The largest contingent of D.S.D., athletes for a long time, turned up at Abbotstown for the National Cross Country Championships on Sunday, and reaped a harvest of medals.
Joe Sweeney and Maria McCambridge, the most senior members of the teams, led D.S.D., to bronze and silver medals in top class men’s 10,000m and women’s 8,000m events. Joe was making an incredible return to racing after more than a three year break from competition and looked like his old self (4th place finisher at European Cross Country), as he charged to the lead after two laps. Due to his lack of racing, the early pace caught up on him, and he finished a gallant 7th. He was followed home by Killian Mooney 20th; John Eves 25th; and Robert Corbally 26th, to ensure a place on the podium behind Raheny Shamrocks and Kilkenny City Harriers.
Maria McCambridge mixed it with the leaders in the Senior Women’s race finishing in 9th place, and was well supported by Linda Byrne 11th; Bethanie Murray 12th; Fiona Clinton 14th; Meghan Ryan 20th; Sarah Mulligan 21st and Niamh Devlin 30th, for a 2nd place team finish. Bethanie had the added bonus of being the first U.23 and was duly selected to lead this age group at the Europeans.
Jodie McCann led the D.S.D. Junior (u20) team to 1st and their 17th successful title. The team now qualifies for the European Clubs Cross Country finals in March 2018. Jodie will also qualify for the European Cross Country Championships in December. Niamh Carey just missed out selection finishing 7th, followed home by Abbie Taylor; Grace Dervan; Roseanne McCullough and Sadhbh O’Loan.
The Junior Men (U.20) saw Paul O’Donnell and Luke McCann prominent from the gun in the largest field of the day, finishing 8th and 10th respectively, just behind the lead group.
It was great satisfaction for D.S.D., to again, claim medals in Junior and Senior categories.
In the Juvenile Cross Country Championships Eimear Maher won a phenomenal silver medal in the U.16 girls race 3,000m, as she moved up an age group and will now look forward to her own category in December.
The U.16 girls team finished 2nd; and U.14 girls 3rd.
Results:
Senior Men: Joe Sweeney 7th; Killian Mooney 20th; John Eves 25th; Robert Corbally 26th. TEAM 3rd
(32nd Patrick MacGabhann; 34th Jack MacGabhann; 50th Mark Molloy)
Senior Women: Maria McCambridge 9th; Linda Byrne 11th; Bethanie Murray 12
Fiona Clinton 14th. TEAM 2nd
(Meghan Ryan 20th; Sarah Mulligan 21st; Niamh Devlin 30th)
Junior Men: Paul O’Donnell 7th; Luke McCann 8th; Ruadhan O’Gráda 25th; Christian McKenna 32nd; TEAM 2nd
(Aaron Donnelly 45th; Conor Halpin 53; Luke MacGabhann 57; Brian Maguire 93rd; Ben Jones 115; James Lenehan 117; Liam Blackburn 119; Ross Mossop 135)
Junior Women: Jodie McCann 3rd; Niamh Carey 9th; Abigail Taylor 16th;
Grace Dervan 17th. TEAM 1st
(Roseanne McCullough 49th; Sadhbh O’Loan)
U.16 Girls Team 5th: Eimear Maher 2nd; Faye Dervan; Eabha Nally;
Corinne Kenny; Sophie Burns; Emily Bradshaw
U.14 Girls Team 3rd: Saoirse O’Brien ; Christine Horan; Isabelle Tompkin Beddy; Ella O’Donohoe ; Ciara Kelly; Amelia Hauer
U.12 Girls: Grace Prenter 23rd
U.16 Boys: Adam Harvey 58th; Morgan Clarkson 59th
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511863337914-JVIHXC765PP3E5MK7443/Joe+Sweeney.jpg" alt="Joe Sweeney.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511867892410-185J5HZSKIXWHBGPP9YH/EimearMaher.jpg" alt="EimearMaher.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511867957712-P22WRV15C84VSZ7TGWG0/U14girls.jpg" alt="U14girls.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511868009898-C7SYGWIN9L3B4DMATPH3/eimearoru14girls.jpg" alt="eimearoru14girls.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511868770055-IUVE9S2JTP5FPVSTF4Y0/CiaraKelly.jpg" alt="CiaraKelly.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1511868811555-4471C6S5D925R10MYJN4/Corinne.jpg" alt="Corinne.jpg" />
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