US collegiate Conference cross country championships over the weekend were highlighted by some excellent performances by Irish athletes on scholarship there.
David Rooney (Raheny Shamrock AC), a member of the winning Irish U23 team at the European championships two years ago, recorded a significant win in the Southland Coference to finish seventeen seconds clear of his fellow McNeese runner Alex Bruce Littlewood. Rooney’s
time was 23.33 for the 8k race.
Rooney became the first McNeese runner to win the individual championship since Tom McGrath won it in 1988. His record time was 21 seconds faster than the previous record that was set by Lamar’s Francis Kasagule at the 2009 meet.
“First of all, this was a great team effort,” said Rooney. “Everyone worked so hard for this and we all ran very well. Personally, I’m excited to have won the individual championship and break the record. But this doesn’t end our season. We have to go to work and get ready for the regionals and then the nationals.”
Rooney shot out of the gate and surged to the front of the pack at the sound of the gun and led pretty much the entire race. He and about six other runners began to pull away from the pack early in the race and at about the 4k mark, he had built a substantial lead.
Breandan O’Neill (Dundrum South Dublin AC), another member of the successful U23 team,
had his best US cross country race to date when he finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Virginia. The Florida State man had to settle for second in a time of 23.42 for 8k, five seconds behind winner William Mulherin from Virginia Tech.
There were two sprint finishes at the Big East Conference in the Bronx New York with Irish runners just missing out in both races. Sarah Collins (Finn Valley AC), a freshman at Providence College, was a gallant second in the women’s 6k race, less than a second behind Villanova’s Emily Lipari in a time of 20:45.
There was just over a second separating the first two in the men’s race won by Martin Hehir from Syracuse with Shane Quinn (Ferrybank AC) second. Hehir clocked 23:37 for the 8k course.
Eimear Black (Ballymena & Antrim AC) won the Northeast Conference in Rhode Island in the colours of Bryant College, clocking 17:34 for the 5k distance.
At the Metro Athletic Conference in Florida Jake Byrne (Mullingar AC) was fourth in a time of 24:30 in a race where the first four were students at Iona College.
At the McCain UK Cross Challenge Series in Bristol Sara Treacy (Moynalvy AC) was third in the women’s race in a time of 26.25 behind winner Caryl Mair who won in a time of 25:58.
Southland Conference - Beaumont, Texas
Men’s 8k Individual Results (8k )
1 Rooney, David McNeese State 23:33.46
2 Bruce-Littlewood, Alex McNeese State 24:00.91
3 LeBlanc, Jarrett McNeese State 24:04.61
4 Kimeli, Patrick Texas A&M-CC 24:10.58
5 Johnsen, Matt Lamar 24:11.38
6 Rodriguez, Xavier Stephen F. Austin 24:13.02
7 Gerber, Benjamin Central Arkansas
8 Limo, Edward Central Arkansas 24:24.08
15 Jones, Chris Lamar 24:52.12
21 Kerr, Stephen McNeese State 25:09.75
27 Creech, Ryan Lamar 25:26.37
Women’s 6k Individual Results (6k )
1 Smith, Lauren Stephen F. Austin 20:59.01
2 Dooley, Alyssa Sam Houston St. 21:07.59
3 Plentl, Randi Stephen F. Austin 21:27.99
42 Casey, Laura McNeese State 23:51.32
Southeast Conference - Nashville, TN
Men 7985 Meter Run
1 Lelei, Henry SR Texas A&M 23:29.95
2 Haile, Solomon JR Arkansas 23:47.27
3 Fernandez, Eric SR Arkansas 23:52.16
24 Flynn, David JR Arkansas 24:36.76
57 Lieghio, Anthony SR Arkansas 25:31.00
65 Monaghan, Andrew FR Mississippi State 25:37.75
95 Monaghan, Patrick FR Mississippi State 26:31.27
BIG EAST Conference - Bronx, N.Y.
Women’s 6K Championship
1.Emily Lipari Villanova, 20:45.33
2.Sarah Collins Providence, 20:46.12
3.Nicky Akande Villanova, 20:48.84
4.Allison Lasnicki Connecticut, 20:52.27
5.Shelby Greany Providence, 6 20:56.50
Men’s 8K Championship
1.Martin Hehir Syracuse, 24:37.20
2.Shane Quinn Providence, 24:38.81
3.Jeremy Rae Notre Dame, 24:39.39
4.Joe Whelan Syracuse, 24:40.27
5.Ernest Kibet Louisville, 24:42.02
Atlantic Coast Conference Blacksburg, Va.
Men’s 8k Individual
Men’s 8k Individual Results (8k )
1 Mulherin, William Virginia Tech 23:37.23
2 O’Neill, Breandan Florida State 23:42.19
3 Colley, Andrew NC State 23:43.56
4 Gates, Zach Virginia 23:46.71
5 King, Kyle Virginia 23:51.26
America East Conference Durham, N.H.
Women’s 4.91k Individual
1 Maguire, Keely New Hampshire 16:33.48
2 Lane, Brittney Albany 16:44.35
3 Weberg, Kirsten Vermont 16:56.59
4 Burne, Olivia Stony Brook 16:58.37
5 Boyd, Cleo Stony Brook 16:59.17
6 Twombly, Anne New Hampshire 17:02.88
7 McCarthy, Lorraine Stony Brook 17:09.50
8 Ngarambe, Yolanda Vermont 17:12.08
29 O Connor, Mary Stony Brook 18:15.34
Northeast Conference Smithfield, R.I.
Women’s 5,000
1 Black, Eimear Bryant 17:34.29
2 Selmquist, Alyssa Sacred Heart 17:47.32
3 White, Rebecca Quinnipiac 17:51.99
4 Castrogivanni, Brianna Sacred Heart 17:56.88
5 Reynolds, Martha Bryant 18:10.92
Ivy League Princeton, N.J.
1 Chris Bendtsen JR Princeton 23:41.8
2 Alejandro Arroyo Yamin JR Princeton 23:48.1
3 Leighton Spencer SR Columbia 23:50.6
57 Kevin Dooney FR Yale 25:16.1
79 Kevin Cooper SR Brown 25:54.5
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Men 8k
1 Goose, Mitch SR Iona 24:08.08
2 Gillespie, Matt JR Iona 24:21.12
3 Clorley, Daniel JR Iona 24:26.01
4 Byrne, Jake SO Iona 24:30.78
5 Dentino, Anthony SO Rider 24:39.52
62 Murphy, Craig SR Iona 26:45.46
REGION XI CC CHAMPIONSHIPS - Marshalltown, IA
Women 5k
1 McKenna, Fiona SO Iowa Central 18:17.96
2 Nyandwi, Ebeissa SO Iowa Central 18:46.97
3 Neal, Jamie SO Iowa Central 18:53.75
Missouri Valley Conference - Normal, Ill.
Men 8k
1. John Mascari Indiana State 24:21
2. Zach Dahleen Southern Illinois 24:25
3. Brogan Austin Drake 24:26
18. Tomas Cotter Wichita State 25:11
McCain UK Cross Challenge Series Bristol
Senior Men
1 Dewi Griffiths SWANSEA HARRIERS 29:44
2 Biniam Ande BIRCHFIELD HARRIERS 29:53
3 Frank Tickner WELLS CITY HARRIERS 29:53
17 Liam Brady IRELAND 31:34
Senior women
1 Caryl Mair Jones SWANSEA HARRIERS 25:58
2 Hannah Brooks CRAWLEY AC 26:14
3 Sara Treacy BIRCHFIELD HARRIERS 26:25
4 Gemma Kersey BASILDON AAC 26:33
5 Frances Briscoe COVENTRY GODIVA HARRIERS 26:43
17 Una Britton IRELAND 29:06
Junior Men
1 Jack Gray BRAT CLUB 23:22
2 Jonathan Davies READING AC 23:30
3 William Gray BRIGHTON & HOVE CITY AC 23:38
4 James McMurray ST ALBANS STRIDERS 23:46
5 Jake O’Regan 23:49
6 Killian Mooney 24:00
7 William Paulson STROUD & DISTRICT AC 24:07
8 Eoghan Totten 24:10
9 Benedict Westhenry WEYMOUTH SAINT PAULS HARRIERS 24:38
10 Chris Neil ANDOVER AC 24:50
Junior Women
1 Jessica Judd CHELMSFORD AC 17:35
2 Rebecca Weston INVICTA EAST KENT AC 17:51
3 Becky Straw BIRCHFIELD HARRIERS 18:36
4 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner 18:48
5 Rebecca Murray BEDFORD & COUNTY 18:53
6 Caterina Granz EALING SOUTHALL & MIDDLESEX AC 19:05
7 Ffion Price BRECON AC 19:07
8 Mary Mulhare 19:20
9 Sarah Livett MENAI TRACK & FIELD 19:34
10 Megan Ryan 19:54
