Incredible Performances in Primary Schools Cross-country
The Galway AAI primary schools cross-country was held today in mostly fine weather conditions in Renmore.
It was an incredible day for the club, winning 2 individual titles and all 4 team titles, with many other athletes making it into the medals as individuals.
The day belonged to Craughwell NS who won all four team titles with some fantastic team running. To my knowledge, its the first time the school won a team race at county level in this competition – having finished in 3rd place in both boys and girls races in 2003, 3rd place in boys race in 2004 and 2nd place in girls race in 2005. To win both the senior boys race and the senior girls race is unusual and perhaps a feat never achieved before. To also win the newly introduced 3rd/4th class boys race and 3rd/4th class girls race is absolutely remarkable. Read on for details of finishing positions.
Sharing in the limelight, Linda Porter (Ballymana NS) and Padraic Hannon (Carrabane NS) put in top-notch races to win the individual titles in the senior girls 1000m and 3rd/4th boys 800m races.
Well done to all!
The races kicked off with the 3/rd/4th Class Girls 800m around 12.15pm. The Craughwell NS team placed 4 runners in the top 16 with a very low score of 37 points to win team gold. Runners and finishing positions from the club and local schools were:-
5 | Sarah Molloy | Craughwell NS |
6 | Gabrielle Tobin | Craughwell NS |
8 | Sineád Treacy | Carrabane NS |
10 | Maeve O'Connor | Craughwell NS |
16 | Tara Keady | Craughwell NS |
29 | Tara McNally | Kilnadeema NS |
30 | Shauna Burke | Craughwell NS |
35 | Karina Coppinger | Craughwell NS |
This was followed by the 3rd/4th class boys race where the club had several runners from different schools. Craughwell NS again placed very strongly with 4 runners in the top 17 to give a team score of 41 points and take the gold medal. In the individual race, Padraic Hannonn (Carrabane NS) had a great battle for 1st place and finished very strongly to take the gold medal. Results from the club and local schools were:-
1 | Padraic Hannon | Carrabane NS |
5 | Liam Sheehan | Craughwell NS |
7 | Brian Concannon | Brackloon NS |
8 | Matthew Freaney | Craughwell NS |
11 | Keelin Ryan | Craughwell NS |
15 | Aidan Conneely | Oranmore Boys NS |
17 | Davy Kerse | Craughwell NS |
24 | Jamie Spelman | Oranmore Boys NS |
21 | Michael Roache | Craughwell NS |
33 | Patrick Phillips | Craughwell NS |
36 | Oisin McNally | Kilnadeema NS |
50 | Niall O'Donnell | Gort |
Next race up was the 5th/6th class girls 1000m and yet again, Craughwell NS put in a very strong team performance to take the gold position with a total of 40 points. High-light of this race was Linda Porter's strong run to take the gold medal in the individual race. Results from the club and local schools were:-
1 | Linda Porter | Ballymana NS |
6 | Katie O'Donoghue | Craughwell NS |
8 | Orla McDaid | Craughwell NS |
9 | Laura Porter | Ballymana NS |
10 | Debbie Kenny | Craughwell NS |
16 | Sinead Gaffney | Craughwell NS |
21 | Maria McNamara | Craughwell NS |
18 | Muireann Maloney | Carrabane NS |
25 | Caoimhe Quill | Craughwell NS |
26 | Ailbhe Greaney | Craughwell NS |
38 | Ella Bryan | Carrabane NS |
40 | Mairead McCan | Craughwell NS |
46 | Rosie Moran | Craughwell NS |
49 | Dearbhla Maloney | Carrabane NS |
60 | Tara Garman | Craughwell NS |
72 | Josephine Farrell | Craughwell NS |
87 | Sarah Furey | Ballymana NS |
93 | Vivien Grazeidei | Carrabane NS |
94 | Hannah Cahill | Ballymana NS |
97 | Aine Kenny | Ballymana NS |
99 | Ellen Treacy | Ballymana NS |
100 | Triona Larkin | Ballymana NS |
101 | Ursula Curley | Ardrahan NS |
102 | Kate Dundon | Craughwell NS |
104 | Sarah Connolly | Ballymana NS |
107 | Nikki Cannon | Ballymana NS |
109 | Holly Whiriskey | Ballymana NS |
110 | Claire Meehan | Ballymana NS |
Final race of the day was the 5th/6th class boys 1000m where Craughwell NS completed a historic clean sweep of the team golds by winning with a score of 64 points. There was dissapointment for Craughwell NS duo Ross Haverty who had to pull out during the race due to sickness and Padraic Tobin who struggled through the race with an injury. Both will be back in better form in races to come this season. Results of club athletes and local schools in this race were as follows:
7 | David Concannon | Brackloon NS |
10 | Paul Joyce | Craughwell NS |
13 | Jack Raftery | Craughwell NS |
14 | Patrick Prendergast | Craughwell NS |
22 | Shane Caulfield | Carrabane NS |
23 | Conor Lally | Craughwell NS |
26 | Paul Fitzpatrick | Craughwell NS |
28 | Jason Kennedy | Ballyglas NS |
29 | PJ Kelly | Dooras NS |
34 | Cathal Coppinger | Craughwell NS |
36 | Cormac Dillon | Carrabane NS |
41 | Peter Treacy | Ballymana NS |
48 | Padraic Tobin | Craughwell NS |
50 | Luke Uniake | Carrabane NS |
52 | Cathal Reidy | Ballymana NS |
61 | Brendan Forde | Ballyglas NS |
67 | Brian Dolan | Ballymana NS |
69 | Nigel Kennedy | Ballyglas NS |
70 | Christopher O'Connor | Carrabane NS |
74 | Niall Maher | Carrabane NS |
75 | Sven Hadley | Ballymana NS |
76 | John Moynihan | Ballymana NS |
77 | Conor Farrell | Craughwell NS |
89 | David Mangan | Carrabane NS |
96 | Liam Dundon | Craughwell NS |
99 | Paul Cannon | Ballymana NS |
106 | Micheál Costello | Craughwell NS |
121 | Ronan Brennan | Ballymana NS |
123 | Aaron Brerton | Ballymana NS |
124 | Cieran Howley | Ballymana NS |
128 | Sean Jackson | Ballymana NS |
129 | Francis Donoghue | Craughwell NS |