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Athletics Ireland - News - Sweeney Makes it Three in a Row ©Athletics Ireland
Athletics Ireland – News – Sweeney Makes it Three in a Row
The Woodie’s DIY inter county cross country championships were held in the superb surroundings of Tattersalls in Ratoath county Meath today. Luckily most of the heavy rain fell in the days leading up to the championships and the day itself remained dry.
Underfoot conditions after such heavy rainfall meant the going was tough, something that was experienced by everyone who ran, juvenile and senior alike.
Joe Sweeney (Dublin) gave the course ‘the respect it deserved’ on the first lap as Michael Mulhare (Laois) set the early pace. However, Sweeney was in control before halfway and relaxed over the final couple of laps ‘to conserve energy for the European cross country championships’ in Budapest in two weeks. Dublin won the team from Antrim – both had 93 points, with Clare third.
Ava Hutchinson (Dublin) ran stride for stride with Lizzie Lee (Cork) for most of the senior women’s race before Hutchinson moved away in the last quarter mile to win her second national cross country title of the year after winning the inter clubs in March, with the Olympic marathon sandwiched in between – and she still has the European cross country to go. Dublin won the team from Cork and Kerry were third.
Siofra Buttner Cleirigh made it three Dublin individual titles when she won the junior women’s race comfortably after moving away with a lap to go. However, as she was only entered in the U18 race the junior title went to Mary Mulhare (Laois) with Mary Ann O’Sullivan (Tinryland AC) second. Linda Conroy (Westmeath) was second in the juniors. Dublin won the junior from Kildare and Clare.
It has been a good week for Irish runners at McNeese University after David Rooney finished seventh in NCAAs last week. Today Stephen Kerr (Armagh AC) made an early return from McNeese where he is a freshman and took control of the junior race on the last lap to win from Ian Guiden (Dublin) with Eoghan Tottan (Newcastle) third. Dublin won the team from Cork.
Athletics Ireland – News
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