More Championship Success for Tallaght Athletes

After their successes in the Dublin Even age Cross Country Championships a forth night ago Tallaght juvenile athletes were again in superb form when they contested Dublin Uneven Age Cross Country Championships in Marlay Park on Sunday last, were many of the youngsters gained further individual and team successes after negotiating a tough and testing course, which was well laid out for the various distances by the local DSD club.

The under 11 girls were first into the fray and they did really well over the 1500m course with Grace Dervan individual silver medallist leading Nadine Johnston Hickey who also won an individual medal in 10th, Antoinette Neamt (18th), Alana Walsh (19th), Eve Keegan (20th), Kerry Woods & Shauna Donohoe to team silver on the day. Both Grace and Nadine will represent the Capital in the Inter County & Regional category and they will combine with the other girls in the inter clubs category when they contest the National Championships in Tullamore on 19th December.

In the boys equivalent there was a pillar to post victory for the Dublin U11 cross country league champ Christopher Duffy after he spread-eagled the field to take the title with ease. He combined with Carl Graham, Yanaengus Geraghty, Nazim Kourrini, James Ackerman and Ryan Kidd to win a second set of team silver medals for the club.

The U13’s had to cover an extended 2,500m and the Tallaght girls, Kayleigh Clarke, Erin O’ Connor, Aloisa King, Rebecca Casey, Ciara Jordan and Jennifer Graham combined very well to claim a well deserved team bronze success. The U13 boys contest had one of the most exciting finishes of the day after Sean Flanagan made a relentless charge over the final 300m to close down a pair of DSD athletes who seemed to have the top two spots in the bag, and whilst he passed one with 150m remaining the line came just in time for the DSD athlete Conor Halpin on his home ground, with Sean a mere two metres behind him delighted to take the individual silver medal. Sean’s finishing position combined with Michael Ward, Cathal Dervan, Ronan Mc Eneaney and Conor Murphy was enough to win a third set of team silver medals for the club.

At U15 degree Jade Johnston (14th) was run out of a National qualifying position after a number of athletes passed her in the final few hundred metres of her 3,500m contest whilst Conor Murray who secured U16 individual and team medals a few weeks earlier was disappointed after he had to withdraw midway through his contest. However, he is hoping to be fit and ready for the National Even ages in Derry at the end of the month.

The U17 4,500m contest was a further test of strength and stamina but the Tallaght lads committed themselves well against some excellent competitors from the other clubs to finish 4th team overall, with Uchenna Uwechue (11th) leading home Sean Mc Cabe (14th), Boniface Chege (15th), Philip Murray (25th) and Aaron Mc Donagh (28th). At U19 degree Roisin O’ Hanlon was another just to miss out on a place on the Dublin Regional team after she finished 13th in her 5,000m contest and both Niall Meehan & Frankie Walsh did well to finish 18th and 19th in their 6,000m contest.

Elsewhere, Conor Murray won the Community & Comprehensive Schools 1500m Cross Country Championship in the Phoenix Park on the previous Thursday where Uchenna Uwechue finished 2nd in the Senior 3,200m contest, whilst at the same venue the previous day, Roision O’ Hanlon also recorded a good second placed finish behind former club athlete Jade Corcoran.