Connacht Cross Country Championships
The second day of the Connacht Cross Country Championships at club level the final day of the Adult Senior League competition and the Juvenile Uneven Ages championships, held on a superb and testing course in Roscommon Racecourse on Sunday last
At Senior level, Galway secured a Senior gold in the Men’s race over 7km, via a gutsy performance by David Bohan. Leah Toher of GCH claimed the U19 Girls title to continue her great season to date
At Juvenile level, Galway had multiple qualifiers for the upcoming National championships in Donegal, with those in the top 12 in each race, plus the top three club and county teams, all going forward to the All Irelands in Cork in early December.
Notable performances at Juvenile level came via, the girls of Tuam AC who won gold at U11 level with Eimear Fallon leading them home in third place overall, while GCH won team bronze. In the U13 Boys event, Alan Hallinan of Craughwell AC reigned supreme winning gold, and leading his club to victory also
Tuam AC girls swept the boards in the U15 girls team competition with gold, with GCH a fine second, while individually Aisling Geaney was second for South Galway with Keilah Murray of GCH third
At U15 Boys level Declan O Connell ran strongly for gold, while Oisin Maher of GCH was second home, and Luke Walsh third. Craughwell AC won the team event. At U17 level Sean Fitzpatrick won bronze for South Galway
National Cross Country
This weekend sees the hugely anticipated National Cross Country Championships in Rosapena Golf Course, in Donegal, where Irelands top athletes will descend on the scenic venue in Downings at the top of Donegal, for what is likely to be a superb and exciting days racing on a fast and open course. The Senior, Under23 and Junior races take centre stage and act as selection trials for the upcoming European Cross-Country championships in Turin, Italy in December
Galway hopes will rest on Thomas McStay at U23 level, allied to the likes of the talented Sean Cotter at Junior level. GCH and Craughwell will field strong men’s teams, with the likes of Jamie Fallon, Paddy Noonan and William Fitzgerald leading the Craughwell men, and McStay will be joined for GCH by athletes of the calibre of John Moroney, Andrew O Donnghaile, Aaron Brennan. David Carter, Conor Byrne and David Bohan
GCH Ladies will go into the event with a very strong squad and will chase a top five or better position. Led by the experienced Laura Byrne who has shown great early season form, along with the flying Ellen Moran, Siobhan Egan, Jane Ann Meehan, Aine O Farrell, Niamh Hennelly and Eimear O Leary, the squad has proven cross country ability and goes in with strong hopes.
At Juvenile level, the programme will feature the U12 to U18 All Ireland championships, and again Galway will be well represented at club and county level across GCH, Craughwell, South Galway, CRH and Tuam athletes among others.
IUAA Road Relays
NUI Galway Men’s team secured National bronze medals at the IUAA Road Relays last Friday, with superb third place finish
The quintet of Kyle Moorhead, Sean Cotter, Tom McStay, Luke Johnston and Paddy Noonan combined superbly to take bronze behind two elite UCD and DCU squads. NUIG Men’s second squad was sixth
NUIG Ladies team finished a solid ninth with strong runs via Fiona Everard, Anna McGinley, Noiase O Donnell and Fiona Molloy
Irish Schools Combined Events
Galway athletes Evan Hallinan and Jade Moorhead were the stars of the show on Saturday at the National Finals of the Irish Schools Multi-Events which were held in Athlone Indoor Arena. Both athletes were representing their school Presentation Athenry, and both had a superb series of performances to take the National titles in the Senior Boys and Senior Girls events
Irish Masters Cross Country International
Craughwells Mark Davis continued his excellent cross-country season, winning team Silver with the Irish M50 squad at the British and Irish Masters International in Santry, Dublin last Saturday
