Galway Cross Country championships
Day one of the 2017 County Galway Cross country competition were held on Sunday last, in the Palace Grounds in Tuam, in muddy but fair conditions. Almost 400 athletes competed across the Juvenile Even ages races from U10 through to U18 and the Senior Ladies and Men’s races.
In the first race of the day, the U10 Girls 1000m, Craughwell's Saoirse Mullins from Ardrahan put in a fantastic run to take individual gold, while Tuam AC took the team title. In the U10 Boys, Ciaran O Donnell from host club Tuam AC won the title, with Craughwell AC taking team gold.
At U12 level, Mathys Bocquet of Craughwell AC had a stormer of a race in the U12 Boys 2000m, taking an early lead and increasing that throughout the race to take the Galway title in style, while in the U12 Girls, Aoibheann Fitzpatrick won from the front, leading all the way to take gold in impressive performance, while Tuam AC won the team championships
In the U14 Girls, the talented Emma Moore eased to victory, and led her Galway City Harriers team to victory, with the GCH girls taking the first four places. Oisin Keane of East Galway AC looked very strong in claiming the U14 Boys honours, with Craughwell AC taking the team title
The U16 Boys race was dominated by Craughwell AC athlete Sean Cotter, a very promising distance runner, who led from gun to tape to claim the County title, and also led his club to team gold. Jennifer Hughes of GCH won the U16 Girls after a hard-fought battle with Ailbhe Miskella of Craughwell AC, with GCH also taking team victory
Thomas McStay of GCH won the most exciting race of the day, the combined U18 and Junior Men’s race. GCH had four athletes in the lead pack, along with Ben Ryan of Craughwell , which stayed together for three of the four laps. On the last lap, Eanna Folan of GCH took the race on, but was caught and overhauled by the fast finishing McStay, who claimed the U18 crown ahead of first Junior , James Frizzell of GCH. GCH won the U18 Boys title.
Junior athlete Caron Ryan of Craughwell AC powered to victory in the Women’s 4000m race, establishing an early lead and running out a comfortable winner of the combined U18, U20 and Senior races, with Aine O Farrell of Athenry in second (first U18 girl) and next home Kathryn Casserly of GCH first senior athlete home.
Paul Giblin of Castlegar AC produced the run of his life to take the County Senior title, with a strong run over the last two laps taking him to a clear victory. Niall Murphy of GCH put in a fantastic effort to take the silver medal, with Paul Kearney of Tuam AC running a very steady race to take third and bronze. Castlegar AC (pictured above) won the Galway team title after a great battle with local club Tuam AC, with Giblin, Lonan O Farrell, Sean McDermott and Damien Ryan combining to win the team prize.
Galway Cross Country Championships
Day two of the 2017 County Galway Cross country competition will take place on Sunday the 8th October, 2017 in the Kilcornan Estate in Clarenbridge. The event will see the Juvenile Uneven ages races from U9 through to U19on the programme, with the first race starting at 1 pm.
Galway Primary Schools Cross Country Semi Finals
The Galway Primary Schools Cross Country Finals were held Tuesday last in Renmore. Nearly 500 students qualified from the semi finals, with the Top 15 individuals and Top 3 teams going forward to the Connacht finals on 21st October . Race winners were Danielle Moynihan (Ballinderry), Darragh Fahy (Bullaun), Isabella Burke (Renmore), and David Mannion (Kiltiernan).
Colemanstown 10KM
At the annual Colemanstown 10k held Saturday last, Matt Bidwell of GCH romped home in a time of 33:36 to finish well clear of second placed James Maher, Templemore AC who clocked 35:22, with Daire Comer, Tuam AC third 36:19. In the Senior ladies category, again pre-race favourite Jane Ann Meehan of Athenry AC led the field home a fast 37:09, with Sinead Brody of Galway City Harriers second in 39:45 and Yvonne Fehily, Athenry AC third in 42.47
