Brady best of bunch

NIAMH Brady (St Peter’s AC) claimed a National medal after her excellent performance at the National Cross-Country Championships at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown on Sunday.

The Dromiskin-based club had three girls (pictured below) in the Louth Under-12 team, with Niamh joined by Julie McLoughlin and Ellie Smyth and the eventual medallist also part of the Leinster team.

This new purpose-built cross-country course was in perfect order, the dry but cool weather was ideal and the large number in attendance were treated to a day of highly entertaining races, culminating in the Senior Men’s race at the end of the day.

Niamh, was the first of the St Peter’s girls home with a 44th-place finish followed by Julie in 82nd and Ellie in 109th. All three scored for the Louth team, with Niamh the second scorer, Julie fifth and Ellie sixth. The trio ran well after bad starts and worked their way through the massive field, which isn’t easy as the course was quite tight in places.

The Leinster team which Niamh was part of finished in third place, and with Niamh the sixth scorer this fine young athlete added another National medal - a bronze - to her already impressive collection.

All three girls enjoyed the competition and will benefit from the experience.

This week the curtain comes down on the local cross-country season when the annual Louth Masters Championships take place in Togher. The event will take place on the lands of St Peter’s stalwarts Andrew and Brendan Rogers and it’s the third year the St Peters AC men have hosted this event, which is run over 3,000m for the ladies and 5,000m for the men.