Heaslip heads great day in Abbotsown

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Heaslip heads great day in Abbotsown

26 November 2017

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Heaslip heads top action at Irish Life Health Champs

Shona Heaslip (An Riocht) headed a great day of racing at the Irish Life Health National Senior and Juvenile Even Age Championships in Abbotsown today.

Heaslip won the women’s 8,000m race while Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) triumphed in the men’s 10,000m. The main results are HERE

The women’s race was seemingly whittled down to three athletes on the final lap with Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) pushing the pace from Heaslip and Lizzie Lee (Leevale) with Michelle Finn (Leevale) seemingly out of contention.

Shona Heaslip split the trio over the closing stages into the uphill finish with O’Flaherty holding second and a fast finishing Finn snaring the bronze from her team mate Lee. There was more than enough consolation for Lee as Leevale won the team title. They were ably backed up by Claire McCarthy in 10th and Sinead O’Connor in 18th. DSD were second with An Riocht third. Cork won the county.

There was a big pack in the senior men’s race which was split up by DSD’s Joe Sweeney who returned from a long lay-off with a bad Achilles.

This left Paul Pollock to pick up the pieces with Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock) swooping through for silver and holding off Hugh Armstrong (Ballina) who had an excellent run for bronze. Raheny Shamrock won the team prize with Conor Dooney in 9th, Eoin Strutt in 13th and Mark Kirwan in 18th.

Kilkenny City Harriers were second with DSD in third while Dublin won the county.

The combined U18 girls and junior women’s 4,000m race saw Laura Nicholson (Bandon) trump the field ahead of Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry) and Jodie McCann (DSD).

The U18 boys and junior men’s 6,000m was arguably the race of the day with Fearghal Curtin (Youghal) running out into an early lead only to be clawed back by the chasing pack. And it was all to play for in the finishing straight with Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) edging into a lead only to be run out by a brilliant win for Craig McMeechan (North Down).

Charlie O’Donovan (Leevale) came in with a late burst to pip Curtin for bronze with James Edgar (City of Lisburn) and Darragh McElhinney (DSD) not too far behind in 5th and 6th respectively.

Erinn Leavy (Dunleer) was the first winner of the day in the U12 girls’ 2,000m quickly followed by Thomas Bolton (MSB) in the U12 boys’ 2,000m.

Sadhbh Mohan made it two wins in two races for Metro/St Brigid’s as she took the U14 girls’ 3,000m with Oisin Duffy (City of Derry Spartans) winning the U14 boys’ over the same distance.

Aimee Hayde (Newport) impressed once more to win the U16 girls’ 4,000m with Cian McPhillips (Longford) also continuing to be a name at the head of results sheet to top the pile in the U16 boys’ 4,000m.