Donore Harriers Athletics Report – w/e 20th October 2019

HIGHLIGHTS: Rossa Hurley 3^rd in M35 class in the Autumn Open Cross gaining automatic selection for the Ireland ‘B&I Masters’ championship team. Emily, Thomas and James Bolton and Abdel Laadjel win individual medals in the Dublin Juvenile Even Ages championships – as Donore Harriers teams win gold (U14 Girls), silver (U14 Boys) and bronze (U16 Boys). Amy Moriarty runs 3.24 in Amsterdam.

At the SPAR AUTUMN OPEN CROSS event at Abbotstown on Sunday (20.10.2019) Rossa Hurley withheld the late challenge of Thomas Lupton of Portlaoise AC to take the 3^rd place step on the podium. In the process he also secured his selection to the Irish M35 team to compete in the British & Irish Cross-Country championships to be held at Aintree Racecourse on the 16^th of November. The selection policy gives automatic selection to the first 4 finishers in the trial races, with the remaining 2 places at the discretion of the Irish Masters Athletics Association.

Both Hurley and Lupton had made conservative starts and gained places in the middle part of the race, with Hurley holding a 4-seconds advantage as they entered the last of five 1,500-metre laps. The Donore Harriers star dug deep to get M35 category bronze with a time of 24.49, with Lupton just one-second behind. The master’s race and M35 category was won by Colm Rooney (23.31) of Clonliffe Harriers, who was awarded the Jim McNamara golden shoe, in honour of the late and great Donore Harriers athlete and coach. In the same race Gavin Keogh (27.39) came 42^nd and 15^th in the M35 age category, with Des Tremble placing 50^th and 14^th in the M45 class.

In the Women’s master race over 6km, the Jim McNamara ‘golden shoe’ trophy was won by Teresa Doherty (21.48) of Finn Valley AC. The Golden Shoes were presented to the winners by Jim’s son Shane McNamara, who was accompanied by his 3 children (Jim’s grandchildren). This was the 4^th year of the awards in memory of the former Olympic Games marathon runner. Donore’s Maura Kearns (23.53) came 15^th overall and a fine 7^th in the W35 age group – and Audrey Gahan (25.57) came 36^th and 15^th in the W40 age group. Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (22.08) came 11^th in the senior women’s race, also over 6km.

In the SPAR cross-country xperience race over 4km Sarah Ni Ruairc (21.42) came 37^th overall and was the 10^th woman home.

Earlier in the day the Abbotstown venue hosted the DUBLIN JUVENILE EVEN AGES CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS. Top of the bill for the Donore Harriers team was Emily Bolton, who romped to victory in the Under 12 Girls race over 2km. In the same race Abigail Tolan came 25^th, with Ava Hoare 58^th, Tara Hoare 62^nd and Melody Omozee, stepping-up an age-group, in 70^th. The unfortunate Amber Lynch, who was also stepping-up, fell heavily on the 2^nd lap and retired from the race.

16 years-old Abdel Laadjel, stepped-up to compete in the Under 18 Boys race over 6km. Laadjel contested for the lead in first of 4 laps over an undulating 1.5km route, before race-favourite John Fanning of Skerries AC made his big move on Lap 2. Despite a big effort on the last lap Laadjel was unable to rein in Eanna Moynihan-O’Braidaigh of Templeogue AC and had to settle for a highly creditable 3^rd place. Not far behind Laadjel an ever-improving Gavin Curtin was putting in a gutsy performance to finish an impressive 6^th.

James Bolton, wearing the black and white of Donore Harriers for the first time, finished an excellent 2^nd place in the Under 16 Boys race over 4km. The talented Oliver Hopkins, stepping-up an age, came a fine 10^th, with the team completed by Sean Kinsella in 34^th and Alan Farrell in 45^thplace. The team came 3^rd on 91 points, just 5 ahead of Cabinteely AC (96). DSD AC came 1^st on 37 with Clonliffe Harriers 2^nd on 59.

James’s younger brother Thomas (Bolton) also won individual silver in the 3 kilometres Under 14 Boys race. Thomas was one of 5 athletes who ran in close order in the first half of the race, before eventually settling for the runner-up spot as the race became stretched. Matei Ursachi, another athlete running in an older category, gave chase to the leading five and his gutsy performance saw him secure 6^th place. Newcomer Dylan McKenna, showing good potential, came 17^th. The team was closed out by James Dunne and Joe Kinsella, who placed 33^rd and 36^th respectively. The Donore Harriers team scored 58 points to place 2^nd behind winners Clonliffe Harriers (33) and well ahead of bronze team Crusaders AC (80).

The best team performance came in the Under 14 Girls race (3km). Two step-up athletes made it to the top 10 as Lorraine O’Connor gained to 5^th and Eva Crowe was in a close-range 8^th. A determined Laura Nunan, overcoming a recent back injury, made up several places in the final kilometre to finish 16^th. Honor Lynch closed the scoring 4 in 21^st spot. Katie Delaney came 48^th and Sarah Tolan 51^st. In the team competition Donore Harriers came first on 50 points, 10 points clear of Lucan Harriers (60) with Rathfarnham AC (63) in 3^rd.

Annabella Omozee fell back several places in the closing stages of the Under 10 Girls 1km race crossing the line in 16^th place. Emily Farrell came 20^th, with Ruby Blair 25^th and Beth O’Connor in 27^th.

In the Under 10 Boys race over 1km Sebastian Ursachi (22^nd) was very disappointed after a fall put paid to his chances of a top 6 finish. Mark Nunan (step-up) came 37^th and Phillipe Gaudin 59^th.

Liam Blair (28^th), Mario Omozee (57^th) and newcomer Ross Cassidy (62^nd) were the Donore Harriers trio in the Under 12 Boys 2km race.

Two Donore Harriers athletes were among more than 13,000 runners in the AMSTERDAM MARATHON on Sunday (20.10.2019). Amy Moriarty (3.24.07) ran a consistent race to finish 2,367^th overall and 86^th in the senior women’s category. Eddie Bolton (4.30.37) suffered from cramp in the final stages of the race but dug-deep to make it to the finish line.

PARKRUN SERIES (19.10.2019): In the Parkrun series (19.10.2019) Niall Lynch was first home at St. Anne’s Park in a brisk 16.47, whilst Sinead O’Reilly was the first woman home at Royal Canal Kilcock in 20.39. Nicola Dowdall (24.00) was the 2^nd female finisher in Corkagh Park, with Mary McDermott (25.04) 3^rd female at Naas. At Waterstown Park two juvenile athletes had fine runs. Dylan McKenna (21.46) came 4^th overall with Katie Delaney (23.49) placing 14^th and 3^rd female finisher.

RESULTS IN BRIEF:

AUTUMN OPEN-CROSS at ABBOTSTOWN (20.09.2019)

Senior Women 6km: 11^th Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (22.08). 35 finishers

Master Women 6km: 15^th & 7^th W35 Maura Kearns (23.53), 36^th & 15^th W40Audrey Gahan (25.57). 54 finishers

Master Men 7.5km: 4^th & 3^rd M35 Rossa Hurley (24.49), 42^nd & 15^th M35 Gavin Keogh (27.39), 50^th & 14^th M45 Des Tremble (28.08). 96 finishers.

Spar XC Xperience 4km: 37^th & 10^th woman Sarah Ni Ruairc (21.42)

DUBLIN JUVENILE EVEN-AGES CHAMPIONSHIPS at ABBOTSTOWN (20.09.2019)

U10 Girls 1km: 16^th Annabella Omozee (step-up), 20^th Emily Farrell, 25^th Ruby Blake, 27^th Beth O’Connor

U10 Boys 1km: 22^nd Sebastian Ursachi, 37^th Mark Nunan (step-up), 59^th Philippe Gaudin

U12 Girls 2km: 1^st Emily Bolton, 25^th Abigail Tolan, 58^th Ava Hoare, 62^nd Tara Hoare, 70^th Melody Omozee (step-up), DNF Amber Lynch (fell)

U12 Boys 2km: 28^th Liam Blair, 57^th Mario Omozee, 62^nd Ross Cassidy

U14 Girls 3km: 5^th Lorraine O’Connor (step-up), 8^th Eva Crowe (step-up), 16^th Laura Nunan, 21^st Honor Lynch, 48^th Katie Delaney, 51^st Sarah Tolan

TEAM: 1^st Donore Harriers (50), 2^nd Lucan Harriers (60), 3^rd Rathfarnham AC (63)

U14 Boys 3km: 2^nd Thomas Bolton, 6^th Matei Ursachi (step-up), 17^th Dylan McKenna, 33^rd James Dunne, 36^th Joe Kinsella

TEAM: 1^st Clonliffe Harriers (33), 2^nd Donore Harriers (58), 3^rd Crusaders AC (80)

U16 Girls 4km: no entry

U16 Boys 4km: 2^nd James Bolton, 10^th Oliver Hopkins (step-up), 34^th Sean Kinsella, 45^th Alan Farrell

TEAM: 1^st DSD AC (37), 2^nd Clonliffe Harriers (59), 3^rd Donore Harriers (91)

U18 Girls 4km: no entry

U18 Boys 6km: 3^rd Abdel Laadjel (step-up), 6^th Gavin Curtin

AMSTERDAM MARATHON (20.10.2019)

2,367^th & 154^th woman Amy Moriarty (3.24.07) 1.42.23 at half-way

9,731^st & 7,908^th male Eddie Bolton (4.30.37) 1.49.04 at half-way

13,475 finishers