Sunday, November 25, 2018

BRILLIANT SILVER FOR DECLAN

Our U12 Boys team of Riaghan Guckian, Patrick and Declan Kennedy and Oran Butler

Patrick Kennedy finishes 16th in excellent display as U12 Boys team finish seventh

All-Ireland silver medalist Declan Kennedy
Congratulations to Declan Kennedy who produced a superb display to finish second in the Athletics Ireland Irish Life Health National U12 Cross-country Championships in Abbottstown on Sunday.

After a series of races that has seen him undefeated in Connacht, Declan, his twin Patrick and team-mates Oran Butler and Riaghan Guckian, both in their first ever All-Ireland, produced a superb display to finish seventh out of sixteen teams in the team race.

Fionn McNamara of Annalee started pushing the pace on the second of two 1 km laps but Declan was the only athlete able to chase. The Cavan runner stayed out in front to win with Declan showing great strength to hold off at least five athletes who had him in his sights.

Patrick also turned in a superb display as he finished 16th in a very tough race, despite being slightly under the weather. He got detached from Declan early in the race but was just outside the top 12 before the finish in what is still a superb run for Patrick - we don't have that many athletes who finished in the top 20 of an All-Ireland Juvenile cross-country championships. 

For Oran Butler and Riaghan Guckian, this was an introduction to one of the toughest events in the athletics calendar and they did superbly. Both are U11 and will run in Navan in three weeks time in their own age group and despite an understandable dose of nerves before the start, they fought every inch of the way and were sprinting all the way to the line as Oran was 144th and Riaghan 145th.
 

When the scores of the four lads were added together, the Carrick lads finished seventh in the Inter-Club race - one of the best performances from our club teams ever and definitely a sign of potential for the future.
 

Ellie O'Rourke got out strongly in a very competitive and incredibly high quality U16 Girls race. Unfortunately, it wasn't Ellie's day as she finished 64th, not a true reflection of a very dedicated athlete's ability, but nobody can doubt the effort she put in as she finished the race very light headed.
 

Brendan Kennedy completed our line-up in the U14 Boys race and ran strongly to finish 108th. Brendan got swamped at the start but fought his way through the field and will take a lot from this race.
 

A word of congratulations also to Kinlough natives Teresa Doherty and Breege Connolly who both had top ten finishes in the Senior Women's race. 


Teresa was just a week after winning the British & Irish Masters race in Swansea where our own Michelle Lannon was in action and she finished a superb seventh while Breege, who was a joint winner of the Senior category with our own Gerard O'Donnell at Saturday's Leitrim Sports Star Awards, showed incredible strength to come through for a superb 10th - great running from the two ladies.


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