Keane sisters among medals
NAVAN IN Co. Meath was the venue on Saturday for the first of the Leinster Juvenile cross-country championship days. The course was well designed (tough but not murderously so) and the underfoot conditions were perfect. General organisation was top class.
The Juvenile even-age category races - Under-12 to Under-18 - took up the bulk of the programme, the latter being run in conjunction with the Junior championships. The programme commenced with Under-10 non-championship races. There were also men’s and ladies’ Novice championships on a busy day.
In the first race, the Under-10 girls’ 1,000m, Éabha Keane (D.M.P.) looked certain for gold as she came up the energy-sapping rise of the finishing straight clear of all pursuers. In one of the most exciting finishes of the day, two girls nipped past her in the race to the line. Éabha was still delighted with her third place. Reyna Thompson (Kilmore) placed ninth.
Claragh Keane, older sister of Éabha, had a really strong run to win bronze in the Under-14 3,000m. She was full of running throughout and was closing down the leading pair all the way to the line. Eimear Fortune and Katelyn Boggan, both Kilmore, placed 44th and 46th with Ellie O’Mahoney (D.M.P.) in 53rd.
Aidan Shannon and Myles Hewlett, both United Striders and both running like the devil was in pursuit, had an impressive 1-2 in the boys’ Under-14 3,000m.
Clubmate Darragh Flannelly continued on his general upwards trajectory with a good seventh place finish with Ben Wall (Adamstown) two places back in ninth.
James Hegarty (D.M.P.) and Cosmo Hewlett finished in the 20s. Striders took the gold for top club while Wexford took gold for top county.
D.M.P’s Conn Mernagh and Kevin O’Mahoney placed sixth and seventh respectively in the Under-12 2,000m. Robert Sterling (St. Paul’s) was 16th in the same race with U.S.A.C. athletes Ronan Shannon and Seán Lennon 25th and 29th respectively.
Adam O’Connor was the county’s top finisher in the boys’ Under-16 race in 14th place, with Cathal Dowd (D.M.P.) 16th, Conor Keane (D.M.P.) 30th, Aaron Browne (U.S.A.C.) 39th, Ryan Kielthy (U.S.A.C.) 52nd, and Darragh Collins (D.M.P.) 53rd.
Róisín O’Reilly (Menapians) was first Wexford girl home in the girls’ Under-16 race. She was unfortunate to run out of steam in the final 400m, the result being that she slipped from top twelve back to 23rd. Erin Shannon placed 28th, Clodagh Foran 35th, Eve Byrne 41st and Aisling Power 49th (all U.S.A.C.).
Aedan Rogers (U.S.A.C.) ran a fine race to place tenth in the Junior/Under-18 6k race (sixth Under-18 athlete) while D.M.P’s Liam Turner placed 15th overall.
Alan O’Connor (U.S.A.C.) was first Wexford man home in the Novice race in 20th place, with clubmate John McGrath a few places back in 28th.
Ciara Bowe (S.B.R.) in 45th was first Wexford lady home in the Novice race.