Heaslip lives up to pre-race billing to take national crown at Abbotstown

AN Riocht’s Shona Heaslip was the favourite going into the Irish Life Health Cross Country Championships in Abbotstown on Sunday, November 26, and she did not disappoint – retaining her Senior Women’s title in style.

Shona was never out of pace for the four laps of the 8,000m course and by the final lap there were only four athletes in contention with Shona holding the pace alongside Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) and Leevale runners Lizzie Lee and Michelle Finn.

Shona split the trio over the closing stages into the uphill finish to take the win easily ahead of Kerry O’Flaherty in second and Michelle Finn in third.

There were bronze medals for the An Riocht women’s team with Laura Crowe finishing in a superb seventh place overall and great running from Niamh O’Sullivan and Sharon Cahill to complete the four. Kerry also placed third in the county rankings with Shona, Laura and Niamh joined by Maria McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley) who placed 27th overall.

There were just three men com- peting in the senior 10K race. George McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley) was first home for Kerry with Martin Dineen and Conor O’Mahony (both An Riocht) also competing.

There were some notable successes in the junior and juvenile races.

Farranfore’s Shauna McCarthy finished 14th in the U14 girls 3,000m, and as the third Munster athlete across the line, picked up a gold Munster team medal. Club mate Cian Spillane finished in 49th place in the U14 boy’s 3,000m race but unfortunately was outside of the Munster team top six who got bronze.

Kenmare AC had three girls competing.

Rhona Randles finished in 19th place overall in U16 girls, earning herself a silver Munster team medal.

Alyce O’Connor, running a year out of age in the U18 girls race, finished in 26th place overall, just out of the top 6 medal winning position for the Munster team who won gold.

Shauna Doellken O’Shea finished in eighth place in the Junior Women’s race. Lios Tuathail’s Aoife O’Mahony and Emily Pierse also competed in the event.