If 2017 continues as it started at the Greenmount International Cross Country Meeting inAntrim on Saturday, D.S.D., are in for a very successful year. Our athletes dominated the meeting, which featured top class athletes from U.K., Kenya and Ethiopia in the senior context.
This was truly a mud bath from the first race to the last and D.S.D., athletes were not deterred, with the U.13 girls, who had never experienced conditions like this before, finishing a gallant second to Gifnock A.C. Scotland. They were led home by Saoirse O’Brien in 12th place, followed by Eimear Maher 14th and Emily Bradshaw 25th.
The U.15 Boys race was a top class affair and here again we finished 2nd with Moran Clarkson (underage again next year) mixing it with the top British challengers, and always contesting top ten position. Supported by Peter Duffy, Adam Harvey and Liam Blackburnthey were happy to finish ahead of Westport A.C., who pipped them in the recent national championships. In the U.15 girls Sadhbh O’Loan was 12th ; Aimee Kenna 20th and Eabha Nally 21st also finishing 2nd Team.
By the time it came to the U.17 Boys and Girls the surface had become a quagmire and there were many fallers. Jodie McCann had a great victory here in her best race to date, finishing just ahead of Abi Taylor, who led the Irish team to victory in 2nd place in this category. Unfortunately the rules of the competition did not allow those who were on the International team count for their club teams, otherwise D.S.D., would have been clear winners in this age group.
The U.17 boys had no such difficulties as the club team of Conor Halpin, Aaron Donnelly, James Lenehan stormed to another team victory.
Ruadhan O’Grada (9th) did not let the mud bother him as he seemed to glide over it and made sure of team dominance followed home by Christian McKenna and Roly Mossop.
Once again we were undone by the rules of the competition in the Senior Men’s and Women’s races, as there were no team prizes in the club competition, although totalling the points at the finish showed D.S.D top, in both sections. Killian Mooney 15th; Robert Corbally 17th and Mark Molloy 25th, performed very well in a race dominated by a visiting Kenyan team.
Our senior women were particularly impressive in a top class international field with Maria McCambridge11th and Laura Shaughnessy 13th wearing the international Irish vest. Fiona Clinton was 23rd and Meghan Ryan 32nd.
Well done to all!
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1484565822298-N3W6YS7P92HC99BJ81OB/2017-01-16_09-48-07.jpg" alt="2017-01-16_09-48-07.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1484565847143-WCVV214CAZU96TKF6L7L/2017-01-16_09-50-02.jpg" alt="2017-01-16_09-50-02.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1484565868206-CQM0CJT3WAK0S9ST676J/2017-01-16_09-49-50.jpg" alt="2017-01-16_09-49-50.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1484565892865-XBRTMRQ73RXPBM2OYNYS/2017-01-16_09-47-12.jpg" alt="2017-01-16_09-47-12.jpg" />
<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5686de32a12f44306f7d3586/1484565937615-BSQTGXGH96E0KPCEPNQP/2017-01-16_09-47-12.jpg" alt="2017-01-16_09-47-12.jpg" />
Comments