Tipperary Athletics Scene

Munster Novice & Juveile Cross Country Championships: Moycarkey/Coolcroo AC hosted a very successful Munster Juvenile & Novice Cross Country Championships last Sunday on the Hayes’ family farm.

Conditions underfoot were very good but athletes had to contend with a strong cold headwind at times.

In the Novice Women 4k race over two laps, Tipperary athletes performed very well when finishing strongly over the final stages to get their clubs on the podium, winning silver and bronze team medals.

We had good performances from Ruby Caroll Clonmel AC 8th, Lisa Quinlan Moyne AC 14th, Catherine Fogarty Dundrum AC 15th, Mary Keane Dundrum AC 16th, Tanya O’Brien Fethard AC 17th, Kate Wall Clonmel AC 20th, Lisa Byrne Clonmel AC 21st, Sareen Walsh Clonmel AC 24th, Jessica Kennedy Fethard AC 25th, Laura McCarthy Armstrong Dundrum AC 26th, Joan Stakelum Thurles Crokes AC 28th, Aine Roche Fethard AC 29th, Laura Carey Thurles Crokes AC 30th, Emily Leahy Dundrum AC 31st, Eimear Bell Thurles Crokes AC 32nd, Martina Ryan Thurles Crokes AC 34th, Aimee Gallagher Thurles Crokes AC 35th, Maria Carroll Fethard AC 36th, Fiona Judge Thurles Crokes 38th, Rachel Ryan Thurles Crokes 39th and Bernie O’Rahilly Thurles Crokes 41st.

The Clonmel team of Ruby, Kate, Lisa & Sareen won the silver inter-club medals. The Dundrum AC team of Catherine, Mary, Laura & Emily won the inter club bronze medals.

MEN

The Men’s 6k race over three laps was also very competitive. Here a group of three athletes went clear at the end of the first lap and they included Conor Flaherty of Clonmel AC. They were still together going out on the final lap, then midway through this lap, James Dillon of Lios Tuathail AC, made the decisive break to go on to win but Conor battling all the way to the finish to win the bronze medal.

Tipperary had great running from athletes like Barry Hartnett Dundrum AC 5th, Alex Crowley Thurles Crokes 10th, Tom O’Connell Dundrum AC 18th, Albert Maher Dundrum AC 21st and Ross McCarthy Clonmel AC 22nd. These athletes combined very well to win the inter-county bronze medals.

We also had good performances from Mark Corcoran Nenagh Olympic 24th, John Treacy Thurles Crokes 26th, Denis McCullagh Thurles Crokes AC 27th, Tony Fitzgerald Nenagh Olympic AC 29th, Dylan McLaughlin Thurles Crokes 31st, Eugene O’Keeffe Carrick-on-Suir AC 34th, Shane White Dundrum AC 35th, Paul Bradshaw Dundrum AC 37th, Lorcan O’Keeffe Clonmel AC 39th, Ewan Cunningham Mooreabbey Milers AC 42nd, Peter Maher Thurles Crokes AC 48th, Michael Carroll Clonmel AC 50th, Liam Fahey Fethard AC 51st, Jim Halley Dundrum AC 54th, Michael Moore Dundrum AC 55th and Michael Croom Carroll Fethard AC 58th. The Dundrum AC team of Barry, Tom, Albert & Shane won the inter-club bronze medals.

In the Women’s Under 20 Championship, there were good performances from Alice Meegan Clonmel AC 17th, Eadaoin Duffy Clonmel AC 18th, Alana Spillane Moyne AC 20th, Maggie Anthony Carrick on Suir AC 26th, Kate Delaney Moyne AC 32nd, Hannah Murray Clonnel AC 35th, Mairead Duggan Moyne AC 41st and Lily Casey Clonmel AC 45th. Tipperary finished fourth in the Inter-County competition while Clonmel AC were fifth in the Inter-Club event.

In the Under 20 Men’s race, Donnacha Browne Nenagh Olympic finished 18th.

JUVENILE

In the Girls U10, Nenagh Olympic’s Emily Hickey, claimed an individual medal with a brilliant fourth place finish. Clubmate, Sarah Egan, also produced a terrific run to finish in eighth position and secured an individual medal.

The Nenagh Olympic medal winning streak continued in the Boys U10 race as MJ Leahy and Donnie Cawley finished in sixth & 11th position respectively.

Tipperary also had two athletes finish inside the top 12 in the Girls U12 race as Moyne AC athletes Poppy Shanahan and Newport AC athlete Freya Schwanke finished 10th and 12th. These two girls have now individually qualified for the National Championships in November.

Jacob Bourke of Newport AC was the first Tipp athlete across the finish line in the U12 Boys race finishing in 25th position.

Orlaith Frisby of Carrick-on-Suir AC secured herself an individual medal and a spot at the National Championships as she finished in 11th position in the Girls U14 race. Michael Haynes of Nenagh Olympic AC was unlucky to miss out on a top 12 finish and individual medal in the Boys U14 race where he finished in 13th position.

Neasa Moloney stormed her way to a third place finish in the Girls U16 race. There were two Tipp athletes inside the top 12 in the Boys U16 race with Albert Maher of Dundrum AC finishing in fourth place while Nenagh Olympic AC’s Ignacio Rodriguez Sanchez came home in eighth place.

Team results for U10-16 were not available at time of publication.

Munster Senior Cross Country Championships: Next Sunday’s action takes place in Conna with the Munster Senior Women & Mens Cross Country Championships along with the second day of the Juvenile Championships. Hopefully the County will be well represented in these Championships.