Gerry Brady

25 March, 2009

Detailed results: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/2009 IS results.xls

Photos
Junior girls: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615809868397/
Junior boys: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615897835428/
Inter girls: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615901206184/
Inter boys: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615817401749/
Senior girls: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615819685233/
Senior boys: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615823384913/
Prizegiving: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157615835088011/


Web links to the full results and photos are given above. Some photos have also been directly uploaded to the IMRA web page. Congratulations to: all the runners; their teachers, coaches, clubs and parents; to all the volunteers; and to Mags and Caroline. There were many very impressive individual and team performances and they augur well for the future of Irish international mountain running. John Maye, a regular at IMRA races, had great success with his athletes from St Marys Knockbeg in Carlow. Newcomers St. Dominics Cabra had individual and team victories. There was also a very large turnout from Douglas Community School.

The individual male senior winner John Travers (Inchicore Vocational School) finished 2nd in the recent All Ireland schools cross-country championships while the female senior winner Tekea Gebrezgi (St. Dominics Cabra) was 3rd in the same cross-country championships. Travers will be representing Ireland this weekend in an international schools cross-country race in Scotland. Experienced mountain runner Michael Dowling (Scoil Chonglais Baltinglass) led out the early pace chased by twins Edward and John Grimes (both Institute of Education). Coming towards the end of the first of three laps, Travers eased his way into a lead he was never to relinquish. On the second lap, Lee Van Haeften (Salesian College) was in fifth followed by Jonathan Phillips (East Glendalough), Jordan Logue (St. Aidans CBS) and John Harrington (Maria Immaculate Dunmanway). Close behind were Jayme Rossiter (Belvedere), Philip Hilliard (Hartstown CS) and Tommy Deere (St. Marys Knockbeg). Many of these were to pay for their impetuous early pace and at the finish it was Phillips and Van Haeften who came through for the silver and bronze medals. The winners of the team race were St. Aidan's from Hartstown Community School and Belvedere College

Gebrezgi was always to the fore in the senior girls race. Sarah Finnegan (Loreto St. Stephens Green) kept her company early on with Muckross Park College athlete Sarah Kelly and Loreto Kilkenny athlete Naomi Ni Chleirigh also prominent. By the halfway mark Niamh Denny (Our Ladys Grove Goatstown) had worked her way through to second followed by Maria O Sullivan (Holy Faith Clontarf) and Ni Chleirigh. On the last lap the three leaders kept their places while the more experienced Loreto Foxrock duo of Ashling Walsh and Carol Huet finished strongly for fourth and fifth positions. Loreto Foxrock were team winners ahead of St. Dominic's Cabra and Colaiste Iosagain.

James Griffin (Knockbeg) ran remarkably well to beat Eoghan Totten (St. Patricks Downpatrick). Totten forced the pace from the start obviously intent on using his international mountain running experience to the most. Griffin stayed within reach with another trio of Kevin Dooney (CBC Monkstown), Michael Tracey (High School Rathgar) and orienteer Ben Mangan (East Glendalough) close behind. James Speight (Enniskillen), Stephen Lawlor (St. Marys) and Max van Haeften (Salesian) were also well in contact coming towards the end of the second of three laps. The places stayed much the same to the end apart from a strong surge in the closing stages from Griffin to give him victory. St. Mary's Knockbeg won the team from Douglas Community School and Colaiste Eoin.

Aine McCann (Down High) better known as an orienteer had a comfortable victory in the intermediate girls race. Sinead McDonald (Bush PPS Dundalk) took out the early pace but by the end of the first lap it was McCann well clear of McDonald with Sinead Cronin (St. Dominics Cabra) in third and Laura Hannigan (Loreto Foxrock) in fourth. These were followed by Megan Ryan (Colaiste Iosagain), Heather Lougheed (St. Dominics), Miskana Gebrezgi (St Dominics) and Breda McDonald (Heywood CS Ballinkill). On the last lap McCann kept her lead while Cronin finished very well to eventually got the better of McDonald for the silver. St. Dominic's Cabra won the team from Colaiste Iosagain and Loreto Foxrock.

The winner of the junior girls race was Clar Ni Chartaigh (Colaiste Iosagain). Ni Chartaigh was clear after the first climb with Sophie Courtney (Kings Hospital) in second and the Muckross Park College girls Cliona Walsh and Sarah Eustace running beyond themselves in third and fourth and Michelle Mullan (Kings Hospital) in fifth. The eventual second and fourth finishers Sorchan Ni Umfraidh (Colaiste Iosagain) and Una Mary McCarthy Deering (Holy Child Killiney) were biding their time back around tenth. By the finish Ni Umfraidh was closing in with every stride on the winner. Colaiste Iosagain won the team title from St. Dominic's Cabra and King's Hospital.

Three Knockbeg runners emerged from the first climb in the lead in the junior boys. The eventual winner Killian O Mhaonaigh (Colaiste Eoin) was back in sixth at this stage. At the end of the first of two laps he was gone clear with the silver and bronze medallists Kevin Brennan and Ethan O Neill (both Knockbeg) chasing him. Behind them Brian McCormack (Knockbeg) was beginning to lose ground. In fifth was Aaron Dequina (St. Aidans) followed by Eoin Bourke (Douglas CS), Conor King (St. Aidans), John Durcan (Douglas CS) and Keith O Reilly (St. Olivers Oldcastle) in seventh and running comfortably. A lap later and O Mhaonaigh was well clear and won comfortably from a field of 96 finishers. St. Mary's Knockbeg won the team from Douglas Community School and Colaiste Eoin.

Junior girls individual
1. Clar Ni Chartaigh (Colaiste Iosagain) 5.51
2. Sorchan Ni Umfraidh (Colaiste Iosagain) 5.55
3. Sophie Courtney (Kings Hospital) 6.10

Junior girls team
1. Colaiste Iosagain 19
2. St. Dominics Cabra 52
3. Kings Hospital 53

Junior boys individual
1. Killian O Mhaonaigh (Colaiste Eoin) 10.37
2. Kevin Brennan (St. Marys Knockbeg) 10.46
3. Ethan O Neill (St. Marys Knockbeg) 10.52

Junior boys team
1. St. Marys Knockbeg 38
2. Douglas CS 46
3. Colaiste Eoin 75

Intermediate girls individual
1. Aine McCann (Down High School) 11.47
2. Sinead Cronin (St. Dominics Cabra) 11.52
3. Sinead McDonald (Bush PPS Dundalk) 12.03

Intermediate girls team
1. St. Dominics Cabra 31
2. Colaiste Iosagain 42
3. Loreto Foxrock 93

Intermediate boys individual
1. James Griffin (St. Marys Knockbeg) 15.00
2. Eoghan Totten (St. Patricks Downpatrick) 15.05
3. Michael Treacy (High School Rathgar) 15.06

Intermediate boys team
1. St Marys Knockbeg 44
2. Douglas CS 73
3. St Peters Dunboyne 82

Senior girls individual
1. Tekea Gebrezgi (St. Dominics Cabra) 11.19
2. Niamh Denny (Our Ladys Grove Goatstown) 11.35
3. Maria O Sullivan (Holy Faith SS Clontarf) 12.28

Senior girls team
1. Loreto Foxrock 28
2. St. Dominics Cabra 32
3. Colaiste Iosagain 41

Senior boys individual
1. John Travers (Inchicore College) 14.17
2. Jonathan Phillips (East Glendalough) 14.38
3. Lee Van Haeften (Salesian College) 15.00

Senior boys team
1. St Aidans CBS Whitehall 40
2. Hartstown 48
3. Belvedere 51