really well - Aidan Shannon 15th, Darragh Flannelly 17th and Robert Wall 22nd it was no surprise to see them taking the club title. In the inter-county competition, Wexford placed second with 90 points, just ten behind neighbours Kilkenny and well ahead of Meath (164 points).
Other Wexford placings: 36, James Hegarty (D.M.P.); 40, Owen Lennon (U.S.); 58, Jack Byrne (S.B.R.); 64, Donny McDonald (Adamstown); 71, Ben Myers (U.S.); 75, Oisín Mac Eochaidh (U.S.); 77,
Ross O’Flaherty (Kilmore).
Róisín O’Reilly of Menapians delivered another impressive individual perfor- mance for the county in finishing fourth
in the girls’ Under-17 race. Róisín looked to be a definite for the silver halfway through the last lap with half an eye still on challenging for the lead.
However, the increasingly heavy conditions took their toll, especially on the final ascent. There was very little in at the end and she can look forward to the nationals knowing that she is there or thereabouts.
Róisín’s clubmate Ciara Dolan in 21st place was next Wexford athlete home, followed by the Adamstown duo of Aoibhinn Crean in 27th and Kate Jackman in 31st. Gorey’s Corrine Kenny (S.L.O.T.), returning from injury, placed 32nd.
In the boys’ Under-13 2,500m, Kevin O’Mahony of D.M.P. in ninth place was Wexford’s first finisher. That puts him on the Leinster team for the All-Irelands.
Other placings: 18, Seán Lennon (U.S.); 67, Ross English (Adamstown); 89, Tommaso Hickey (U.S.); 94, Keelan Ryan (U.S.); 95, Olan Delaney (U.S.); 96, Sam Myers (U.S.); 97, Charlie Alfred (U.S.).
Sarah Phylan of Enniscorthy placed 24th in the girls’ Under-13 race, run over the same distance as the boys’ race. Aoife Walsh (D.M.P.) was one place further back.
Other placings: 62, Freya Thompson (Kilmore); 66, Danielle Stone (D.M.P.); 72, Gráinne English (Adamstown); 84, Cara Kelly (D.M.P.); 91, Aoife Byrne (S.B.R.). Wexford were sixth team overall.
In the boys’ Under-17 5,000m, Adam O’Connor of United Striders in 30th place was the first Wexford athlete, with Joe Byrne of S.B.R. finishing a weary 32nd, Aaron Browne (U.S.) 33rd, and Cian Flanagan (U.S.) 35th.
Other Wexford placings: 44, Ryan Kielthy (U.S.); 48, Cian Doyle (Kilmore).
The Striders duo of Grace Costello and Rebecca Bawden placed 17th and 19th respectively in the girls’ Under-19 race.
Ger Forde of Slaney Olympic was the county’s top finisher in the Senior men’s 10,000m, in a very respectable ninth place.
Other Wexford finishers: 29, Paul Gibbons (S.B.R.); 31, Alan O’Connor (U.S.); 32, George Delaney (U.S.); 33, Seán Murphy (U.S.); 38, Will Doyle (Slaney Olympic); 41, Brian O’Shaughnessy (St. Killian’s); 43, John Murphy (D.M.P.); 46, Jim Stafford (S.O.); 51, Billy Reck (S.O.); 53, Michael O’Flaherty (Kilmore); 59, Fabian Flood (U.S.); 61, Pat O’Callaghan (U.S.); 67, Paul Doran (U.S.).
Slaney Olympic were sixth club, with United Striders seventh. The Co. Wexford team placed third.
Elizabeth Egan (Bree) in 19th place was the top Wexford finisher in the women’s 5,000m.
Other placings: 25, Ciara Bowe (S.B.R.); 27, Christine Stone (D.M.P.); 28, Beth O’Connor (U.S.); 31, Catherine O’Connor (Menapians); 32, Angela Butler (Taghmon). The Wexford team placed fifth.
Fixtures: November 16 (7 p.m.), Wexford Juvenile winter league (Under-8 to Under-16 consecutively plus tiny tots race), Enniscorthy Sports Hub, registration from 6.15 p.m. This is the first in the series as last week’s opener was cancelled due to bad weather; November 17, British and Irish Masters cross-country, Swansea, Wales; November 23 (7 p.m.), Wexford Juvenile winter league, Enniscorthy Sports Hub; November 25, Irish Life Health Senior, Junior and Juvenile even age cross-country, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown; November 30 (7 p.m.), Wexford Juvenile winter league, Enniscorthy Sports Hub; December 2, Mr Oil Wexford Intermediate cross-country championships, Ferns, hosted by S.B.R. A.C.