Tipperary Athletes perform well at National Cross Country Championships

Tipperary athletes made the long trip to Derry last Sunday for the National Senior & Under 20 Cross Country Championships.

While the course was relatively flat athletes had to contend with very soft and muddy conditions and strong winds.

In the women’s under 20 Junior race there were good performances from Jennifer O’Leary of Nenagh Olympic 35th (17.35), Eadaoin Duffy, Clonmel AC, 58th (18.06), Alice Meegan, Clonmel AC, 91st (18.56), Hannah Murray, Clonmel AC, 115th (19.24) and Lily Casey, Clonmel AC, in 23.01.

Clonmel AC had club teams in the combined U18 and U20 races where they finished in 10th & 14th respectively. Team members were Eadaoin Duffy, Alice Meegan, Hannah Murray & Lily Casey.

In the Junior men’s race we also had good performances from Diarmuid Moloney, Nenagh Olympic, who was 14th (14.39), Kevin Finn, Nenagh Olympic, 16th (14.43), Ben Walshe, Nenagh Olympic, 59th (15.26), Daire O’Donnell, Nenagh Olympic, 82nd (15.43) and Ruairi Walsh, Nenagh Olympic, in 22.11.

In the Senior Women’s 7.5k race we had good performances from Ciara O’Neill, Clonmel AC, 30th (29.12), Laura Cooney, Clonmel AC, 49th (30.26), Emma Murray, Clonmel AC, 78th (32.02). Both Laura and Emma were also in the under 23 category finishing 12th and 22nd respectively.

In the Senior men’s race we had good performances from athletes like Cian Hodgins, Nenagh Olympic, 31st (27.00), Daniel Ryan Ellis, Nenagh Olympic, 52nd (27.39), Luke Purcell, Nenagh Olympic, 58th (27.58), James Tanner, Nenagh Olympic, 84th (28.39) and Jamie Moloney, Nenagh Olympic, 104th (29.24).

In the under 23 event Cian was 10th, Daniel 19th, Luke 22nd, James 31st and Jamie 36th. In the Senior Inter Club team event Nenagh Olympic with such a very young team finished a very creditable 7th.

Juvenile

The first Tipperary interest came in the Boys U12 race. Darragh Joyce, Moyne AC, started the day off with a terrific performance to finish eighth and claim a National individual medal. This was a just reward for the high levels of consistency he has shown all year.

Darragh also featured as the third scorer on the Munster team who claimed the Inter-provincial title.

Tipperary also had a county team competing and they combined extremely well to finish in eighth place overall. Other scoring members were: Philip Croke, Dundrum AC, 27th; Kieran Girard, Nenagh Olympic AC, 43rd; Billy Heaney, Clonmel AC, 75th; Cian Long, Thurles Crokes AC, 88th, and Cormac Hanrahan, Nenagh Olympic AC, 112th.

Orlaith Frisby, Carrick-on-Suir AC was Tipperary's sole competitor in the Girls U14 race where she put in a brilliant performance to finish in 68th position.

Nenagh Olympic AC are no strangers to competing at the National Cross Country Championships and they were excellently represented by Michael Hynes in the Boys U14 race as he ran very well to finish in 48th position.

Tipperary had two representatives in the Girls U16 race in Caoimhe Slevin, Moyne AC, and Neasa Moloney, Mooreabbey Milers AC, who finished 67th and 101st respectively.

The two girls will return to the National Championships in a few weeks’ time looking to improve their positions at the Uneven races.

In the Boys U20/18 race Diarmuid Moloney led home a strong Nenagh Olympic contingent with a brilliant 14th place. He was closely followed by club mate Kevin Finn in 16th but due to the age group combination, Kevin also finished a brilliant fourth in the U18 race. Ben Walshe was next home for Nenagh in 59th place, Daire O’Donnell was next in 82nd and finally Ruairi Walshe was 204th.

Together they finished just outside the medals in the team competition in fifth place.