The Blue Riband event of the Cross Country season, the National Juvenile Even Ages, Junior and Senior Cross Country Championships, were held in a muddy Abbotstown in Dublin Sunday last and it turned out to be a historic day for Galway City Harriers’ teams.
GCH Junior Men’s squad won the clubs first ever National Junior Cross Country championship with a superb team performance. The U20 team comprising of Eanna Folan who placed 13th, James Frizzell (15th), Thomas McStay (16th), Joe Tannian (27th), Aaron Brennan (42nd) and Michael Healy (88th) produced a magnificent team effort to take the National title. The team packed well together, with solid runs all round to beat off the challenge of holders Clonliffe Harriers of Dublin. As National U20 Champions the team has now qualified to represent Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships to be held in Portugal. The squad were coached to victory by the hugely dedicated Matt Lockett who deserves great credit for building the Junior squad in recent years. The U18 & U20 athletes competed together in the one race and Thomas McStay finished in 5th place overall in the U18 category.
GCH also took team gold in the U16 Boys race via strong runs from Barry Murphy who placed 28th, Cillian Jordan (31st), Alvaro Garcia Lara (35th) and Eoghan Jennings (39th), winning the event by just two points from Ennis.
Up and coming GCH star Emma Moore ran a super race to win the individual bronze medal in the U14 Girls race, and now adds this medal to her National track 200m and 800m titles at both the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships, a superb set of achievements in one year! Isabella Burke finished 35th place overall in the same race.
There were also good performances by Caron Ryan of Craughwell was 12th in the Junior women’s race, with her clubmate Sean Cotter 15th in the U16 Boys. Tuam AC U12 Boys squad just missed out on a team medal placing a fine fourth club team overall.
At Senior level, Brendan McDonnell of GCH was first Galway athlete home in 28th place, leading the county team to fifth place overall in a highly competitive race. Next home for Galway were John Moroney of GCH, Ciaran Diviney (Crusaders) Brian Furey (Rathfarnham), Vincent McGuinness (Crusaders), and GCH’s Michael Kerrin. Tuam AC club squad also competed, with Ian Egan and Paul Kearney Sean Burke and Ger Hartnett their scorers, placing them club team18th overall.
Kathryn Casserly of GCH had a superb run to place 33rd in the Senior and U23 Women’s race for Galway, with Mags Kilkenny of Ballinasloe and Ciara Greene of Craughwell placing 72nd and 79th respectively
International appointment
Congratulations go to Galway City Harriers coach Matt Lockett who has been appointed Irish U20 team coach for the upcoming European Cross Country Championships in Slovakia on 10th December next. Lockett is now renowned one of the country’s top athletics coaches, after completing a successful athletics career, and in recent times has led GCH’s Junior squad to National success, as well as revitalizing NUI Galway’s Athletics team.
