The grounds of Stormont estate hosted the annual NICSAC cross country on Saturday with healthy North Down numbers in attendance.
As is customary the junior races kicked off the day and Niamh Fenlon continued her great form with a 2nd place finish in the primary schools race. In the U13 race Tara McDonough finished 3rd and Hollie Massey crossed the line in 7th. Daniel Playfair recorded another 3rd place finish behind the same guys as in Wednesday’s Ulster Schools and Nathan Semple followed closely in 4th with Euan Adams having another strong run to finish 10th. In the U15 combined boys and girls Megan Briggs, Ella Andrews and Adam Skelly competed and Megan recorded a 5th place finish with Ella 15th and Adam 5th. Thomas Patterson and John Ewing led the ND boys to a team victory in the U17 race finishing 1st and 2nd with the assistance of Cameron Jenkins in 5th and James McCaughey in 7th.
The ladies race saw the trio of Rachel Gibson, Rio Catney and Sarah Lindsay take the winning team prize as they finished 4th, 6th and 9th in a quality field. Backup was provided in the form of Clare Quigley 12th, Clare Kennedy 13th and Sarah Benton 14th. Helen Byers, feeling buoyed after her earlier park run pb, came in next in 23rd and Jane Stevenson followed shortly afterwards in 25th. Heidi Rodgers, running with her Civil Service hat on, made it home in 32nd before the threesome of Joanne Cummings, Sarah Lockhead and Alison Wise made it home occupying positions 36 – 38.
Francis Marsh led the men’s team in finishing 6th, less than a minute behind the winner. David Massey and Nick Irvine were inseparable as they finished 32nd and 33rd and then Philip Ballie crossed the line in 41st. Nigel Playfair led the next triumvirate home in 62nd, Rab Martin, prepping for Sunday’s marathon with a cross country – 64th, and Alan Massey 66th. Michael Stevenson arrived next in 70th.