Our youngsters were on the road again over the weekend this time travelling to the far corner of Co. Meath for the Community Games Cross Country. The Ballinacree course was in good nick as the various age groups queued at the start-line to attack the tough hilly course in the shadow of Saint Brigids GAA Clubhouse. As always the event was run very efficiently in a friendly environment.
Laura McCormack was taking part in her very first Cross Country when she competed in the under 8 girls race. Laura got off to a flyer and much to the delight of her siblings she raced very cleverly to come home fifth and earn herself an individual medal.
The under 8 boys had two budding stars in action as Andrew Norman and Paul Magee battled with the county’s finest with Matthew pushing himself to the limit as the raced home to fourth and earned a podium finish for himself. Paul who was making his club debut also had a fine race, coming home in seventh, just outside the medals but well up the field in a large field of competitors.
Dunboyne AC newcomer Catherine Hanlon was next in action over the testing 500m course as she raced in another huge field of athletes this time in the under 9 girls race. Catherine battled all the way to the finishing chute and earned herself a top five finish and her first athletics medal.
We had three lads in action in the boys’ race where Ciaran McCormack was joined by Senan Howlin and Dillon Ryan in search of glory and bragging rights. Ciaran went off like a lunatic and kept up an impressive pace as he took gold for the third year running. Dillon was also in good form as he crept through the field up into medal position and with a final surge for the line he earned fourth place and yet another medal for the Ryan collection. Senan in his first cross country gave a good account of himself and showed the makings of a good endurance runner.
Half the parish joined in the under 12 girls race as Kayla Ryan, Lucy Eglington, Rachael Norman, Kirsten Kelly Moody, Holly Conlon , Kate Griffin and Sinead Magee duelled with club mates Laura Gavin and Aideen Reilly who were on duty with Kilbride Community Games area. Kayla started the race with a very assertive attitude to storm home to an impressive victory. Rachel was next home from the club when she won silver in a very exciting sprint finish which saw a stampede of girls accelerate towards the finishing line. Both Holly and Laura also won some silverware in finishing in the top six in a very talented field. Kate led Lucy and Aideen home in a race dominated by the club with all finishing in the top third of the biggest field of the day.
Mathieu Kieffer and Adam Smyth were next up in yet another Kilbride/Dunboyne battle for bragging rights as both boys raced in their first year as under 12 athletes. Despite being the juniors in the race both ran an excellent race as Mathieu battled with the elders to earn silver in a tight finish and with a top eight finish for Adam all bodes well for this pair in the 2017 competition.
Doireann Ni Flatharta was our only under 13 in action in a 1200m race where both sexes ran the same race as will be the case in at the National Final this Summer. Doireann set the pace for most of the race as she earned her eighth straight victory at this venue.
The quartet of Anna Griffin, Sarah Magee, Katie Greene and Abigail Knox set off in the shorter 700m under 14 race where they chopped and swapped position throughout the race before Sarah came home third, Anna fourth, Abigail fifth and Katie Greene sixth as the girls came home in a line after giving it all.
In the final race of the day, just to ease the timetable, both the boys and girls under 16 races were combined. David White competed in his first Community Games race and furthered the club’s success as he was also in the medals. Victoria Knox, Lauren McConnell and Bonnie McFeat were our last three athletes to tread the green carpet of this isolated course. Victoria romped home in third chased down by Lauren in fourth and Bonnie in fifth to add to our medal haul.
Dunboyne AC athletes earned an impressive representation on the various County Teams that will take part at the Community Games Cross Country Finals this Summer. Well done to all. A big thanks to all those parents and supporters who travelled. Photos can be viewed HERE.
