Tobin top finisher at NCAA’s as UL do the double

Tobin top finisher at NCAA’s as UL do the double

Sean Tobin was the leading Irish finisher at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturday.

Running for Ole Mississippi, Tobin covered the 10km distance in 30:36.4 and helped his college to an excellent fourth place finish. Hugh Armstrong finished 75th with Aaron Hanlon 238th – both ran for Providence.

Also running for Providence in the women’s 6km race was Sarah Collins who was 94th with Siofra Cleirigh Buttner finishing 9 places higher in 85th for Villanova.

There was joy for Irish miling legend Marcus O’Sullivan, head coach at Villanova, who had the men’s individual winner Patrick Tiernan of Australia. This was O’Sullivan’s 16th national champion.

Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) ran further afield in the Delhi half marathon covering the 13.1 mile distance in 64:43. “Tough morning in the office in Delhi,” said Pollock afterwards on Twitter. “Lungs were struggling as finished in 64:43. Least I've chance to get back on course next week.” Pollock will run in the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Champioships in a bid to make the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy in December.

The University of Limerick had a magnificent double at the Irish Universities Road Relay Championships in Maynooth. He combined with John McCallion, Peter Lynch, Niall Tuohy and James Ledingham to strike gold. The women’s team of Katherine O'Keefe, Grace Lynch, Michelle Finn and Amy O'Donoghue covered the 6 mile relay (1-2-2-1 mile format) in 34:02.00. DCU were second with UCC third.

Eoin Everard was key figure for the UL men on the 3 mile leg of the 8 mile relay (1-2-3-2-1 mile format) as they won with a time of 45:15.00. DCU finished second and UCD third with Mark English on their anchor leg.

Full results are on the IUAA site HERE - please note that the 1 mile distances are inaccurate.

Irish University Road Relays, Maynooth

Women

UL (Katherine O'Keefe, Grace Lynch, Michelle Finn, Amy O'Donoghue) 34:02.00
DCU (Mary Mulhare, Una Britton, Rachael Smyth, Elizabeth Carr) 34:19.00
UCC (Louise Shanahan, Jessica Coyne, Niamh Allen, Orna Murray) 35:10.00

Men

UL (John McCallion, Peter Lynch, Eoin Everard, Niall Tuohy, James Ledingham) 45:15.00
DCU (Daniel Scully, Kevin Kelly, David Scanlon, Michael Carey, Jonny Whan) 45:30.00      
UCD (Fionn Buttner, Eoin Taggart, Thomas Moran, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Mark English) 45:49.00