The Primary Schools Cross Country was held on Sunday last at Moyne Community School with conditions providing a true cross-country test. The wet and the wind didn’t stop the almost 300 children from across the county all doing great with many running cross country for the first time. A total of 23 schools were represented.
The first 12 finishers in each race and the top 3 teams in each secure qualification to the Connacht finals in Mohill on 12 October. Well done to all.
Full results and the list of qualifiers can be viewed in the links on this page.
Our thanks to Moyne CS for the use of their grounds. Many thanks also to all who assisted with the event at course set-up, registration, parking, start line assembly, course marshals, Civil Defence, Last Lap Cafe and to the busy finish line team recording results and managing the funnel.
Emily Weafer, Oran O’Neill and El’Nathan Okoh enjoyed first time individual successes at the event. Newtownforbes’ Jessica Neary defended her 5th / 6th title and achieved top spot on the podium for the third successive year having won the 3rd / 4th class race in 2022.
Teams from Newtownforbes and Melview won medals in each of the four races. Killoe took gold in a closely contested 5th / 6th class girls team event with just 4 points separating the top three. A very impressive team showing from Dromard saw the school with six athletes in the top twenty of the 5th / 6th class boys race to win the gold.
Podium placings:
3rd / 4th Class Girls 800m (86 finishers): 1. Emily Weafer (Drumlish), 2. Maia Belton (Killoe), 3. Farah Devlin (Melview).
3rd / 4th Class Boys 800m (91 finishers): 1. Oran O’Neill (Ballinalee), 2. Ted Fitzpatrick (Melview), 3. Brion Flanagan (Killoe).
5th / 6th Class Girls 1000m (59 finishers): 1. Jessica Neary (Newtownforbes), 2. Julie Taitt (St. Josephs Longford), 3. Ella Finnegan (Killoe).
5th / 6th Class Boys 1000m (57 finishers): 1. El’Nathan Okoh (Stonepark), 2. Andrew Fitzpatrick (Melview), 3. Dylan Reynolds (Newtownforbes).
Team Standings
3rd / 4th Class Girls: 1. Newtownforbes, 2. Killoe, 3. Melview.
3rd / 4th Class Boys: 1. Newtownforbes, 2. Drumlish, 3. Melview.
5th / 6th Class Girls: 1. Killoe, 2. Newtownforbes, 3. Melview.
5th / 6th Class Boys: 1. Dromard, 2. Newtownforbes, 3. Melview.
The Harry Farrell Perpetual Shield recognises the best overall performance last Sunday over the four races with points awarded based on each top twenty finisher and a schools’ placing in each of the team standings. Congratulations to the girls and boys of Scoil Mhuire Newtownforbes who again emerged as impressive winners to complete a 4-in-a-row.
Top 5:
1st. Scoil Mhuire Newtownforbes 188
2nd. Melview 156
3rd. St. Teresa’s Killoe 115
4th. St. Patrick’s Dromard 107
5th. St. Mary’s Drumlish 88
Many thanks to Fiona Mulleady whose excellent collection of photos taken on Sunday is at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QdTALzmtlzgJfTcaSUkpcCrdvRJK3QGb
Any queries on results to pro.longfordac@gmail.com
