Nine of our athletes assembled at the Sligo horse racing course for the annual climax to the schools cross country on Saturday 5th March.
The first race of the day saw Amelia Tyler, Megan Briggs and the Turner twins, Alisha and Caitlin, compete in the Minor Girls. Amelia, running in an age group up from her own year band, contributed to Victoria College claiming 2nd team prize with an 8th place finish. Megan followed in 10th place after another athlete tried to relegate her into 11th beyond the finish line. Alisha finished in 61st and Caitlin, despite feeling unwell, 69th.
Jakob Swann tackled the 2.5K Minor Boys course finishing in a very credible 29th position. In the Junior Girls Murphy Miller ran a good race to finish in 10th place with John McNally 71st in the boys equivalent. The Intermediate Girls ran 3,500M, which is 2 laps of the race course, and Jessica Scott performed well to complete in 43rd place.
John McNally Jessica Scott
The last schools race of the day was the Senior Boys which consisted of 4 laps of the by now well trodden track. Craig McMeechan ran in the lead pack for the first couple of laps until the eventual winner, Kevin Mulcaire of St Flannans in Ennis, broke away. With the athletes stretched out Craig pursued Irish international runner Jack O’Leary in the last lap and succeeded in claiming 4th place. With it came selection for the Irish Schools team to run in the Home Countries cross country at Callender Pk Falkirk later this month. A superb performance from Craig in amongst athletes with international pedigree.
Craig McMeechan
http://www.athleticsireland.ie/downloads/eshop/ISAA_XC2016_RESULTS.pdf