Cross Country running at an all time high in the Kingodm
CROSS-COUNTRY running is at an all time high in the Kingdom with winning performances nationally and provincially over the past weekend. Last Sunday Shona Heaslip (An Riocht) starred at the Autumn Open International Cross-country Festival at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus winning the women’s 6,000m in a time of 20:36, ahead of Scotland’s Mhairi MacLennan in second in 20:56 and Michelle Finn (Leevale) who sprinted in for third in 21:03. Club mate Laura Crowe was also up there with the best, finishing in 8th place overall in 21:20.
There was a 4th place finish for Kenmare’s Shauna Doelken O’Shea who covered the 4,500m course in a time of 16:38. Kerry’s only other junior woman to compete was Aoife Mahony (Lios Tuathail) who finished in 25th position in 19:00.
In the master women’s race Maria McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley) was an excellent 11th overall and placed 6th in the O40 age group. Niamh O’Sullivan (An Riocht) was second in the O55 category. Also competing were Farranfore athletes Catriona Barry, Maria McKenna, Grainne Tierney and Bernie O’Mahony and Majella Diskin from An Riocht. In masters men, Dermot Dineen (Farranfore Maine Valley) competed in the O35 category where he finished in 27th place
Meanwhile, Clarecastle in Clare was the venue for the Munster Juvenile Even Age, Novice and U-23 Cross-country Championships. Kerry had a host of top 12 finishes, the most notable being Shauna McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley) who was outright winner of the U-14 girls’ race. Club mate Cian Spillane was 2nd in the U-14 boy’s race. Kenmare AC athletes performed well on the day with Alyce O’Connor 3rd in U-18 girls, a year out of age, and Rhona Randles 7th in U-16 girls. Kenmare’s U-10 boys’ won bronze team medals, only 2 points off silver, with Luke Merrigan 5th, Seamus O’Donoghhue 10th, Michéal O’Mahony 42nd and Robbie Guest 48th. The Kenmare boys were joined by Oisin O’Leary (Gneeveguilla) who was 9th and Conor McGibney (Spa-Fenit Barrow) who was 20th to finish as fourth county team. Also from Kenmare, Elissa Hussey was the county’s top finisher in the U-10 girl’s race and Kieran O’Donoghue top county finisher in U-12 boys. In the U-12 girls’ event, Kathryn Ryan (Killarney Valley) finished in 5th place with her sister Hannah in 16th position. Gneeveguilla’s Ben Murphy was first Kerry athlete to finish in the U-16 boy’s age group. Well done to all who took part. Full results can be found on the Munster Athletics website.
The next Munster event on the calendar is the Munster Juvenile Uneven Age and Senior Cross-country Championships that take place on Sunday, November 12 in Galbally, Co. Tipperary.
The Munster Schools Combined Events Championships were held in the Nenagh Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, October 11. 132 athletes took part in total with three from Kerry finishing in the top four to qualify for the national finals at the AIT Arena in Athlone on Saturday, October 28. Cillian Griffin, Mercy Mount Hawk Tralee was third in the Intermediate Boy’s competition with team mate Darragh Courtney in 4th place. There was also a 4th place finish for Christine McCarthy Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare.