Galway rising stars in gold winning form
GALWAY athletes took a large haul of medals at Bushfield, Loughrea last Sunday when both the Connacht Uneven Age Cross Country Championships and the third and final leg of the Connacht Senior League were held.
Clubs from across the county finished on podiums at every level, from the U-9s to the senior ranks, and Galway athletes took the top three places in the overall men’s league.
Eoin Tierney of Galway City Harriers was first across the line in the Senior men’s race after a great battle with West Coast AC’s Abaas Adam Edri, who was second for a Galway one-two. Westport’s Bryan Renton was third.
John Hayes (4th) and Simon O’Toole (6th) came home close behind Tierney, and City Harriers took the team honours on 26 points. Sligo AC had 53 and West Coast AC were third on 54. Tom Ó Dubhlaoich gave GCH another title in the M65 category.
Second place was enough for Edris to secure the overall Connacht League title over the three race series. He had also come first in Longford and Roscommon, and claimed overall gold as a result. Tierney’s results in Roscommon and Loughrea earned him silver on three points, and Simon O’Toole took bronze on seven, giving Galway a clean sweep of the podium. West Coast AC were crowned men’s team champions on 63 points, well clear of Sligo AC (95) and North Sligo AC (122).
Tuam’s Holly Shaugnessy was the first senior woman home on the day and finished second overall behind Sligo’s Heather Foley, with Valeriia Petrova (North Sligo) third. Galway City Harriers were runners-up to Mayo AC in the women’s team standings.
Petrova’s consistency across the three legs earned her the overall women’s league title on two points, ahead of Mayo’s Katie Gibbons. West Coast’s Triona Moran took bronze. Mayo AC were the women’s team champions.
Galway also had medal winners in the masters’ standings. Tom Ó Dubhlaoich (GCH) was crowned M65 league champion, and Bernie Kelly (GCH) took F65 silver on the day and in the final standings.
In the Uneven Ages Juvenile Championships, South Galway AC had an outstanding performance at U-19 level. Claudia Coyle claimed the girls’ title, with Castlegar’s Orla Casey taking bronze. In the U-19 boys’ race, Luke Walsh led clubmate Ciarán Considine home for a one-two, which secured both the club and county team titles.
Craughwell’s David Frazer was a clear winner of the U-17 boys’ race. Clare River Harriers took the club team award. In the U-17 girls race, Castlegar’s Siún Ní Chonaill chased Swinford’s Faye Gallagher all the way to take silver. Galway were runners-up in the county team standings.
The U-13 boys’ podium was all from Galway. Shane Higgins (Athenry) took gold, Darragh Steede (Tuam) silver and Eoghan Shryane (Athenry) bronze. Athenry missed out on the club team by just two points to Swinford, while Galway were comfortable county champions.
In the U-13 girls’ race Craughwell’s Ciara Ward was crowned champion, Athenry and Craughwell filled second and third in the club team standings, and Galway took county honours.
U-15 was the one age group Galway did not win, as Moy Valley AC dominated both races. Craughwell and Castlegar finished second and third in the girls’ team, Castlegar were third in the boys’ team, and Galway were second in both county competitions.
Castlegar’s Hana Faraj Gheziel led a Galway clean sweep in the U11 girls’ race, finishing ahead of Katie Considine (Craughwell) and Zara Casserly (Castlegar).
The Castlegar AC team topped the team standings and Galway City Harriers were third. South Galway’s Tadhg McCarthy came first in the boys’ race, with Tadhg McGann (Athenry) third. The boys’ team race was the closest of the day: Galway City Harriers A edged out South Galway by a single point, 40 to 41. Galway were county champions in both U-11 races.
City Harriers’ Sophie Peoples made the U-9 girls’ race her own storming home to gold. East Galway’s Ellie Panka took bronze, and GCH finished top of the team standings. In the U-9 boys’ race Darragh O’Connor (GCH) was third, and South Galway and Craughwell A were second and third in the team race behind Claremorris.
Fixtures
This weekend sees the International Masters Cross Country event take place in Dublin on Saturday, with Ireland taking on England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland across all age groups from 35 plus,
Three Galway City Harriers athletes qualified for the Irish team – Nora Tierney in the women’s 35 plus , while stalwarts Martin McEvilly and Christine Kennedy will also race, in Abbottstown.