,Navan Co. Meath – Sunday 3rd December. Over 1,000 athletes from all round the country descended on Navan Racecourse, on a beautiful frosty morning for the last cross country race of the season.
Huge congratulations to Grace Foley who ran a fantastic race right from the starting-gun and finished 4th in the u11 girls race – winning another national medal to add to her collection. Team mate Arwen Hunter was close behind in a fantastic 14th place (out of a field of 193 girls). These two great performances helped win valuable points for the u11 girls’ Connaught Team – who won bronze in the inter-provincial competition, ahead of Ulster and Dublin. Grace and Arwen also helped their Club Team mates – Sienne O’Sullivan, Saibh Prunty and Alex McDonald finish a fantastic 7th place overall out of 20 teams – so congratulation to all the u11 girls.
Next up was the u11 boys. Due to illness their anchor man – Moss Deasy was unable to run. In a fast, paced tightly packed race the team was lead home by a strong run from Oliver Foley followed closely by Timmy and Leo Brennan, Keelan Derrig and Rian Gallagher – all helping the Club Team finish 11th place overall out of 20 teams. Congratulation to all the u13 boys.
Niamh McNamara ran in the u13 girls’ race and had a great run and finished strongly to place in the top half of the finishers of a field of over 180 athletes.
In the u13 boys’ race, Darragh Steels, fresh after his 4th place finish in the Even Ages National Cross Country Championship in Gowran – was ready for action again – running up an age. He showed his true grit and determination finishing in 15th place. Darragh was a scoring member of the Connacht Team who won gold in the inter-provincial competition. Great runs also from Lucas Ballantine, Fionn Prunty, Eamon Healy and Fionn McNasser all helped the Club Team finish 11th place overall out of 20 teams – congratulation to all the u13 boys.
In the u15 girls Lucie Cawley continued her great performances this season, both on track and in cross country, finishing 40th in a field of 165 athletes.
A huge thank you to all officials, coaches and parents over the past year for volunteering their time on the sidelines, travelling to venues and encouragement for all these juvenile athletes.