County Athletic Notes by Niall O Sullivan County PRO

Cashel was the venue last Sunday for the County Senior women and Men’s Cross-Country Championships. Both races attracted both quality and quantity with seven clubs competing in the women’s race while nine clubs were represented in the men’s race. Conditions were very good, and great credit must go to Dundrum AC and indeed their Chairman, Michael Ryan for having the 2k course well laid out, with the grass cut low on the entire course. The course had everything for cross country, good running surface with a few inclines.

The women’s race attracted thirty athletes. Right from the start a group of three athletes dictated the pace, the Clonmel duo of Ciara O Neill and Kealey Tideswell along with the defending Champion Dymphna Ryan of Dundrum AC. Dymphna went to the front and set a strong pace from the start and she maintained that strong pace throughout the race. On the 2^nd lap she increased the tempo and soon there were only two athletes herself and Ciara dictating the pace with Kealey in 3^rd place. Going out on the final lap she had a slight lead over Ciara but still all to run for. At the top of the hill on the final lap Dymphna made her move and increase her lead but it was only inside the final 300m she managed to go clear and came home a very worthy and defending Champion in 23 mins 25 secs. Dymphna was completing a four in a row success at this level and her seventh County Senior Cross Country title, a fantastic achievement.

Ciara also ran very well when winning silver in 23 mins 36 secs, two great performances. Then we had Kealey Tideswell running on well over the closing stages to win the bronze medal in 24 mins 5 secs. Then we had Eileen Ely of Moyne AC running very well when finishing 4^th in 25 mins 18 secs and she was followed closely by her club mates Orla Healy and Louise Fogarty in 5^th (25.36) and 6^th (25,44) places, respectively. With three athletes to score on the Club teams, Moyne had amassed fifteen points, and all eyes were on the 3^rd Clonmel AC athlete, Suzanne Shine. She came through the field over the course of the race, starting in 12^th place and working her way up to finish a very creditable 7^th place in 26 mins to secure the gold medals for Clonmel and the Sureprint Cup for the first time since 2015 on a team total of twelve points. The bronze Club medals were won by the defending Champions, Dundrum AC, who were denied a six in a row when finishing 3^rd on seventeen points and their team consisted of Dymphna, Catherine Fogarty 8^th 26.04 and Karen Coughlan 11^th in 26.47. Their chances of retaining the Cup were hampered following a midweek injury to Linda Grogan and we all wish Linda a speedy recovery.

The women’s race also incorporated a B section for Clubs who enter two or more teams. Here the Dundrum trio of Patricia Ryan 12^th 27.09, Mary Keane 13^th 27.46 and Emily Leahy 16^th in 28.05 won the gold medals. The Thurles Crokes team of Deniece Touhy 22^nd 30.12, Regina Dorney 26^th 31.52 and Joan Stakelum 27^th in 32.07 won the silver medals.

The men’s race saw forty athletes go to the line for the five-lap race. Right from the start five athletes representing five different club set the pace. They were Emmet McNamara Fethard AC, Dermot Gorman Carrick on Suir AC, Barry Hartnett Dundrum AC, Mossy Bracken Moycarkey Coolcroo AC and the eventual winner, David Mansfield Clonmel AC. These five athletes were still dictating the pace going out on the 3^rd lap. Then approaching halfway, David Mansfield made his move and open a slight gap which saw Emmet and Mossy responding with Dermot and Barry in close attention. As they went out on the fourth lap David had increased his lead and from there on kept the strong pace going to come home a worthy Champion in 34 mins 32 secs. The battle for the silver medal was decided only inside the final stretch the with Mossy edging it close to the line to finish 2^nd in 34 mins 53 secs with Emmet McNamara winning the bronze medal in 34 mins 56 secs, three great performances. For the record Barry Hartnett Dundrum AC was 4^th in 35.28, Dermot Gorman Carrick on Suir AC 5^th in 36.06 and Aidan Flannery Clonmel AC 6^th in 37.09. Clonmel had a strong hold on the team gold medals from early in the race as they had four athletes always in the top nine placings. Their successful team was David Mansfield, Aidian Flannery, Cathal de Faoite 8^th 37.13 and Christy Aylward 9^th in 37.54. They were winning this Cup for the first time since 2015 where David also led them home to gold in Galbally. The defending Champion, Moycarkey Coolcroo Ac, won the silver medals with their team of Mossy Bracken, Matthew Ryan 7^th in 37.11, Stephen Minogue 13^th in 39.35 and Conor Keating 14^th in 39.53. The host club, Dundrum AC, won the bronze medals with their team of Barry Hartnett, Tom O Connell 10^th 38.37, Richard Bresnan 26^th 43.01 and Michael Ryan 28^th 43.40. The Men’s 10k race also incorporated a B Section for Clubs with more than one team entered. The Mooreabbey Milers team of Liam Lewis 29^th 43.43, Ewan Cunningham 31^st 44.02 and Dariusz Gazdowicz 32^nd 44.05 won the gold medals. The Dundrum trio of Val Farrell 33^rd 44.31, Jim Halley 34^th 44.39 and Gerry O Neill 35^th 44.43.

At the presentation of the Awards, County Chairman, Owen Fanning thanks Dundrum Ac for hosting a very successful Championship event. He also thanked the clubs for supporting these Championships in great numbers.