Tipperary juvenile athletes were out in force at Munster cross country championships

Above: Dylan Noonan and Billy Horan, who represented Fethard Athletic Club with distinction on Sunday last at the Munster Juvenile Even Age, Under 20 and Novice Cross Country Championships in Conna, Co Cork. The boys were on Tipperary teams that won bronze medals 

Last Sunday saw a whole host of Tipperary juvenile athletes travel to Conna, Co Cork to take part in the Munster Even-Age Cross Country Championships.

Despite the best efforts of Storm Ashley, there were large turnouts for all races, with all athletes performing admirably. Tipperary had a number of medal winners in both team and individual races and they were as follows:

Clara O’Donnell Clonmel AC and Poppy Shanahan Moyne AC, secured individual medals in the Girls U10 race where they finished fifth and 11th respectively. Clara and Poppy led the Tipperary team to the bronze medals, where the other team scorers were Laoise Prior Dualla Ballytarsna Boherlahan AC 16th, Emer Dorney Thurles Crokes AC 23rd, Quin Corbett Moyne AC 35th and Aoibheann Doyle Moyne AC 40th.

Moyne AC finished just outside the medals in fourth position in the club team competition with the team comprising of Poppy Shanahan 11th, Quin Corbett 35th, Aoibheann Doyle 40th and Annabelle Butler 90th.

Tipperary boasted two top 12 individual finishes in the Boys U10 race, as Jack Ryan Templemore AC and David DeBurca Dundrum AC put in brilliant performances to finish sixth and 12th.

As with the Girls U10 race, the Tipperary team also picked up bronze medals in the Boys U10 competition. Scoring members were Jack Ryan Templemore AC 6th, David DeBurca Dundrum AC 12th, Cormac Hanrahan Nenagh Olympic AC 17th, Evan Savage Newport AC 23rd, Archie Spillane Thurles Crokes AC 31st and Billy Horan Fethard AC 41st.

Ellen Maher, Dundrum AC stormed to an eighth place finish in the U12 Girls race to secure an individual medal and a place at the National Championships, which will take place in Enniskillen, Fermanagh next month.

Orlaith Frisby, Carrick-on- Suir AC finished just outside of the top 12 with a 16th place finish while the Tipperary team combined to take fifth place.

Tipperary’s highest finisher of the day came in the U12 Boys race, where Michael Hynes, Nenagh Olympic AC produced a brilliant run to claim the silver medal and a spot at the National Championships. Michael led the Tipperary team home to the bronze medals and they will now also head to the National Championships.

The team was made up of Michael Hynes Nenagh Olympic AC second, Dylan Noonan Fethard AC 20th, Matthew Esmonde Moyne AC 28th, Aaron Savage Newport AC 29th, Luke Kavanagh Templemore AC 32nd and Tadhg Quinlan Templemore AC 47th.

Caoimhe Slevin was the first of the Tipperary competitors across the line in the Girls U14 race in 24th place, while the Tipperary team finished in fourth place in the team competition.

Two Tipperary athletes claimed individual medals and national spots in the Boys U14 race, as Albert Maher Dundrum AC finished in sixth while Luke Duggan Templemore AC came home in 12th. Albert and Luke guided the Tipperary team to the bronze medal as they earned a place at the National Championships.

Other scoring members were Fionn Aird Clonmel AC 21st, Christopher Mills Thurles Crokes AC 40th, Harry Cahill Thurles Crokes AC 42nd and Charlie Cahill Thurles Crokes 44th.

Leah Berry, Newport AC led home the Tipperary contingent in the Girls U16 race as she finished in 24th position and led the Tipperary team to a fourth place finish in the team competition.

Darragh Boland was the best of the Tipperary athletes in the Boys U16 race when he finished in 20th position. Unfortunately, there was not a sufficient number of Tipperary athletes to make up a county team.

Nenagh Olympic AC were the sole Tipperary representatives in the Boys U18/U20 race in which they were highly successful. Diarmuid Moloney was first home as he finished in third overall and second in the U18 competition while Kevin Finn finished seventh overall and fifth in the U18 category.

Diarmuid and Kevin were backed up by their teammates Ben Walshe 23rd, Thomas Bergin 33rd and Ruairi Walshe 41st and they claimed the team silver medal in the U20 competition.

All roads lead to Thurles this weekend, where we return to county action as clubs prepare for the county Juvenile Cross Country Relays.

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