Schools athletes shine
Carlow plays host to Leinster cross-country
THE PLAYING fields of Carlow Town Hurling Club served as the venue for Thursday’s Irish Life Health South Leinster schools cross-country championships.
Young athletes from throughout Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow braved the bitterly cold temperatures to represent their schools with one main aim: to qualify for the Leinster championships in Santry on February 13. Top 15 across the line were assured of automatic qualification, with the top three teams also going through.
The first big performance from a Wexford point of view was a gutsy third place finish in Minor girls by Clíona Kearney of Loreto Wexford.
Her schoolmate, Kate O’Flaherty, was also inside the automatic qualification zone with a 13th place finish. A strong overall effort by the school’s athletes secured Wexford’s first team success, with the girls finishing in the silver medal position.
This means Clíona and Kate will be joined in Santry by Ellie O’Mahony, Emma Cullen, Mary Roe and Hazel Hickey.
Also qualifying, individually, were Siophia Tkacheva (Gorey C.S.), Maeve Bookle (Our Lady of Lourdes Rosbercon) and Arwyn Thompson (Presentation Wexford).
Both Evan Gillen (St. Peter’s) and James Hegarty (Wexford C.B.S.) made the top 15 in the Minor boys and can now look forward to taking on the best in Leinster.
In the Junior girls’ race, high jump specialist and combined eventer Orlaith Deegan of F.C.J. Bunclody ran a well-paced and sensible race throughout to place fourth.
Just behind her in fifth was fellow multi-eventer Eimear Halpin (Loreto Wexford), with schoolmate Flora Doran a little further back in eleventh and Ailbhe White of Presentation Wexford 15th.
The Loreto Wexford team were second which means that joining Eimear and Flora at the Leinster shampionships on Wednesday week will be Caoilfhionn Ní Núalláin, Ava Kearney and Taylor Peare.
The Junior boys’ race was a lively affair from the start. Wexford’s top finisher in third place was Myles Hewlett of New Ross C.B.S. Myles, looking a little off-colour, was, uncharacteristically for him, a little off the pace from early in the race. Expect him to be firing on all cylinders in Santry.
Also making the top 15 and qualifying for Leinster were Finbarr Kelly (Good Counsel New Ross), Jay Hogan (Enniscorthy C.B.S.), Cosmo Hewlett (New Ross C.B.S.) and Aidan Kehoe (Good Counsel).
The Intermediate girls’ 3,500m race had both big numbers and plenty of class up front to make it a properly competitive affair. Former Irish international, Noel Richardson, reckoned that it had the feel of an All-Ireland to it.
Among the leading group from the start were Róisín O’Reilly of Loreto Wexford and Claragh Keane of Presentation Wexford. On the final lap both were part of a breakaway trio which also included Loreto Kilkenny’s Fiona Dillon.
The two Wexford girls pulled clear with Róisín a few strides clear of Claragh. Indeed, with 200m to go, Róisín looked to be home and dry. Claragh, however, neglected to read the script and, as Róisín was cruising up to the finish line, the Pres. girl darted past her to take the win.
Both girls are in great shape and should be well capable of moving up a gear at the Leinster championships. Claragh’s schoolmate Ciara Dolan crossed the line in 15th place to qualify for Leinster.
The pair led their team to the runner-up spot behind Loreto Kilkenny. This means Ciara Martin, who finished just behind the other Ciara, Uisce Moroney, Fiona Cousins and Lisa Redmond will all have another day out.
Nathan Murphy of Wexford C.B.S. was always close to the top of the field in the boys’ Intermediate race.
Nathan, who finished fourth in the All-Ireland 1,500m last summer, has shown he can mix pace with staying power.
This race, however, was not one for heroics. He was happy to cross the line in fifth place and qualify for Leinster.
Joe Byrne (Gorey C.S.) was just one of a number of athletes who have been laid low with a debilitating winter bug. Notwithstanding his depleted energy levels, he ran a solid race to place eleventh and qualify for the next round. He knows that on days like this, one just needs to do enough to keep the show on the road.
Other individual qualifiers from Wexford were Adam O’Connor (New Ross C.B.S.) and Ronan Griffin (St. Peter’s).
The Good Counsel team placed third. This means that Ben and Robert Wall, Aidan Shannon, Darragh Flannelly, Seán Nunan, Danny Glennon and Evan Ojeck get to do it all again next week.
In the Senior girls’ race, Wexford had three individual qualifiers: Eve Furlong (F.C.J. Bunclody), Rebecca Bawden (St. Mary’s New Ross) and Grace Costello (Our Lady of Lourdes Rosbercon).
James Boland of Good Counsel was the county’s only individual qualifier in the Senior boys’ race. The St. Peter’s team placed third to qualify for the Leinsters.
They finished in the following order: Cathal Dowd, Conor Mahoney, Cian Murphy, Tommy Wickham, Morgan Hayden, Cian Bates, Peadar Byrne, Darragh Malone.
In other news, Eva Murphy of D.M.P. was fifth in 8.49s in heat two of the Senior women’s 60m at the A.A.I. Games in Abbotstown on Saturday.
Conor Wilson (Menapians) competed in the Senior men’s 60m, finishing fifth in series one, heat two (7.32s), and sixth in series two, heat two (7.27s).
He also timed 51.42s for first place in heat four of the Senior men’s 400m.
Adam Fitzhenry (Adamstown) was third in heat two of the Senior men’s 200m in 23.42s.
Fiona Kehoe (Kilmore) finished second in the Senior women’s 800m in 2:09.55, while Antoinette Stafford (D.M.P.) was third in the Senior women’s long jump (5.08m).
Fixtures: February 5, NIA Live Juvenile and Senior indoor athletics, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown, Dublin (one of an eight-week series); February 9-10, Leinster indoors, days one and two (sprints, hurdles), Athlone; February 13, Leinster schools cross-country, Santry Demesne, Dublin (first race 11.50 a.m.); February 13, A.I.T. Grand Prix, Athlone; February 15, Wexford Athletics annual awards, Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy; February 16-17, Irish Life Health Senior indoors, N.I.A., Abbotstown, Dublin.