Munster Title for Kyla Flavin and Lucy Holmes
It was another good day for West Waterford athletes at day 2 of the Munster Cross Country Championships in Conna. It was a great course for cross country running. The ground was firm apart from one or two muddy gaps and the day was a beautiful autumn day though it got cold in the afternoon when the sun disappeared. West Waterford athletes showed they could hold their own with the best in Munster winning eight individual medals and also scoring on county teams. The highlights of the day was Kyla Flavin’s win in the girls under 11 and Lucy Holmes double win in the girls under 19 and junior women’s races which were run together.
First Munster Medal for Charlie Curran
Charlie Curran was competing in his first Munster cross country race and he was not fazed by the occasion. Charlie got out well at the start and was always in the leading group in the race. He ran strongly throughout to finish 5th and win his first Munster medal. Waterford were third in the inter county contest and Charlie, Conor McCarthy 26th and Lachlann Hurney 53rd were scoring members of the team. Patrick Mullaney 60th, Fergus Donnolly 67th and Peter Ahearne 70th also competed on the day.
In the girls under 9 we had four young athletes in action Clodagh Lattimore was first home in 41st place just ahead of Aimee Barry in 44th , Natalie Barry was next home in 53rd place and Abbie Casey finished 87th.
First Munster Title for Kyle Flavin
The biggest field of the day was in the girls under 11 race with almost two hundred athletes lining up at the start. Getting out well at the start was going to be very important. Kyle Flavin got out well at the start and was in the leading group of twenty strung across the wide course. She ran steadily in the middle part of the race but pulled away on the uphill section and was well ahead on the run in to the finish. In contrast Isabelle Gaffney found herself well back after the start and had to work hard to get through the field to eventually finish 5th . Our next three athletes were all running in their first Munster cross country Sarah Murray finished 116th, Sarah Hallissey 131st and Maria Curran 170th.
Silver for Eoin Prendergast in Boys under 11
There was also a very big field in the boys under 11 race and Eoin Prendergast got out well at the start. Luke Merrigan of Kenmare took up the running in the back field with Eoin chasing him all the way. The two of them pulled away from the field with Luke winning the gild and Eoin adding another silver medal to the one he won last year. Owen Morrissey was next home in 43rd place three better than last year with Rian Curran 129th and Cormac O’Regan 142nd.
County Bronze for Sarah Gaffney
Sarah Gaffney moved up an age group to compete under 13. Sarah continues to improve every year. Two years ago she was 57th last year 38th and this year she made it into the top twenty finishing 17th. Catherine O’Donnell made a huge improvement from last year moving up thirty places to finish 66th. Aoife Lattimore also improved ten places from last year to finish 80th and Ami Flavin finished 101st with Hannah Power 117th. Waterford finished third in the inter county competition with Sarah scoring on the team.
Silver for David Gaffney in Boys under 13
After a slow start with no one willing to take out the race David Gaffney took on the challenge of upping the pace in the boys under 13 race. David led for much of the way with Finn Duignan from St Cronans shadowing him all the way. In the last 500m Finn overtook David to claim the gold with David taking silver to add to the bronze he won last year. Liam Broderick moved up from the under 12 age group and was very unluky to finish 13th just one place outside the qualifiers for the All Ireland but still three places better than last year. Ben Qualter ran much better than in the previous Munsters to finish 47th and Conor Keane improved almost thirty places from last year to finish 65th. Kealan Barry made it in to the top hundred finishing 99th with Cillian Towey just two behind in 101st.
In the under 15th girls Caoimhe Prendergast was just caught on the line for the final qualifying spot for the All Ireland and finished 13th. She was the first of the West Waterford athletes home followed by Ally Cunningham 31st, Lia ní hArti 34th , Angelina Chizhikova 36th and Cathy Ní Sheanlaoich 63rd.
Cal Tutty was our only competitor in the boys under 15 race and running out of his age group he finished 30th.
Individual Medal for Sarah Nyhan in under 17 girls Race
West Waterford had just two athletes competing in the under 17 race. Sarah Nyhan was well up in the leading group for much of the race and finished in 5th place. This was the first time Sarah won an individual medal running out of her age group. Lia Cunningham ran well to finish in 30th place.
County Bronze for Mark Blackwell
Running in the under 17 boys race Mark Blackwell had his best ever performance in a West Waterford vest. Mark finished in 24th place almost forty places better than last year and scored on the county team that finished 3rd in the inter county event to win his first medal with a county team. Robert Quinn finished 40th and Cormac Doheny who was running in his first race finished 44th.
Four Gold Medals for Lucy Holmes
Just as the weather was turning very cold and we were all starting to get a bit miserable Lucy Holmes gave us plenty to cheer about. Taking the lead in the second lap Lucy eased her way to victory in both the under 19 and junior women’s races which were run together. Lucy also led Waterford to team gold in both races to finish the day on a high note for West Waterford. In the same race Mary Kate Prendergast finished 18th and just missed out on a county medal by one place.
Well done to all our athletes who competed on the day and to the parents and club coaches and officials who travelled on the day.
Elverys Inter Sport Juvenile Winter League
Last Wednesday was the second night of the team competition in Elvery’s Intersport League (Tony’s League).
Conditions were very soft underfoot after all the rain, nevertheless 84 athletes took part. The conditions made it difficult to improve one’s time; however a few athletes managed to do so. Cormac O Regan, Conor Mc Carthy, Aoife Latimore, Caoimhe Prendergast, Eve Power, Rian Curran, Patrick Mullaney and Mark Blackwell all ran their fastest times in the league so far this year.
After two nights of the team competition, Lucy Holmes’ team remains in the lead on 567 points.
Eoin Bueneventura’s team continues to hold second place with a score of 609 points and Ian Holmes’ team is in 3rd place has 619 points. Two more nights of the team competition remain before the reverse order run on the final night.
Below are the times recorded for all athletes on Wednesday 6th November.
Full Lap
1 Tommy Fennell 6.28
2 Rory Fennell 6.40
3 Lucy Holmes 6.43
4 Mark Blackwell 6.43
5 Eoin Bueneventura 6.44
6 Pete Finnegan 6.53
7 David Gaffney 6.53
8 Ian Holmes 6.55
9 Sarah Nyhan 7.09
10 Eoin Prendergast 7.15
11 Caoimhe Prendergast 7.23
12 Ben Qualter 7.28
13 Liam Broderick 7.46
14 Darragh O Regan 7.59
15 Angelina Chizhikova 7.59
16 Cal Tutty 8.00
17 Mary Kate Prendergast 8.00
18 Isabelle Gaffney 8.02
19 Conor Keane 8.04
20 Cormac Doheny 8.07
21 Anthony O Donnell 8.09
22 Sarah Gaffney 8.11
23 Leah Harty 8.12
24 Grainne Moore 8.25
25 Owen Morrissey 8.27
26 Sean Nyhan 8.32
27 Ali Cunningham 8.33
28 Natannas 8.36
29 Catherine O Donnell 8.36
30 Eve Power 8.36
31 Kyla Flavin 8.38
32 Fia De Paor 8.39
33 Archie Mattiuzzi 8.41
34 Cillian Towey 8.47
35 Cathy Shanley 8.47
36 Aoife Lattimore 8.55
37 Daniel Coonan 8.59
38 Kaelan Barry 9.00
39 Claudia O Halloran 9.00
40 Callum Curran 9.02
41 Aoife O Donovan 9.05
42 Cian Qualter 9.08
43 Cathal Mc Kenna 9.11
44 Lia Cunningham 9.16
45 Rory Donnolly 9.17
46 Cormac O Regan 9.17
47 Grace Power 9.18
48 Tom Murphy 9.21
49 Rian Curran 9.23
50 Conor Mc Carthy 9.24
51 Dara Byrne 9.31
52 Patrick Mullaney 9.32
53 Amy Flavin 9.38
54 Aodhan O Rahallaigh 9.38
55 Crea Frisby 9.40
56 Mattie Mullaney 9.49
57 Fiona O Riordan 9.58
58 Anna Murphy 10.09
59 Isabelle Mattiuzzi 10.19
60 Sarah Hallissey 10.19
61 Kate Murphy 10.20
62 Maria Curran 10.45
63 Euan O Huallachain 10.47
64 Iryna 10.48
65 Fionnan Lonergan 11.20
66 Leah Wall 11.30
Short Lap
67 Charile Curran 3.58
68 Aoife Bueneventura 4.28
69 Katie Hamblen 4.29
70 Isabelle Hamblen 4.31
71 Laura Beresford 4.42
72 Clodagh Lattimore 4.45
73 Fergus Donnelly 4.47
74 Luisne De Paor 4.48
75 Rhiona Towey 4.48
76 Lochlan Hurney 5.05
77 Amy Beresford 5.07
78 Cameron Flavin 5.18
79 Ciara Flavin 5.34
80 Abbie Casey 5.41
81 Leire 7.30
82 Amparo 7.30
83 Lluc 8.22
84 Laura M 8.
All Ireland Cross Country in Abbottstown
Day one of the All Ireland Championships for athletes under 12,14,16 and 18 will take place in Abbottstown on Sunday Nov 24th with an 11.30 start. West Waterford has over thirty athletes qualified for this event. A bus will leave the Park Hotel at 7am sharp and we aim to be at the venue at 10am to allow time to walk the course warm up and check in the chip timing. The following club teams have qualified
Girls under 12. Sarah Gaffney, Fia de Paor, Aoife Lattimore, Aoife
O’Donovan,Sarah o’Riordan, Laoise Cummins, Ami Flavin
Boys under 12 Liam Broderick, Eoin Prendergast, Cormac Keane, Eoin
Morrissey, Cormac O’Regan, Kaelan Barry
Girls under 14 Lia ní hArti, Claudia O’Halloran
Boys under 14 David Gaffney, Cal Tutty, Ian Holmes, Darragh o’Regan, Ben Qualter.
Girls under 16 Sarah Nyhan, Caoimhe Prendergast, Angelina Chizhikova,
Ally Cunningham, Lia Cunningham, Cathy Ní Sheanlaoich
Boys under 16 Tommy Fennell, Rory Fennell
Girls under 18 Lucy Holmes, Mary Kate Prendergast
Boys under 18 Conor Mullanney
