DCU Sports Grounds, 27/1/10

With over 1200 pre-race entries, the DCU Invitational kicked off the school’s 2010 cross country season in fine style – there were no fewer than 8 different schools sharing team honours.

Both Minor races produced impressive individual winners with Cliona Carty (St. Kevin’s Dunlavin) and Brian Mc Grath (St. Pat’s Navan) proving stronger over the last 500m in their respective races. The Minor team titles were won convincingly by St. Mary’s Naas and Willow Park boys.

At Junior level, Sarah Fitzpatrick (Our Lady’s Terenure) made a bold move for home approaching half way and was never headed while Aaron Hanlon (St. Mary’s Drogheda) led from start to finish. Mount Sackville, with 4 scorers in 13 (27pts) recorded the lowest team score of the day in the girls race while St. Fintan’s HS Sutton (73pts) edged out St. Malachy’s Belfast (75pts) in the boys race.

Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Colaiste Iosagain) didn’t hang around in the Inter girl’s race and led her school Iosagain to an impressive team title. Stephen Attride (Knockbeg College) was always in control in the Inter boy’s race. St. Aidan’s CBS picked up their first team title of the day from the Carlow boys!!

The final two Senior races saw impressive runs from DSD club mates Niamh Denny (Our Lady’s Grove) and Emmet Jennings (Oatlands College) who both stormed to victories in the latter half of their races. The girls from Loreto Foxrock won the senior team title while the boys from Knockbeg College in Carlow gained sweet revenge over the St. Aidan’s CBS in the senior boy’s team race.

This was the 6th running of the DCU Schools Invitational – and their most impressive to date. A great day of athletics was enjoyed by many on a crisp day in late January.

dcu-invitational-cc-results-2010