In-form Healy can continue impressive rise

THE nation’s best young distance runners will descend on Waterford today for the All-Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships.

Holy Child Killiney student Sarah Healy will be the star turn.

The 17-year-old smashed the Irish U-20 indoor 3,000m record in Abbotstown last month, blitzing older rivals to take the national senior title in 9:10.43, taking 18 seconds off the previous record.

Just three days later she took that form to the Leinster Schools Cross-Country, routing her opponents over 2,500m in facile fashion.

Barring injury, she should do the same in today’s senior girls’ race.

The senior boys’ 6,000m should be a far more competitive affair, with Cork duo Darragh McElhinney and Charlie O’Donovan renewing rivalry two weeks after McElhinney took the Munster title.

O’Donovan is hopeful of reversing that form in what will be his final schools cross-country race before he sets off on scholarship to Villanova University in the USA.

“I’ve never won the schools cross so this is my last chance,” he said. “I was fourth last year, my highest placing to date, so hopefully I can improve to gold this year.”

Louis O’Loughlin of Moyle Park will start favourite for the intermediate boys’ 5,000m though should face a good challenge from Adam Ferris of St Malachy’s, Belfast, while the girls’ race should see Aimee Hayde of St Mary’s, Newport and Amelia Kane (Strathearn Grammar) to the fore.

Three Irish athletes will be in action in Texas at the NCAA Indoor Championships, with Síofra Cléirigh-Buttner in the 800m, Sean Tobin in the mile and Harry Purcell in the distance medley relay.

Meanwhile, the National Masters Indoor Championships take place in Athlone, where athletes will be putting the finishing touches ahead on preparations for the European Masters Indoor Championships in Madrid later this month.