The club’s annual cross country awards were held in the Aurora on Monday evening. Each of the category prize winners were presented with a trophy and the Chairperson, Valerie McDonough, said a few words about each of them.
Tara McDonough
Tara has had a very good season finishing well up the field in a number of local races. She had podium places at both the Comber Cup at the start of the season and at the Stormont XC at the end of the year. Tara also qualified for the Ulster team for the uneven (U13) age group cross country championships last autumn and for Co Down for the U14 champs. She also won the district school cross country championships for the second year in a row before securing her place in the all-Ireland school competition following a fourth place position in the Ulster qualifying round. She subsequently finished 14th at the all-Ireland championships in March. Tara was also selected for represent NI U13 girls for the mini-marathon in London yesterday where she was the third NI finisher.
Megan Briggs
It has been another great season for Megan. She took part in a number of local races, regularly securing a top three finish, and qualified for the Ulster team for both the even and uneven age group cross country championships last Autumn coming third in Rostrevor. She was 4th in both the district and Ulster school championships, before finishing 14th at the all-Ireland championships in March. She also helped St Columbanus win the Ulster team race in the Junior category and they proceeded to win silver in the all-Irelands.
Murphy Miller
Murphy continues to go from strength to strength and won a number of local races this season, including the Comber Cup and Malcolm Cup. She finished second in the even age group cross country championships before winning the uneven age group event. She then went on to come fourth in the all-Ireland even age group competition. Unfortunately a cold prevented her competing in the all-Ireland uneven event. She then won both the district and Ulster school championships, before an illness sadly struck again at the all-Ireland competition. She was also selected to represent NI at the mini-marathon in London yesterday whereupon she was the third NI finisher.
Jessica Craig:
Jessica has undoubtably, had her best XC season to date. In reverse order::::::
1st at the NI and Ulster Senior XC Championships. – leading her team and club to victory.
11th at the Home Countries International, representing NI.
2nd at the AAI Novice Champs in Dundalk in December
23rd at the AAI Senior Champs in Dublin
1st Malcolm Cup and Comber Cup
Jodi Smith:
Back on the international stage again this year, Jodi is one of the leading lady veteran XC athletes in NI. Represented NI at the British and Irish Masters International in Glasgow, picked to the Home International XC in Wales
1st at the NI & Ulster Intermediate XC in Derry
3rd at the NI & Ulster Senior XC in Lugan
2nd in age group at the IAAF XC in Greenmount
2nd at Stormont XC
Valerie McDonough
The next award goes to one of our very senior athletes who tries her best at all times. Undeterred by the increasing number of younger, faster ladies within the club, she slogs it around the various XC courses to take one for the club!! So great is her dedication to the club, she ran back to back races on the same da in Derry at the Intermediate C’ships. (once with the Masters and once with the Open Ladies) helping the Open team to a podium place. She also likes to do some club admin in her spare time. Prize for guessing who this person might be??
Daniel Playfair
Daniel joined the junior middle distance group this year and quickly established himself as one of the top under 13 runners in Northern Ireland. He has finished well up the field in a number of local races and won his age group’s race in the club’s festival of cross country relays. He took part in both the even and uneven age group cross country championships last autumn and finished second in the district school cross country championships and third in the Ulster qualifying round. Unfortunately his age group can go no further in this competition, but we hope to see him competing in the all-Irelands next season.
Adam Skelly
Despite usually having played a hockey match earlier in the day, Adam has regularly taken part in a number of local cross country races, usually finishing well up the field. He gained a top three finish in Moira and narrowly missed out on second place at his age group’s race in the club’s festival of cross country relays. He went one better than last year by qualifying for the Ulster school championships, where he finished in the top 20 and narrowly missed out on a place in the all-Ireland event.
Thomas Patterson:
Thomas had a great season rising up the ranks and participating in all age-group XC champs from Ulster/NI to all-Ireland with the following championship results: 13th Ulster clubs U17 and 15th Ulster clubs U16 before Christmas, then into 2017: 3rd district schools XC, 10th Ulster schools XC and 23rd all-Ireland XC at intermediate, then setting a massive pb over 5k of 16:38 at Queens. Thomas has suffered bad luck with injury, but will no doubt bounce back and dedicate himself to being even stronger in the future.
Craig: McMeechan
Craig completed a rare Ulster&NI double by taking both the U18 and U19 titles after winning the prestigious junior race in the Athletics Ireland autumn cross-country. Illness unfortunately affected some of Craig’s championship yet he still managed to string together a number of top tier performances with: 3rd All-Ireland U19 XC, 3rd Ulster schools XC and first Ulster&NI athlete home in the Celtic XC and Home country international events both held in South Wales.
Jamie McMeechan
Winner of the Boys U20 Smith Shield XC awards is Jamie McMeechan.
Jamie has developed into a regular (top 4 or 6) club scorer in the NI league and championship races, with fine runs at Rostrevor, the North West Open, Antrim XC and culminating in 37th in the NI & Ulster Senior Championships. However, Jamie’s big PB on the roads of 35:13 in the Seeley 10k was perhaps the biggest highlight of his year.
David Massey:
2nd NDAC runner at Mighty Oaks XC
3rd NDAC runner at Malcolm Cup
6TH M40 Interational XC
I think it may also have been his first season running XC for the club.
Francis Marsh
Combining coaching, post graduate study and his own personal training and competition did not deter Francis from excelling in his new age group this year. His achievements included:
1st m50 bobby rea
2nd M50 comber cup
2nd m50 Northwest xc
2ND M50 International XC
3rd at Lurgan. Also 2nd club man home at Lurgan in 24th.
Also on all our scoring teams in the XC League
Frankie Rea
Another of our athletes to move age group this year was Frankie Rea. Frankie enjoys the trails and XC and his successes included:2nd m60 comber cup
1st m60 Mcconnell
2nd M60 at Mighty Oaks
2nd M60 at Interational XC
Also Sperrin trail races 5/5 age group wins.