Munster Cross Country Championships - Even Ages October 23rd 2011

Post date: Oct 25, 2011 11:48:30 AM

The Munster Cross Country Championships for the even ages U/10 to U/18 were held in Newmarket-on-Fergus Co. Clare on 23rd October. The course was difficult, muddy in places and there was a hilly field in the 1500m loop for the U/14 and upwards.

We had three girls competing in the G/10 race. Kerrie Barrett and Lucy O' Keefe ran very well and were so unlucky in the closing stages of the race. Both girls just missed out on Cork medals with Kerrie being the 7th Cork girl in 15th and Lucy the 8th Cork girls in 18th place. Hazel Nolan who is only under 9 ran in her first Munsters and did very well comng in 90th place.

Evan O' Keefe also ran in the B/10 race showing great improvement this year; he finished in a good 56th place.

The club had four girls competing in the G/12 race with Rebecca O' Sullivan coming in 74th, Karynn Collins in 97th, Sarah Williams in 99th and Aine O' Regan in 101st in a very big field. Well done to Aine who had been very sick all the previous day for completing the race - this shows great team spirit.

Killian Nolan was the first scorer in the Boys U/12 coming in a very strong 13th; he was so unlucky just to miss out on an individual medal. Killian was the third scorer for Cork which won the inter-county competition. Jake McCarthy running up an age had a great run to finish in 24th place and was the 7th boy in for Cork. Next in was Matthew Cody in 59th and Eoin O' Brien in 64th. Well done lads!

The club also had a team in the G/14. Jennifer Hennessy fought hard in the closing stages of the 3,000m race and had a superb finish to come in third. She was the first scorer for Cork which finished 2nd in the inter-county section. Next in was Emily O' Keefe in 55th, Tara Murphy in 58th and Jayne O' Sullivan in 64th. Well done girls!

Fearghal Curtin led from the 1000m stage with a 20m lead and opened up the lead to win by a considerable margin to win the Munster B/14 title; he also won a bronze inter-county medal.

Sarah O' Sullivgan finished strongly in another competitive field in 30th place in the G/16 race.

Patricia Curtin was 25th in the G/18 race and won a bronze inter-county medal. Well done on completing this gruelling 5000m course.

It is a tremendous achievement for the club to have six athletes who have qualified for the National Cross Country Championships in Sligo racecourse on 27th November next as follows;

Boys 12 - Killian Nolan on the Munster and Cork u/12 teams; Jake McCarthy on the Cork u/12 team

Girls 14 - Jennifer Hennessy on the Munster and Cork G/14 teams

Boys u14 - Fearghal Curtin on the Munster and Cork B/14 teams

Girls U/16 - Sarah O' Sullivan on the Cork G/16 team

Girls U/18 - Patricia Curtin on the Cork u/18 team.