from Munster Express by Fintan Walsh
Last Sunday in cold and at times wet conditions close to 2,000 athletes from the 32 counties competed in the Woodie’s DIY National Cross-country Championships organised by Waterford Athletic Club and Tramore Racecourse inside section and the local club did it superbly with a well laid out course and lots of stewarding.
Star
While many athletes from Waterford clubs performed well the star was Shane Quinn from Ferrybank AC who had a pillar to post victory in the U-18 race. Shane led from the gun and at halfway had opened a huge gap and while that gap narrowed considerably in the closing stages he still won very convincingly indeed. He is still eligible to un U-17 and has been unbeaten in All Ireland Cross Country Championships from U-13 upwards.
Coming home with a storming late run in the same race was Emmet Jennings Dundrum south Dublin, son of well known Waterford AC athlete past and indeed present Mary Ryan Jennings.
Top placings
In the junior men’s and women’s races there were excellent runs by a number of Waterford athletes. In the women’s race Lorraine McCarthy was fourth overall with Patricia Barry in 5th place. Paddy Flynn had a storming late run to take fourth place in the junior men’s and Paddy Hogan was 6th in the same event.
Waterford won the silver team medals in the men’s and women’s junior races. The scoring members were as follows: Men- 4th Paddy Flynn, 6th Paddy Hogan, 11th Kevin Cooper, 22nd Ferdia O’hAodha, 24th Gavin Downey, all Ferrybank AC and Rory Moloney WWAC.
Women – Lorraine McCarthy 4th, Patricia Barry 5th, Niamh Ryan 14th and Grainne Brennan 23rd all Ferrybank AC.
Others to impress
Other athletes to achieve high placings included Beth Walsh Ferrybank AC 6th U-18, Gary Cantwell KCK 9th U-16, Órla Queally and Kevin Cooper 11th in U-11 and Junior races respectively, Aoife O’Sullivan Tramore 14th in the U-14, Niamh Ryan Ferrybank 14th in the Junior race and Kate Veale WWAC was 19th U-16.
Organisation
The event was organised by Waterford Athletic Club for Athletics Ireland and the club wishes to thank Tramore Racecourse Company and Seamus O’Meara, West Waterford AC, St.Senan’s AC, Order of Malta, Tramore Town Council, Waterford County Council, members of Triathlon clubs. A special thanks to all the stewards with particular mention to Derek Grant, Deirdre Chapman, Martin Flynn as well as Eoin Dullea and Michael Gregan of Tramore AC and last but not least to Des Colbert club Secretary for a major input.
Hotels and guest houses did well from the event in Tramore and also in the city and district.
Munster fixture in Killeagh
Next Sunday the Munster B Juvenile Cross Country Championships are on in Killeagh Co.Cork and the first race is at 12 noon. Races for boys and girls U-9,11,13,15,17,19 and the Masters Championships for men and women are also on the programme. A sizeable entry for each category is expected from Waterford clubs.
Winter Leagues
The Winter Leagues continue in Dungarvan and Waterford every week. This evening Wednesday, the Dungarvan one has a 7.15pm start from the Sports Centre and on Thursday at 7pm the Waterford one starts at the RSC.
In both events competitors are asked to beware of traffic and obey the stewards and all must wear clear reflective clothing.
National fixture
On Sunday December 7th in Ballyhaise Co.Cavan the All Ireland Novice Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships take place as well as the Juvenile U-13, 15,17,19 boys and girls.
AGM
Waterford Athletic Club held their AGM on Monday week last in St.Paul’s Community College. Officers were all re-elected for the coming year.
Chairperson – James McGuire, Secretary – Des Colbert, Treasurer – Deirdre Chapman, Committee – Joe Cawley, Michael Halley, Brea Cooke, Derek Grant, Alan Whelan, Larry Kennedy.
Juvenile Committee – Albert Tebay, Ruth Ahearne, Brian Swaby, Shirley Boyle, Ray Power, Tom O’Brien, Alan Smith, Tom Murray. Club P.R.O. Fintan Walsh.
A lot of discussion took place at the meeting regarding a field of its own for the club and this will be pursued in the year and years ahead as the finances of the club continues to grow.
Membership of the club is presently at a high both juvenile and adults.
Training at RSC
Training sessions for the club are as follows:
Mondays 7.30pm – Adult Beginners; Tuesdays 5.45pm – Seniors and Masters; Tuesdays 7pm – Juveniles; Fridays 7pm – Juveniles.
For juvenile training the club are really only interested in youngsters who wish to learn with a view to competing and not to just come along and pay no attention to coaches.
A few are presently very interested and coaches are really only interested in working with them regardless of their standard. In team competitions there is room for all standards but all must have the training and basics, otherwise it’s a time wasting process for coaches whose time would be more productive spent with those really interested as well as their parents, even if this is a small group. Other clubs also have this problem but all are on the same wavelength as Waterford.