Heaslip’s heroics rewarded with place on Ireland team

AN Riocht’s Shona Heaslip caused a shock upset when she took the senior women’s cross-country title at the Irish Life Health National Cross-Country Championships last Sunday.

The purpose-build Sport Ireland national cross country course in Abottstown provided the perfect setting for Heaslip’s superb run. She covered the 8,000m course in 28:13 just ahead of Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) in second place and pre-race favourite Ciara Mageean (UCD) in third. After a disappointing run in the recent Autumn Open cross-country Heaslip, from Tralee, was hoping to be the first U-23 athlete across the line on Sunday but completely surpassed all expectations.

Speaking to Athletics Ireland after the race a delighted Heaslip explained: “I felt good in the race but I had to check myself running alongside the other girls who I had watched on television in the summer,” referring to Rio Olympians O’Flaherty and Mageean.

On the back of their performances it was announced on Monday that Heaslip and Laura Crowe had been selected for the Ireland team heading to the European Cross-Country Championships in Chia, Italy on December 11, whioch means two of the six women selected for the Ireland senior team comes from An Riocht AC and Kerry.

An Riocht also won team bronze medals with Laura Crowe, who finished in fourth place behind Mageean, Niamh O’Sullivan and Sharon Cahill making up the team. Shona and Laura were teamed with Grace Lynch (Iveragh AC) who finished in a very creditable 20th place overall and Maria McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley) to win bronze county medals. In the juvenile races, Kenmare’s Shauna Doellken O’Shea finished in 11th place in the U-18 girls 4,000m race, earning herself her first individual national medal and as the second Munster athlete across the line was part of the gold provincial medal winning team. Shauna only took up running competitively in September this year and has a great future ahead of her.