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Cross Country News

Success at the East Leinsters in Avondale House

On Thursday 25th January the school sent a team of 62 of our finest athletes to compete in the East Leinster Cross Country Championships in Avondale House. 

The Minor A girls competed well with Gracie-May McSharry, Anna White, Charlotte Hickey and Zoe O'Mear all achieving top 50 finishes, with the Minor B girls getting Ruby Scarlett-Fitzgerald, Lily Bean, Ellen Mitchell and Emma McCann across the line in the top 25 out of a field of 120.

The Junior A girls team performed superbly well with Ellen Keaney finishing third and going forward to the Leinsters. Excellent finishes from Charlotte McSharry (16th) and Evanna Hoey (25th) meant the team finished 2nd overall and secured a place in the Leinster Championships. Kate Kelly, Kellie Deasy and Robyn-May Cassidy complete the team going forward.

The Junior B girls achieved an outstanding result with Kate Kohler running away from a large field to win the Junior B Girls race. She was brilliantly supported on her team by Abbie Walker (12th), Katherine Kiersey (9th), Zara Savage (21st) and Ilona Plissonneau (11th). The sixth member of the team Jessica Priestley was forced to withdraw from the race with an injury when she was well placed for a high finish.

The Inter A Girls performed fantastically well as a team and can count themselves unfortunate not to have progressed to the Leinsters. Aoife Linnane with a 10th placed finish will progress as an individual to the Leinsters but with all 5 of the team coming home in the top 34, Clarrissa Jordan (22nd), Sarah Flaherty (24th), Elena Gallagher (28th) and Sarah Forbes (34th), they should be very proud of their effort.

The girls as an overall team can be very proud of their third place finish as a school. This is the first time in recent history that the school has achieved a podium finish in an athletics meet so very well done to all the girls who competed and contributed on the day.

The Minor A boys qualified Atlas Loutfi (8th) and Christian O'Toole (9th) through to the Leinsters. The remainder of the team, Marcus Viio (37th), Francis Manzocchi (30th), Josh Perrem (35th) and Matthew Krassilnikov-Merrimen (46th), all finished in the top 50, but unfortunately the team just missed out on Leinster qualification. The Minor B boys ran well with four of the team coming home in the top 30.

The Junior A boys qualified in third place as a team for the Leinsters with all six boys coming home inside the top 25. Daniel Wann (15th), Calum Hewat (10th) and Luke McCarroll all qualified to compete as individuals at the Leinsters and they will be joined by Brodie Brehin, Jonny Lane and and Josh O'Neill when they look to progress as a team to the Nationals.

The Junior B boys dominated their race from start to finish with Rhys Armah-Kwantreng (1st) and James Light (3rd) coming away with individual medals. Thomas O'Brien (7th), Luke Oslizlok-Wood (12th), Matthew Johnson (19th) and Jonathan Walsh-Dowd (32nd) completed a powerful display by the team.

A young Inter Boys team performed well with all 6 boys inside the top 50. Theo Kohlmann (18th) just missed out on Leinsters qualification by 3 spots. He was followed home closely by Max Guilfoyle (23th) and Dylan Thompson (24th). Binyam Keegan (38th), Aran Finnegan (40th) and Tom Varian (43rd) all ran well on the day.

The Senior Team of Pierce Hanley (30th) and Hugh Plunkett (14th) ran well with Hugh securing a spot in the Leinsters.

The boys as an overall team finished second to cap a hugely successful meet for the school. We wish the Junior Boys and Girls the best of luck in the Leinsters as well as the 8 individuals who qualified for the Leinsters in February.