National and regional medals for local athletics stars

It was a very busy week in the world of athletics with competitions for secondary schools, universities and then the athletics Ireland organized ones.

Not to mention of course countless round races, American races and mind-blowing performances by Irish athletes on the international stage.

While national records were being set by Sarah Healy and Rashida Adeleke, national and regional medals were being claimed by our Kilkenny athletes.

Sophie Jackman competing for Trinity College took a bronze in the Inter-varsity indoor 800m. At the East Munster Schools Cross Country Eve Dunphy won the Senior Schools title representing the Abbey Community College.

In the minor boys Zak Fenton took gold with Lewis Morgan taking silver.

Meanwhile at the Leinster Schools Cross Country in the Phoenix Park, Kyrell Mtinsi took silver in the Junior boys with Billy Coogan taking bronze in the senior boys.

Moving to the All-Ireland B Cross Country Championships in Dundalk on Sunday Katie O’Shea (Thomastown) finished 3rd u15.

In the Boston, Peter Lynch (KCH) competed in the Boston University Invitational 5km Indoors and won his heat in a new personal best of 13.31, putting him to fifth on the all-time list.

Leinster Schools Cross Country

There was plenty of success at the Leinster Schools Cross Country last Wednesday, when teams from St Kieran’s College, Loreto, CBS Kilkenny and the Presentation had athletes all qualify for the All-Ireland schools next month.

In total thirteen individuals and six teams qualified for the Nationals next month.

David Williams (UCD), Sophie Jackman (TCD) and Gearoid Long (UCC) at the Inter-Varisties

The top fifteen athletes in each age group will qualify as individuals with the top three teams in each race also going through to the All-Ireland’s.

The venue for this year’s Leinster Schools Cross Country was the Phoenix Park - a departure from the usual venue of Santry. With the Papal Cross in the background, the Kilkenny athletes donned their school jerseys and cast aside their club ones for the occasion.

In the first race of the day, the minor girls - Amelia O'Brien finished 7th and led the Loreto Girls to second team. Katie Byrne (St Mary's New Ross) finished 8th with Amy Walsh finishing 10th.

Amy of course won the Anadulasian Race Walking Championships in Guadix, Spain recently. Joining Amelia and Amy on the Loreto girls team will be: Aisling Fitzpatrick, Threasa Dearmody, Lauren Phelan, Heather Shillingford, Molly Gannon and Sophie Ryan.

In the Minor Boys the only qualifier was Gearoid Farrell (St Kieran's) who finished 13th. Gearoid was of course participating as part of a St Kieran’s minor team that also consisted of Ben Fitzgerald, Padraig Doolan, Tom Butler, Harry Phelan, Darragh Carroll, Hugo Carroll and David Timmons.

The team finished in 7th position out of the sixteen taking part.

The Presentation, Kilkenny had a fine win in the Junior girls. They were led home by Sinead Cormack who made light work of the course to finish 5th.

She was followed by her twin sister Ellen in 22nd and the scoring members of the team was completed by Kara Kavanagh in 32nd. This was a very closely contested race where just nine seconds separated the top eleven athletes.

The race was won by Rachel Keaney, niece of the famous Ray Flynn who held the Irish mile record until relatively recently. Sinead Cormack was in the leading pack with Keaney with 150m to go, where Keaney made another attempt to push ahead, this time succeeding.

Katie O’Shea and Lucy Cunningham

While the group separated somewhat, it was still anyone’s race as the athletes drew towards the finish.

Cormack can be confident of a good race in the All-Irelands next month. The junior race of course is one of two age groups that has places on the Irish team for the SIAB international up for grabs.

While Keaney may have pedigree on her side, so too do the Cormack twins. Their aunt Sinead Delahunty not only competed for Ireland but also did so at two World Championships, and the Olympics in 1996 and 2000.

In the Junior boys Kyrell Mtinsi, had yet another superb run - finishing second on this occasion. This year it was his old rival Charlie O'Neill (Belvedere) who got the better of Mtinsi.

That close finish from 2023 where Mtinsi claimed victory was not going to be forgotten by O'Neill. The Belvedere College student was not going to be faced with a head-to-head down to the finishing tunnel with Mtinsi this time.

Instead he took control of the pace early on and pushed ahead, wanting to tire out his opponents. His strategy worked as he forged ahead through the race, the rest of the field unable to stay with him.

This time it was Mtinsi and Adam Noone who battled for second and third place.

The killer kick playing to Mtinsi’s advantage. St Kieran's finished 3rd with Paul Millea, Max Edwards and Sam McAviney completing the quartet.

These three were supported by Sam McAviney, Michael O’Keeffe, Oisin Maher, Jack Renehan and James Lyons.

Also qualifying for the All-Ireland schools is Robert Coogan (CBS, Kilkenny) who finished 7th overall. A good race from the first year CBS student.

Jordan Knight (DCU) at the IUAA

It was the Presentation, Kilkenny, that were once more to the fore in the Inter girls race. Emily Bolton (Mount Anville) as expected was the runaway winner.

Katie O’Shea representing the presentation was the first Kilkenny lady home, finishing in 10th place. With her twin sister Amy in 34th and Clodagh O'Callaghan in 35th, the presentation finished third.

This scoring trio will be joined by Eimear Cormack.

Loreto finished in 3rd place in the Senior girls with Pia Langton leading the team in 8th. She was followed by Isabella Burke in 12th and the trio was competed by Lelia Mahon in 49th.

Aoife Fitzgerald and Ruth Coady made up the remainder of the Loreto team. The Senior girls race was very competitive with the inclusion of Dublin in the region.

Ahead of Pia were several girls who made international teams including the recent Celtic International in Scotland.

The Senior Boys from Kilkenny did very well with three schools dipping in for All-Ireland qualification. The race was won by Cormac Dixon (Rathcoole) who was chased hard by Noah Harris (WIcklow).

Billy Coogan (CBS) was the first Kilkenny man to cross the line and he finished 3rd.

Coogan took the race out with one intention, to get a Leinster title in his final year in secondary school. Dixon was the 2023 Leinster Senior Champion having taken a surprise victory over Jonas Stafford on that occasion.

Pushing hard with both Dixon and Harris on his heels, Coogan led the trio away from the main field of athletes.

Jack Hickey (UL) a member of the winning UL 4x200 replay

Louis Woodger (who tends to start off fast and then fade) along with Cillian Gleeson who has a tendency to do the same, hung on to the trio for dear life for about 3km, before falling back unable to keep pace. Coogan paid the price for his early endeavors when the ambitious but young Harris decided to take a stake on the title.

Cormac Dixon had other plans. The final stages of the race turned into a Dixon versus Harris battle with Dixon successfully defending the title he won last year.

Billy Coogan finished 3rd after a great race and led his CBS team into third place.

The team consisted of Paddy Kelly, Tadgh Ryan, Matthew McCarthy and Evan Walsh. Callum Barron (Good Counsel) was 6th with Ruairi McEvoy (St Kieran's) in 10th, both of these also going through to the All-Ireland’s in March.

East Munster Schools Cross Country

While most of the county athletes were participating in the Leinsters those at the south of the county attend schools that fall into the Munster Region.

Representing predominantly the Abbey Community College and De La Salle Waterford, but also including St Declan’s Kilmacthomas, Newtown College and Yeats College, eleven individuals and three teams made it through to the Munster Championships in Cork in two weeks’ time.

In contrast to the flat terrain at the foot of the papal cross in Dublin, Carriagnore is hilly, muddy and one of the most difficult cross-country courses in the country. So much so that in last years All Ireland Schools held at the same location, an unprecedented number of athletes, many of them top athletes collapsed as the approached the final stages of their respective races or after the finish.

The enormous volume of rain that fell in the area last Wednesday did not help matters either. The water was like ponds on the course prior to the races starting. Walking as a spectator was a challenge.

The day started off with much success as three Kilkenny athletes finished in the top fifteen, with the Abbey Community College having the first two finishers.

It is a shame they did not have a team for the occasion. The race itself was not without incident.

Presentation winners of the Junior Girls team

On the second lap the leading athletes went astray, and the entire field followed them, leaving officials in a quandary.

Thankfully with all the athletes following suit (ducking under the wires included) no one was put at a disadvantage.

Zak Fenton looked strong from start to finish, dismissing any notion of anyone challenging him at any stage of the race.

Equally convincing was Lewis Morgan who was also unchallenged.

These two athletes should expect to go well at the Munster Championships in Cork. Joining them will be Finn Kavanagh (DLS) who finished 11th.

There was one Kilkenny representative in the Junior boys race; Kye Griffiths. Kye ran an excellent race, always in the top five and not far off the top three finishers.

He was closing down on the top three over the final spring into the tunnel. His fifth place could be improved upon at Munster’s.
Abigail O’Regan (St Declans) displayed a touch of class in the Inter girls.

Despite carrying a hip injury that plagued her on the long climbs she battled on, choosing to be content in second place that risk further damage by increasing the pace to the finish. She navigated the mucky hills with easy and looked comfortable throughout the entire race. Behind her Charlotte Carpendale was 5th and not far off the 3rd and 4th runner. Caoimhe Barry finished 6th. It was unfortunate the girls did not have another athlete to make up a team, a win would have been possible.

Like O’Regan, Eve Dunphy (Abbey CC) displayed a touch of class as she comfortably glided to victory in the Senior girls. Never challenged for her lead and always looking comfortable despite the atrocious under-foot conditions, Dunphy looks to be a contender for a medal at the Munsters. The Abbey team took the gold (just as they did for Minor back five years ago with the same team: Eve Dunphy, Niamh Cleary and Keelin Duggan.

Myles Hewlett won the senior boys in what was the last race of the day. Having moved to Yeats College to complete his leaving cert, he has switched not only counties but also provences as a result of the move. More accustomed to competing in Leinster, the Wexford native was not quiet sure what to expect. He won with easy. Ben Wallis (Newtown College) also finished in the top ten and was instrumental in taking his school to team victory.

IUAA

The Irish Inter-varsity indoors were held on Saturday in Abbotstown with seven Kilkenny athletes taking part, this time swapping their club vests for that of their university and in the process competing against their club-mates.

Zak Fenton and Finn Kavanagh and Lewis Morgan, at the East Munster Schools

Jordan Knight (DCU), pictured right, had a busy day. Competing with DCU he finished 4th in the high jump with a leap of 1.75m. Next up was the Long Jump where he also finished 4th with a leap of 6.53m. His main event of the day was the pentathlon where he was 4th, but not too far off 3rd place. His long jump proved the strongest event where he was head of the pentathlon table with his 60m hurdles the weakest. Jordan was twenty-one on the day. It was not quiet the location he had planned to celebrate his twenty first birthday. However, it is probably fitting given that most of his life to date has been spent in athletics and has toured the country racing on all its tracks.

Sophie Jackman representing Trinity College had a good run and a new indoor PB to boost in the 800m. Qualifying for the final witha first round of 2.16 - she lined up three hours later for the final. Susie Nestor (UCD) Sarah Lane (DCU) and Sophie (TCD) took on the race with 300m to go. These three pulled away from the rest of the field and it was Sophie who took the bronze. A good race and a PB is always a good result. Sophie was also part of the Trinity mixed relay that was 2nd. Taking the baton she managed to move the team into first place in her heat.

David Williams (UCD) and Gearoid Long (UCC) took part in the 1500m. David finished 4th overall in a race that was probably more strategic from the onset. The first lap saw Aaron Shorten race off ahead leaving the rest of the field to consider their options. After a slow first 400m, the pace started to ramp up with Williams with the leaders. The pack caught Shorten after 600m. With 200m David looked like he might challenge for 3rd and came back again closing over the last 60m to be just half a second off the bronze medal and closing fast. Williams was awarded with a two second personal best. This was the second PB he had earned in three days. Earlier in the week he raced over 800m at the Track and Field live and took one second off his 800m personal best.

Gearoid Long was in heat 2 and won in fine style - looking very strong. Pushed by Daniel Buckley all the way, he was on course for a personal best. However, Buckley died over the final 400m leaving Long to forge ahead on his own chasing that PB. Which he also achieved and finished 8th overall between the three heats.

Cillian Dunne (SETU) ran in the 800m and finished 3rd in his heat. This was unfortunately not enough to qualify him for the final. But great experience gained from his first of hopefully many IUAA indoors.

There were two other Kilkenny athletes, though not strictly from Kilkenny clubs - Katie Bergin racing for UCC finished 3rd in the 60m and Jack Hickey racing for UL in the 200m. Katie is double u23 Indoor Championship having won the 60m and 200m last month. Bergin easily won her heat, in a new personal best of 7.56, earning her a place in the final. Storming from the blocks Bergin raced to another new personal best, when she finished 3rd in 7.55. UCC took bronze in the 4 x 200m relay with Katie part of the quartet. Jack Hickey (UL) took part in the 200m but did not make the final. The Urlingford man was however, part of the winning UL 4x200m relay team. A race that saw a thrilling final dual that was only decided on the line.

All-Ireland B Juvenile, Intermediate and Masters Cross Country

Dundalk IT was the venue for the All-Ireland B Juveniles, Intermediate and Masters Cross Country. In sunny but pleasantly cold conditions, six hundred and thirty-four juveniles from all over the country descended upon the Louth venue. A venue that has hosted this event on several previous occasions. Race statistics can often lead to interesting finds. For example, the under 11 girls had the most finishers with one hundred and twenty-nine athletes crossing the line. This is a stark contrast to the nineteen boys u17 that finished. Kilkenny clubs or the county did not feature in the top counties or clubs for the number of participating athletes. The numbers from competing from the county were lower than other years, perhaps due more to the looming indoors rather than the fact that it is Cross Country.

Gowran AC had seven juveniles taking part, with one individual medal. James Kelsey finished 8th in the boys u17 race. Heidi Ryan had an excellent race in the one hundred and eleven strong field u13. Ryan finished in 29th place.

In the girls u11 Kilkenny City Harriers had a team, that was led home by Ella O’Flaherty in 36th place. The team of Ella, Casey Cleere, Mealla Crowley and Grace O’Shea finished 10th. St Senans finished 6th team led home by Amy Walsh in 27th.

Tom Hardiman and Johnny Carroll (KCH) both had excellent races finishing 16th and 17th respectively. The KCH team were unfortunate not to finish in a medal position as they took 4th spot out of the fifteen teams that took part. St Senans led home by Aaron Walsh in 49th finished 15th team.

While those competing u13 and 15 tried their best on the mucky course, no medals emerged. The girls u17 was unsually higher than the boys in terms of participation. Caoimhe Barry (St Josephs) finished 11th, earning an individual medal. James Kelsey (Gowran) finished 8th in the u17 boys. He was followed by Evan Walsh (St Josephs) in ninth and Evan Aylward (St Senan’s) in 11th.

James Kelly (Castlecomer) was the first Kilkenny man home when he finished 12th in the Intermediate race. With a muddy carpet of brown slimy earth now carpeting the entire path in Dundalk IT, there was little any athlete could do, expect run through it had hope your spikes do not come off. Kelly is an ardent Cross Country runner, who has raced in all sorts of conditions and the conditions in Dundalk did not phase him in the least. This was cross-country afterall. Gowran AC had a team of four athletes. Matthew Holland, the youngest member of the quartet led the team home in 33rd place. The team finished 7th overall. Matt Ryan (Gowran) took part in the over 35 masters and finished 197th out of a large field of 199 athletes. Mick Walsh (Gowran) finished 37th in the over 65 masters.

Success for Lynch in Boston

Peter Lynch may have been disappointed at not making the Irish team for the European Cross Country last December. In the aftermath of that race, he has been training and racing well. On St Stephen’s day Lynch finished 2nd to Sean Tobin in Clonmel, running a new personal best. Last Sunday he won his heat in the Boston Valentine Invitational 5000m in a new personal best of 13.31, putting him to fifth on the all-time list. Racing in his KCH singlet, he pulled away from Notre Dame’s Vincent Mauri over the final 400m to finish over four seconds ahead of Mauri. The outright winner was Ahmed Muhumed racing for the Hoka Elite team. Muhumed recorded a time of 13.16.99 to take the gold. This was also a personal best for him.