Healy and O'Leary the stars in Santry

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Healy and O'Leary the stars in Santry

10 February 2016

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Healy and O'Leary shine bright at GloHealth Leinster Schools XC

Blue skies greeted the GloHealth Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships in Santry Demesne today with some of Ireland's brightest young talent turning on the style.

Aine Kirwan (Loreto Kilkenny) and Sean Donoghue (St Declan's Cabra) were impressive winners in the respective minor girls 1500m and minor boys 2,000m races to open the programme. Kirwan had the added bonus of guiding her school to the team title with Colaiste Eoin winning the minor boys team title.

Roisin Treacy (St Gerard's) set a fast pace from the start in the junior girls 2,000m with Deirbhile O'Reilly (Mount Sackville) leading the chasing pack. Treacy was full of running all the way through to the finish with O'Reilly holding on to a good second with Jennifer McAdams (HFCS Rathcoole) finishing third. Skerries CC packed well to win the team title.

It was a similar scenario in the junior boys 3,000m with Louis O'Loughlin (Moyle Park) a very impressive winner and he sprinted to the finish with enough energy to pull a Usain Bolt lightning strike celebration. Cormac Canning (St Mary's, Drogheda) was clear in second with Shane Fleming (Rochfortbridge) third. Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar took the team honours.

The intermediate girls 3,500m was the classiest race of the day . A tactical affair ensued with Abigail Taylor (St Gerard's) a reluctant leader with Blackrock AC club mates Sarah Healy (Holy Child Killiney) and Amy-Rose Farrell (Mount Anville) stalking in the wings.

Farrell upped the ante and split the pack with a mid-race surge leaving it a two-way tussle for the title - her clubmate Healy hanging on to the fast pace. It looked as if the Mount Anville student had made a decisive move but Healy countered and pulled away towards the end of an absorbing battle. Taylor was clear in third - a distance from the front two but also quite ahead of the chasing pack. Dominican College Wicklow were first team.

The intermediate boys 4,500m saw St Kieran's Kilkenny duo Adam Fitzpatrick and Rory Lodge lay down a challenge to the rest of the field. Fitzpatrick went on to take a good victory with St Aidan's Sean O'Leary coming through to take second. Lodge held on for third but it was Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar who won the team title.

Eimear Fitzpatrick (OLS Templeogue) cruised to victory in the senior girls 2,500m with Niamh Ni Chiarda (Colaiste Iosagain) second and Lauren Dermody (Loreto Kilkenny) third.

Jack O'Leary (Clongowes Wood College) had plenty to spare in the senior boys 6,000m surging clear at the halfway stage with Peter Lynch (St Kieran's College, Kilkenny) edging the gutsy Paul O'Donnell (DLS Churchtown). St Aidan's CBS in Whitehall were comprehensive winners of the team title.

The top 15 individuals and top three teams now advance to the GloHealth All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships for its centenary year in Sligo Race Course.

Full boys results HERE

Full girls results HERE

Results

GloHealth Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships, Santry Demesne

Minor Girls 1500m

1. A Kirwan (Loreto Kilkenny), 2. A McKenna (St MacDara’s), 3. C May (St Wolstan’s)

Teams

1. Loreto Kilkenny, 2. Loreto St Stephen’s Green, 3. Maynooth PP

Minor Boys 2,000m

1. S Donoghue (St Declan’s Cabra), 2. C Sweeney (Ard Scoil Ris), 3. C Ramsey (Newpark)

Teams

1. Colaiste Eoin, 2. Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar, 3. Naas CBS