Michael McKeown was the sole senior East Down representative in the City of Lisburn promoted Cross Country event in Moira Demesne on Saturday, coming in 41st in the 54 runner race won by North Belfast's Conor Magill while Anne Sandford continued her very successful season on the grass by taking the Ladies Over 45 prize.
In the year 8 Girls race Aoife Cochrane took 4th place again to replicate last year's performance but was only a few seconds adrift of the 2nd place athlete at the line.
Earlier Declan Teague recorded a comfortable 19.13 placing 8th in the Victoria Parkrun, leaving his PB of 18.39 untroubled while Gavin Oakes 21.36 was 10 seconds outside his best with Paul Rogan clocking 23.59 on his first attempt at the event which had 121 runners this week.
Sunday however brought children and their parents in droves to the stunning setting of Castleward where, courtesy of the National Trust, the penultimate round of the McGrady Financial Services Junior Cross Country Series took place. In contrast to the previous round the weather could not have been kinder with bright sunshine in a clear blue sky showing the magnificent House and Strangfod Lough beneath its elevated position to perfection. Almost 100 Boys and Girls from East Down and Newcastle AC competed in 14 categories on the testing 800 metre circuit across the lawns and through the trees where once more sedate pastimes were the norm.
Once again Newcastle dominated the P4 and Under races with only Emmett O'Donnell and Ciaran Ledlie appearing for the home team on their debuts with no Girls at all. In the P5 boys race Andrew McGrattan finished like an express train to claim 2nd spot on the line while Natasha Savage had a more comfortable passage also taking 2nd behind Eve Kenneally in the Girls race with debutantes Caitlin Burke and Caitlin Ledlie doing well behind Grace Surginor in 6th 7th and 8th places.
The P6 Boys event was again dominated by Caoilin Quinn who led from the whistle and steadily extended his lead throughout to win by 10 seconds from Newcastle's Ben McGuigan and Josh Faulkner. It was a similar story in the Girls race with the county town club's Caoimhe Grace O'Donnell just holding off the finishing surge of an improving Chloe Galloway ahead of Newcastle's Eabha Campbell in 3rd. Niamh Ledlie was another East Down debutante in this race finishing 9th ahead of clubmates Tia Branniff and another first timer Molly Enright.
Next up it was P7 Boys and another strong and dominant performance from Tim Prenter, who looks an exciting prospect, ahead of the battling Caolin Hawkins and Gabriel Corrigan with Owen Edwards making an impressive return ahead of a somewhat subdued Matthew McGrattan and the battling Johnny Erskine. The P7 Girls in contrast had no East Down entrants at all and was won impressively by Sarah Dougheerty from Michaela Quinn and Marie Claire McVeigh.
Year 8 Boys was something of a stroll in the park for Matthew Carrick, though he might not agree while Daniel Atkinson recovered well from a mid race crisis to take an excellent 3rd place behind Newcastle's Ross McCrickard.
It was East Down who dominated the Year 8 Girls race with 8 runners to Newcastle's three and featured a race long tussle between Aoife Cochrane and Laura Green with just a second between them at the line while Jemma Black, improving with every outing, coming from a long way back to take an impressive 3rd place ahead of the first Newcaastle girl Jade Casement. Tara Findlay and Emily Forte were next with Ellen Boden and Emily McAlinden the filling in the sandwich between them and the next East Down duo of Elisha Surginor and Eimear Connor.
Another prolific winner in the series, Jack Quinn didn't disappoint as he romped to victory ahead of team mate Daniel Molloy with Marc Breteche a fast finishing 3rd and a below par Dillon Morgan in 4th. The year 9 Girls race was a fascinating contest as Ellen Erskine gradually reeled in the early and long time leader Laura Gardiner with Newcastle's Doyle family Eilis, Niamh and Caitrona filling the next 3 places ahead of Lucy Prenter.
In the final race of the day Boys and Girls ran together Patrick Sheridan literally ran away with the Year 10 Boys medal over 3 laps of the circuit and had over a minute to spare over the ever willing Paddy Erskine with Ewan Findlay and Ethan Branniff in 3rd and 4th places ahead of the resolute Niall Rogan. Only 2 Girls turned out in this Age group both from Newcastle and Derbhla Magee was a deserving winner, 3rd overall, with the hard working Anna Rogan taking the Silver medal.
Next weekend it's the big International Cross Country meeting at Greenmount where local club runners can rub shoulders with some of the best athletes around including European ladies champion Fionnuala Britton. Even if you're not running why not go along to watch and marvel.
Meanwhile preparations are under way for the next local event, the Rollercoaster races at Downpatrick racecourse on 28 January around the course perimeter road.
The senior race over an accurate 5K distance will be at 2.00pm and has already attracted widespread interest - a large turnout is anticipated.
There will also be races for P4/5 and P6/P7 Colts and Fillies, commencing at 12.00 noon, with special shields for the Best Boys and Girls P6/7 Primary School Teams (first 4 finishers to count) over a 1,000 metres distance as well as at U/13 (1.5K), U/15 (2K) and U/17 (2.5K) age group levels in both categories.
Free soup and rolls for all participants.
Joe Quinn
16 January 2012
