HISTORIC DAY IN WATERFORD

A happy Carrick AC crew in Waterford IT - Patrick, Brendan and Declan Kennedy with Lauren Reynolds

An historic day for Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club as, for the first time ever, we had two top five places in the one race at the All-Ireland Cross-country championships and, again, for the first time ever, a finisher in the top three in the Juvenile Cross-country.

Patrick and Declan Kennedy flew the Carrick flag with real style as they finished second and fifth in an incredible tough and competitive U11 race on a very testing but true cross-country course at Waterford IT.

Lauren Reynolds (U15 Girls) and Brendan Kennedy (U13 Boys) completed our crew in Waterford and brought the Club cross-country season to an end.

Patrick Kennedy chases the winner across the line

In the U11 Boys race, the two lads took off like rockets and were actually leading by about ten metres after just 200m and on such a tough course, with a huge hill that went up in two phases, the pace was always going to catch up with them. 

The impressive Conor Liston of Mullingar Harriers caught and passed the two lads and looked to be building a huge lead but once they got up the big hill, Patrick took off in pursuit and was locked in a ferocious battle down the final straight that only was sorted in the final 50 metres. 

Declan wasn't far off the third place, less than five metres behind the third placed athlete in an incredible result for the two lads. 

Declan Kennedy crosses in fifth just behind third

Up to this, Padraig Farrell was our only National individual cross-country medalist with a silver in the National Junior Inter-counties back in 1994 and he went on to run for Ireland at U23 and University level while Daire Farrell had a few top ten places and a Celtic International vest over the country as well. 

David Reynolds was another top ten finisher with seventh in an U13 race many moons ago while John Keenehan also cracked the top 10 in the National Novice and Valerie McGuinness also had a couple of top ten places while Lauren Reynolds, Richie Doran and Ellie O'Rourke have all finished top 20 down through the years.

Believe it or not, Cathal McElgunn did win a silver medal in the All-Ireland B Cross-country in Lough Key Forest Park while David Bruen also won an All-Ireland medal with a Connacht team.

(If I've missed anyone, mea culpa - the memory is going! Please let me know and it will be corrected)

Lauren starts the last lap

Lauren Reynolds looked as if she was going to have another top 20 finish in the U15 Girls, running a clever race as she moved up the field well and was well poised at the start of the demanding big hill. Unfortunately, an athlete fell right in front of Lauren, taking her to the ground and stopping her dead. 

Showing great courage, Lauren fought her way back to finish 33rd but all her momentum was robbed by the heavy fall coming just as the start of the big climb and when she was moving so well.

Brendan pushes up the hill

Brendan Kennedy completed our crew in Waterford and finished 118th in his first ever All-Ireland in a race that had an incredible 164 finishers, a solid run and repeating his tenth place from the Regionals. Certainly there is more to come from Brendan who just took up running in September.

Thanks to Lorna and Ken Kennedy and Michael Reynolds for travelling with the athletes.

And special thanks to the Distance gang who worked so hard over the cross-country season - the good performances of the last few weeks wouldn't happen without the gang pushing each other along.