The dual U12 and U13 2008 Dublin cross
country champion Evan Flynn was again in top form in Marlay Park last
Sunday. After qualifying for the Nationals with a 4th place finish in
the U14 championships the previous week in Raheny he again put in
another superb performance. Leading the field of runners in the U13
1200m contest, he gradually increased the pace as they wound their way
around the course and after putting daylight between himself and his
nearest rivals and never in danger of being challenged, he finished
strongly to comfortably claim the Dublin title. Judging by his current
form he will make a bold bid for a podium position when he contests
the Nationals Championships on 6th December in Coleraine, Co Derry,
but before that he will be seeking to make the medals and help Dublin
to inter county & regional team honours when he competes in the U14
Nationals in Kilbeggan on 29th of this month.
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Dublin U13
championEvan Flynn, Conor Murray U14 bronze medalist and Sean Mc
Cabe U15 & U16 medalist |
Joining him in the quest for National honours
will be a number of juvenile members of the club, who also put in some
fine performances to win individual medals and qualification on the
Dublin teams. Amongst them were Evans training partners, U14 bronze
medallist from the previous weeks meet, Conor Murray and U16 qualifier
Sean Mc Cabe who both made the cut after they finished 7th and 10th
respectively in the U15 contest and both should at least return with
Inter County medals.
Earlier in the day Seamus Noone and Christopher Duffy (medalists at
U10 the previous week) also won individual medals and qualification
after they finished 6th and 8th respectively in the U11 800m contest.
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Seamus Noone |
Christopher Duffy |
Roisin O’ Hanlon who had already qualified as
a member of Dublin team for the U18 Championships in Kilbeggan at the
end of this month will also be representing the Capital at U19 degree
for the National Championships in Coleraine, after she ran another
good race to finish 7th, whilst Jaqui Boyle will also be looking
forward to returning to her native county when she runs for the Dublin
team in the Inter County Novice Championships.
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Roisin O’ Hanlon
representing Dublin at U18 & U19 and Jaqui Boyle representing
Dublin in the Novices |
Amongst our other competitors who did well in
Marlay were U10 individual medalist and team silver medalist in
Raheny, James Ackerman who finished 28th in the U11 800m contest,
Ronan Mc Enaney, stepping up a year was 16th in the U13 1200m and
Kayleigh Clarke and Ciara Carley both did well in the U13 girls
1,000m. At U15 degree, Jade Johnston U14 qualifier stepped up a year
but unfortunately missed qualification by one place after she finished
13th whilst Heather Meehan finished 17th. Phillip Murray stepped up a
year to U17’s and was pleased with his 22nd placing on the day, whilst
U18’s Frankie Walsh and Niall Meehan also improved in the older U19
age group in which Sean Fitzpatrick unfortunately had to retire with
respiratory issues.
Our U11 girls, Nadine Johnston Hickey, Nicole Fullam, Rebecca Casey,
Alana Walsh, Fatima Ifran, Emily Browne, Jennifer Graham, Ava O’
Keeffe, Lauren Walsh and Ciara Jordan were most unfortunate on the
day, after their race started without them. However they should be
commended for running their hearts out behind the boys U11, where two
of them, despite starting 30metres behind the boy’s, made their way
through the field to finish amongst the top 20 overall.