Ryan and McGinty win GloHealth Connacht Schools titles

Ryan and McGinty win GloHealth Connacht Schools titles

Caron Ryan (St Raphael’s) and Tadgh McGinty (Swinford) took the senior crowns at the GloHealth Connacht Schools Cross Country Championships in picturesque surroundings in Calry Community Park, Sligo this afternoon.

The park which faces out on to Lough Gill, mentioned in the poetry of W. B. Yeats, provided the perfect setting for Connacht’s best cross country runners. Katie Gibbons (St Joseph’s Castlebar) won the minor girls 1500m to get action underway with Rossa McAllister (Rice College Westport) impressing in the minor boys 2,000m. Gibbons and McAllister also led their schools to the team titles.  

Saoirse O’Brien (Sacred Heart Westport) strode to victory in the junior girls 2,000m on an undulating course with the heavy ground and protruding rushes proving no barrier. Her performance was also key in helping Sacred Heart win the team event. Thomas Devaney (St Gerald’s Castlebar) was equally fleet of foot in the junior boys 3,000m with Rice College winning the team prize.

Aoife O’Brien continued the trend for Sacred Heart Westport in the intermediate girls 3,500m with her individual title also contributing to team victory. Aaron Doherty led a 1-2-3 in the intermediate boys 4,500m for Rice College Westport as they swept to a facile team win.

Not even losing her spikes on the final lap prevented Caron Ryan from winning the senior girls’ title with Presentation College the first girls’ school. Tadgh McGinty (Swinford) rounded out the day as he toyed with the field to win the senior boys 6,000m ahead of Damian O’Boyle (Ballinode) and Joe Tannian (Colaiste Iognaid).  

Results

Minor Girls 1500m

K Gibbons (St Jospeh’s Castlebar), 2. E O’Rourke (Ballinamore), 3. R Moran (Sacred Heart Westport)

Team

St Joseph’s Castlebar, 2. Sacred Heart Westport, 3. Abbey Community College

Minor Boys 2,000m

R McAllister (Rice College Westport), 2. O Ryall (Rice College Westport), 3. M Morgan (Summerhill College Sligo)

Rice College Westport, 2. St Gerald’s Castlebar, 3. Abbey Community College

Junior Girls 2,000m

S O’Brien (Sacred Heart Westport), 2. M Gallagher (St Joseph’s Castlebar), 3. L Johnson (St Joseph’s Summerhill)

Sacred Heart Westport, 2. St Nathy’s Ballaghaderreen, 3. Presentation Athenry

Junior Boys 3,000m

T Devaney (St Gerald’s Castlebar), 2. J Maddison (Seamount College Kinvara), 3. L Dawson (Rice College Westport)

Rice College Westport, 2. Seamount College Kinvara, 3. Presentation Athenry

Intermediate Girls 3,500m

A O’Brien (Sacred Heart Westport), 2. A Morris (St Mary’s College), 3. A Morgan (Ursuline Sligo)

Teams

Sacred Heart Westport, 2. Ursuline Sligo, 3. St Joseph’s Foxford

Intermediate Boys 4,500m

A Doherty (Rice College Westport), 2. B Walsh (Rice College Westport), 3. S Ryall (Rice College Westport)

Teams

Rice College Westport, 2. Colaiste na Coiribe, 3. St Nathy’s Ballaghaderreen

Senior Girls 2,500m

C Ryan (St Raphael’s), 2. S McAllister (Sancta Maria), 3. N Feeney (Scoil Mhuire Strokestown

Teams

Presentation Athenry, 2. Scoil Mhuire Strokestown, 3. Ursuline Sligo

Senior Boys 6,000m

T McGinty (Swinford) 2. D O’Boyle (Ballinode), 3. J Tannian (Colaiste Iognaid)