2022 Leinster Intermediate, Masters, Juv Relays

A lovely fresh start to the new year as 5 Kilkenny Juvenile teams take home medals from the Leinster Juvenile Cross Country relays in Dunboyne. 58 teams in total contested these events, with Meath team, Ratoath being outstanding on the day. KCH, Gowran and Thomastown occupied the podium positions, with St Senans AC being a notable absence in the girls u16, an age group they are particularly strong in.The excitement for underway with the girls u12 where KCH finished in 3rd place. The team of Amelia O’Brien, Jasmine Timmons McEneaney, Emma Kelly, Mollie-rose Keegan led for part of the race only to be over-taken by eventual winners Suncroft AC of Kildare.The boys u12 saw KCH get a silver beaten marginally by Rathoat. The Meath club always seem to perform at relay events. Thomastown was well represented on the day with their girls u14 team finishing 3rd in the 4 x 500m relay race. 13 teams started this age group with Rathoat once more claiming victory.Gowran took home two sets of medals, both of them bronze. The boys u12 team and the boys u14 team go back to Gowran with bronze medals hanging around their necks. Ruth Kennedy ran a strong, consistent race in the ladies Intermediate event to finish in 5th place, leading her Gowran club team mates home to a 4th place club position. The men’s intermediate county team finished 5th. Again unfortunately some athletes were missing through injury or covid. Eamonn O’Connor (KCH) led the team home in 16th place from club-mate Padriag Ruane. A fast pace was set up front by Gavin Eccles (Raheny) who did some great training sessions down in Kilmacow and Mooncoin over the Christmas. He attributed the country air and grassy fields to his convincing victory. Alexander Wallace of Kildare was 2nd with Eoin Smith of Meath in 3rd place. This has been the fastest ever Intermediate 8km cross country race.There were large fields in the mens masters with 102 athletes contesting podium spots. Kilkenny finished in 7th place in the county competition. James Kelly (Castlecomer) in his first year as a master and recently back from his honeymoon, led the county challenge home in a respectable 5th place. Kelly is no stranger to Dunboyne as he has run numerous Leinster and All Ireland Cross Country races at the Meath venue. The race was won by Irish International Mick Clohisey of Raheny. Mick has competed for Ireland latterly at the marathon and on several occasions the European Cross Country. With many distance athletes still peaking in their mid-30s this masters category often can produce some winners that are still well capable of making Irish senior teams. Clohisey was a class apart as he moved away from the field after a meagre 500m – producing the most convincing victory of the afternoon’s competition. In the chasing pack James Kelly, worked hard to get that podium finish. In the end he was only 13 seconds off a bronze medal.

NEWS FROM TULSA

This week saw a breakthrough by Shay McEvoy in the mile at the Arkansas Indoor Invitational meet. The KCH athlete had one of the highest finish of any of the Tulsa men, finishing the mile run in second place at 4:02.79 in his first indoor action of the season. This is a massive PB for Shay, who was left disappointed at not having made the Irish team for the u23 European Cross Country. This new PB will act as retribution for his non-selection. With a sub 4 minute mile surely on the cards before the season is though.

Results

Girls u12 4 x 250m 3 KCH (Amelia O’Brien, Jasmine Timmons McEneaney, Emma Kelly, Mollie-rose Keegan) 8 Gowran 9 KCH ‘B’

Girls u14 4 x 500 3 Thomastown (Amy O’Shea, Moya O’Shea , Katie O’Shea, Erin Morrissey, Holly Ryan) 12 Gowran

Boys u12 4 x 250m 2 KCH ( Daire O’Flaherty, Emmet Murphy, Peter Quinn, Aidan Malone) 3 Gowran (Aaron Carrigan , Milo Geraghty, David Carroll, Aidan Corrigan) 5 KCH ‘B’ 7 Thomastown

Boys u14 4 x 500 3 Gowran ( Tomas Carroll, Conor Carroll, Joe Hayes, Evan Ryan, Darragh Carroll)

Intermediate Ladies

5 Ruth Kennedy (G) 22 Katie O’Brien (G) 43 Helen Horan (G) 44 Orla Clear (G)

Intermediate Men

16 Eamonn O’Connor (KCH) 27 Padraig Ruane (KCH) 31 Dermot Cullen (KCH) 35 Jonathan Crowley (SS) 37 Johann Muller (G) 40 Darragh Buckley (SS)

Masters Men

5 James Kelly (CC) 62 Paul Vereker (SJ) 67 Paul Moran (KCH) 82 Patrick Aylward (SS) 89 Michael Ryan (SJ) 124 John Dempsey (SS) Masters Over 65: 18 Mick Walsh (G)