EMMA’S FINE SECOND
Claragh also claims silver in Gowran
GOWRAN A.C. hosted the Leinster cross-country for even ages, Junior and Novice recently.
Weather conditions were ideal for participants and spectators, with everyone happy to see blue skies rather than the torrential rain of the preceding days. The underfoot conditions were heavy, with no shortage of muck to dampen the enthusiasm of the speed merchants.
The day started with the non-championship Under-10 races, followed by the Under-12 to Under-18 races. The Under-18 and Junior categories were run off together.
The Under-12 girls’ race was run off ahead of the scheduled time which meant quite a few athletes missed the start. The meet director allowed those that missed the race to run the boys’ race.
Some such as Grace Kelly of Menapians chose not to. Others, including Heather Costello and Ava Kehoe, took up the offer.
One girl who was most definitely present for the start of the girls’ race was Emma McCarthy of St. Killian’s.
She showed she is coming into some really good form as she stormed home in second place. Kilmore’s Rayna Thompson also ran out of her skin to place 13th.
Other placings: 29, Ava Wolohan (Croghan); 32, Heather Costello (United Striders); 38, Éabha Keane (D.M.P.); 44, Ruby Gallagher-O’Neill (Croghan); 47, Sarah O’Mahony (D.M.P.); 61, Stephanie O’Connor (Enniscorthy); 81, Cora Finn (Bree); 87, Lea Bolger (Bree); 91, Erin Byrne (Bree). Wexford placed fifth in the inter-county competition.
Aoife Walsh (D.M.P.), running up an age, had a great run in Under-14 girls to finish 15th.
Sarah Phylan (Enniscorthy), also with a year in hand, found the going tough in the same race.
When in form, Sarah has all the style and grace of the classic middle distance runner as she showed recently in taking both
Under-13 and Under-14 county cross-country titles.
Her usual fluency was, alas, absent in Gowran and she was labouring at a time she would usually have been motoring. That said, she was still second Wexford girl home.
Other placings: 55, Abbey Wolohan (Croghan); 60, Freya Thompson (Kilmore); 78, Cara Kelly (D.M.P.); 92, Nicole Lageu (D.M.P.).
In the Under-12 boys’ 2,000m, the first Wexford runner home in 14th place was Cian Donovan of Bree. He was followed by Max Murphy (United Striders) in 28th, Enda Byrne (S.B.R., 30th) and Aidan Bowe (S.B.R., 35th).
Other placings: 46, Cormac Delaney (U.S.); 56, Tom Finn (Bree); 64, Cathal Ennis (Bree); 66, P.J. Breen (Bree); 73, Éanna Greenan (U.S.).
Top Wexford performer in the Under-14 boys’ 3,000m was Seán Lennon of United Striders in seventh place.
Seán was hanging nicely in twelfth position all the way through the race.
However, with 200m to go he produced an outstanding finish, picking off five runners in all. Next home for Striders and Wexford was Ronan Shannon in 24th. The Striders team placed sixth.
Other placings: 57, Joseph O’Flaherty (Croghan); 60, Luca O’Connor (U.S.); 63, Tomasso Hickey (U.S.); 70, Olann Delaney (U.S.); 77, Jarlath Kelly (Bree).
Claragh Keane (D.M.P.) looked very smooth in the Under-16 4,000m race, cruising to a good second place finish.
As she showed last year, she has a habit of peaking at the right time. Expect her to be in the mix at the All-Irelands. Next Wexford finisher was Sophia Tkacheva of Croghan in 22nd.
Other placings: 45, Kate O’Flaherty (Kilmore); 49, Arwyn Thompson (Kilmore); 51, Isabel Bawden (U.S.); 58, Aoife Lyng (U.S.); 65, Aisling Ryan (U.S.).
Myles Hewlett of United Striders took bronze in the Under-16 boys’ race over the same distance. He will settle for that at this stage in the season, especially as the winner was turbo-charged St. Senan’s athlete Tadgh Connolly, with Mullingar’s talented international Diarmuid Fagan second.
When it came to team honours, however, the New Ross club were not to be denied. With four boys in the top twelve, they easily took the title, their fourth in a row at this age.
Aidan Shannon placed eighth, Ben Wall tenth, and Eoin Shannon twelfth, with Robert Wall 15th.
Co. Wexford also took the team title, one point ahead of Kilkenny, with another Striders’ athlete, William Parle, completing the scoring six in 17th place.
Other placings: 32, Alex Lafferty (D.M.P.); 33, Alex Gregg (D.M.P.); 34, Eoin Lennon (U.S.); 37, James Hegarty (D.M.P.); 55, Daniel Byrne (Croghan); 57, Darragh Ennis (D.M.P.); 58, Jack Byrne (S.B.R.); 67, Ben Redmond (D.M.P.); 69, Daithí Murphy (D.M.P.); 73, Senan Murray (Kilmore).
Menapians’ international Róisín O’Reilly saw her first competitive action of the season when she lined out in the Under-18/Junior 4,000m.
She was happy to tuck into the leading bunch on the first of the two km laps. Tullamore’s Danielle Donegan made a decisive break on lap two which took her clear of Róisín and Holly Brennan (Cillies A.C.).
Holly was next to throw caution to the wind when, with 500m to go, she decided to give chase. Danielle held on for the win with Holly second and Róisín, keeping it steady all the way, crossing the line, untroubled, in the bronze medal position. She was also second Under-18 home.
Erin Shannon of United Striders ran a good race to place 23rd (Under-18), with Ciara Dolan (Menapians) just behind in 25th place. The latter’s immediate race preparation included two days of mountain walking!
Junior Rebecca Bawden (United Striders) was 42nd, while Under-18 Aoibhinn Crean (Adamstown) was 27th.
In the boys’ Under-18/Junior race, Morgan Haydon (Menapians), being more of a track athlete than a mudlark, found the sloppy ground difficult to navigate.
He toughed it out, however, getting stuck into the middle of the pack and moving up throughout the race. He finished up in 19th place (Under-18).
Enniscorthy’s Ryan Basele came through in fine fashion to finish on Morgan’s heels in 20th, while Adam O’Connor (United Striders) was 27th.
Race-walker Ryan Kielthy took a tumble mid-race but he was up and way again with no ill-effects, finishing 40th. Junior runner Rory Cassidy (Kilmore) was 53rd.
Wexford’s newest running sensation, Clodagh Kelly of Croghan A.C., continued on her upwards trajectory with a fabulous gutsy run in the Novice women’s 4000m race.
She rounded the final bend into the final uphill 200m stretch in third place, only to be pipped at the post. She can be very happy with her fourth place finish.
Other placings: 22, Nicola Murphy (United Striders); 63, Christine Hill (S.B.R.); 64, Catherine O’Connor (Menapians); 72, Áine Cullen (U.S.).
Alan O’Connor of United Striders was best of the Wexford athletes in the men’s race, crossing the line in eleventh place.
Other placings: 71, John Murphy (D.M.P.); 78 Pat Murray (U.S.); 81, Ted Flannelly (U.S.); 90, Nicky Foley (Kilmore).
The Leinster marathon championship was run off in conjunction with the Dublin City Marathon. Wexford had three medal-winners, all running in the blue of S.B.R. Paul Lynch placed second Over-40 in a time of 2.33.07. Anne Bolger was third Over-60.
The evergreen Billy Harpur was third Over-75.