from Donore harriers Ballyhaise in Cavan lived up to it’s reputation and proved to be a tough course for the staging of the National Senior Novice and the National uneven aged Juvenile Cross Country Championships. Donore was represented across the board with some of our younger lads running in the Juvenile races. It was a tough task and conditions for the early races were made more difficult and hazardous by a frozen surface peppered with cattle hoof prints.
Robert Swaine was first up in the Boys under 13 1,200m race and ran very well to finish 38th in a strong field. In the boys under 15 race over 2,000m Eoghan Meyler ran a great 71st position. Max Van Haeften continued his recent great run of form and ran a fantastic 12th place in the boys under 17 4,000m race. An even greater achievement considering Max is still only running at under 16 level.
By the time the under 19’s took to the course a thaw in some parts was setting in, but where there was once ice, there was now deep shoe sucking mud making conditions just as difficult. We had 2 athletes, John Travers and Lee Van Haeften, feature in the boys under 19 6,000m race and they finished 13th and 23rd respectively.
Next up were the Senior ladies and a great team effort saw them take a club team bronze medal. Niamh O’Boyle running in Dublin colours was first home in the 3,000m race finishing in 19th position. Niamh was followed by Caroline Ryan in 31st with Cliodhna Carty 37th, Laura Moynihan 49th and Ali Loughney also in Dublin colours and making a welcomed return to racing finishing in 50th. Congratulations to them all in what was a tough race. The race was won by Patricia Barry of Ferrybank AC with Ennis Track AC and Tullamore Harriers taking 1st and 2nd respectively in the Club teams.
The senior men had a great outing just missing out on the medals with the conditions playing their part in denying them of one. Staged over 6,000m all 5 of our athletes were running above their best with Eoin Rowan in contention with the leading 10 and Mark Dooley always making ground in the next 10. Keith Daly was pacing himself extremely well while Gavin Keogh made progress a little further back. Unfortunately the mud got the better of Mark when he lost both his shoe and 20 places with about a lap and a half to go. Keith and Gavin continued to make ground but it wasn’t enough to slip into the medals. The lads finished as follows: Eoin Rowan 14th, Keith Daly 19th, Mark Dooley 37th, Gavin Keogh 56th and Jonathan Daly 80th. Well done guys and it’s all looking very positive.
