Everard wins big at the Autumn Open

Autumn Open, National Cross-Country Relays and County Juniors and Masters accounted for the
competitive cross-country action on last week’s athletics calendar.

At the National Cross-Country course in Abbotstown Eoin Everard (KCH) cruised home for a convincing win in the Masters race.
The Kilkenny City Harriers girls u-11 had a superb win in the cross-country relays with the girls u13 taking silver.

Further south in Rosbercon, it was a county junior title for Michael O’Shea (Thomastown) in the boys and Caoimhe Barry (St Josephs) in the ladies.

AUTUMN OPEN

Thirty-four senior ladies along with thirty-eight junior ladies lined up for the World Athletics Cross Country Tour meeting at Abbotstown last Sunday.

It was the first big race of the season, ahead of the National Championships in five weeks’ time.

The race as usual is a good indication of form and where an athlete lies in terms of capability of making the Irish team for the European Cross Country. This will be held in Belgium on December 10 .

Racing from the county was Lauren Dearmody (Castlecomer) the 2023 County Senior champion.
Dearmody finished 17th in a strong field of athletes.

The race was won by Ide Nic Domhnaill (Limerick) with national 800m champion Louise Shanahan (Leevale) second.
Isabella Burke (KCH) finished 23rd in the Junior race. Eoin Everard won the masters race, sixteen seconds ahead of Michael Harty of East Cork.

Throughout the race, the county senior champion looked comfortable and never in danger of being beaten.

Everard has been running well on the track and country and of course indoors.

Early this year he had that magnificent win over 3000m at the world masters indoor championships.

The physiotherapist who champions Pilates as an essential ingredient for staying injury free, certainly seems to be an advertisement for his sports philosophy as he continues to race well into his masters years.

Runner-up to Everard at the county seniors two weeks ago was Cathal O’Reilly.

Michael O'Shea (Thomastown) county junior champion

O’Reilly finished 6th in the senior race last Sunday, getting the better of Everard this time by two seconds.

O’Reilly attempt to qualify for the u23 Irish team for the European Cross Country.

Ahead of him was Donegal’s Sean McGinley who will be endeavoring to achieve the same feat.

With more athletes yet to race, the nationals will prove an interesting race for those six places.

There are several athletes in the US such as Dean Casey, Scot Fagan and Abdul Ljabel who will be keen to make their mark.

The race was won by Keelin Kilrehill who finished 10th in last years u23 European Cross Country.

Absent was a number of athletes who are currently doing altitude training in St Moritz.

Billy Coogan (KCH) had a strong run in the Junior mens race where he held on for silver with seven seconds to spare from Sean Lawton (Durras).

The winner was Niall Murphy (Ennis) who coasted home with a twenty six second lead. Coogan is aiming to make the Irish junior team for the European Cross Country and looks poised to head in that direction later this season.

Lauren Dearmody (Castlecomer) racing in the Autumn Open

While not all the eligible juniors took part, Coogan will no doubt be ready to challenge them all at the Nationals which will be held in Gowran on November 19th. Myles Hewlett finished 10th with Ruairi McEvoy in 26th.

Thirty-one teams lined out for the girls u11 relays. A large field with teams from all four provinces.

The young Kilkenny City Harriers team were consistently in the mix for medals from the start of the 4x 250m race. The team of Kate Kelly, Ella O’Flaherty, Ellen Ryan, Julia Daly and Madeline Kemple fought hard for that gold medal over all four relay legs with a convincing victory over Dublin’s Metro St’ Bridgets and Limerick AC at the finish.

There were thirty-three teams in the girls u13 where Kilkenny City Harriers once again claimed medals.

Middleton AC proved just too strong for the Kilkenny girls. However, they did relegate Fergus AC to the bronze medal position.

The city club have a reputation of excellence in relay racing and this brings to close the national relay competitions for 2023.

COUNTY JUNIORS

Held at Rosbercon last Friday, St Josephs AC hosted the county juniors and masters over 40 championships.
In the first race of the evening Michael O’Shea (Thomastown) and Caoimhe Barry (St Josephs) both won their respective junior races.

O’Shea has had a string of superb performances recently, claiming silver in the Novice last weekend as well as bronze in the u19 race.

For Barry this is her first ever individual county championship title.

KCH Girls u11 National Cross Country relay champions

Adele Walsh (St Senans) proved that age is but a number as she looked ever consistent with her pacing storming home with a sizable victory in the ladies over 40 race.

Walsh who has been racing now for over two decades shows no sign of retiring soon.

St Joseph’s AC took the team title led home by Brenda Hennessey who took the individual silver.

JP Vereker (St Josephs) won the mens over 40 title.

Vereker finished 6th in last weeks novice championship in Castlecomer.

The St Josephs man was “delighted with the win”. He took the gold ahead of team-mate Bernard Keane. The team title was won by St Josephs AC. For the second weekend in succession Michael O’Keeffe (Thomastown) was in action for his club.

The Thomastown AC coach has been to the forefront of team activity this year, completing quartets over novice cross country and road events and bringing his club into the medals.

We can expect to see him in action in the over 50 race too.