Galway athletes shine at Connacht Cross Country Championships

DAY two of the Connacht Cross Country championships took place at a muddy and technical course at Westport last Sunday. The setting of Westport House provided a superb backdrop to an exciting day’s competition.

Ava McKeon won the U11 girls title for Ballinasloe and District AC, with a great run in the first race of the day. The Craughwell AC team took team silver on 66 points, with Caoimhe Connolly, Emily Miskella, Saoirse Moore and Rebekah Flynn comprising the scoring team. GCH girls Emma Moore, Gillian McGrath, Leah O’Connell and Eabha Brennan took the team bronze.

The U11 boys were next into battle in their 1500m race where Adam Stewart did excellently to take a fine individual silver medal for Craughwell AC. Athenry AC won took the bronze club team medal, with Calum Healy, Darragh McNelis, Mark O’Halloran and Adam Molloy scoring. Galway won the county section.

In the U13 girls event, the GCH girls team took the silver team medal via the efforts of Kara McCleane, who came home fourth overall,  Eimear Rowe, Mairead Flynn and Ella Tomczak. Galway won the county event.

Craughwell AC had a strong team performance in the U13 boys 2500m with Kyle Moorhead in 11th place, Gavin Lee in 13th, Sean Cotter 15th, Sean Cannon 16th, Liam Leen 17th and Finbar McFadden in 25th. Their score was good enough to take both the club and the county silver medals – all six featured as the scorers on the county team.

In the U15 boys 3500m, Oisin Lyons of Craughwell AC put in a great effort at the front to battle it out for the lead but eventually had to settle for 2nd place and the silver medal. Oisin was followed home by William Fitzpatrick in 6th. With Conor Lee in 8th place and Luke Finn and Gavin Forde in 19th and 20th respectively, it helped win silver medals for the Craughwell AC team with 35 points. Galway boys won the county event.

In the U17 girls 3500m, Craughwell’s Dearbhaile Walsh put in a strong last lap to take 5th place, followed closely by clubmates Caron Ryan in 6th, Grainne McDaid 8th and Ciara O’Boyle 12th. Their performance was good enough to take club gold with 31 points. All four also scored for the county team which won the gold medals as well. Ballinasloe’s Brian Burke won bronze at U17 boys level.

Ciara Greene of Craughwell AC had a terrific run in the U19 girls event as she took the individual silver medal, with Veronica Burke of Ballinasloe in third. Craughwell’s Damian O’Boyle and GCH’s Eoin Lyons took second and third respectively in the U19 Boys race with strong runs over an increasingly muddy course.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.