HIGHLIGHTS: With a racing void left in the bank holiday weekend action due to the cancellation of the Dublin Marathon the main highlights this week were from our athletes in the USA. Abdel Laadjel (Providence Friars) scored a notable win at Conneticut, whilst Eric Keogh continues to impress with high placings at XC meets in North & South Carolina. We also had excellent runs from Ciaran Ryan and Anne Curley in the Rotterdam Marathon.
REPORT: Just two months into his dream American scholarship and Abdel Laadjel has already made a huge statement in respect of his future in athletics. Last Friday (22.10.21) he competed in his second race Stateside where he recorded a notable victory in the 18th CCSU (Central Connecticut State University) ANNUAL CROSS-COUNTRY MINI-MEET at Shanley Quarter Park in New Britain, Conneticut.
Representing the Providence University Friars team Laadjel (14.41) won comfortably having eleven-seconds to spare over runner-up Richard Sturtevant (14.52) of Yale University after the 5 kilometres race. He described his effort: “I felt comfortable in the race. I was out on my own and it felt more like a tempo run. I raced in flats because the course had stones beneath some of the grass and there was one longish hill”. His Providence University coach Ray Treacy sent this message: “… Abdel won very easily in 14.41 only 5 seconds off the course record held by a Kenyan that ran for American International University. It was the fastest time anyone from Providence has ever run at the course. Looking for him to be in our top 5 next week…” The Providence team placed 3rd of 12 teams with a score of 64, behind Yale (47) and Central Conneticut (55). The Lucan native and former student at Kishoge Community College is hoping for selection on the Irish Under 20s team for the European Cross-Country championships due to be held at Abbotstown on the 12th of December. He’ll be back in action on Friday in the more competitive Big East Cross-Country Championships at Carmel, Indiana. A good result in Indiana will advance his claim for selection.
Eric Keogh, who also went Stateside a couple of months ago, is also making his mark in the colours of Queens University (Charlotte) of North Carolina. On Saturday he placed 7th in the SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS over 8kmat McAlpine Creek Park in North Carolina. Keogh (24.08) was the 2nd scorer on the Queens team that placed 2nd of 13 teams. The race was won by his team-mate Jan Lukas Becker in 23.50. In the previous week (16.10.2021) Keogh (26.20) placed 11th of 158 finishers in the USC UPSTATE INVITATIONAL (8km) at Spartanburg, South Carolina. His Queens team placed 6th from 17. Keogh will return to Spartanburg on the 6th of November to compete in the NCAA Division 2 XC South-East Regional championship.
The ROTTERDAM MARATHON took place on Sunday 24 October, delayed from its usual April slot. Two Donore runners took to the start line of this popular marathon known for its flat course. Ciaran Ryan was delighted to get a time of 2.52.59 a 2-minute PB. In her second marathon in 3 weeks Anne Curley got a time of 3.07.38 following a 3.06 in Belfast earlier this month. She was 1st W50 in the race. The race attracted a top-class field and was won in 2.03.35 by Olympic bronze medallist Bashir Abdi of Belgium in a new European record and Kenya’s Stella Barsosio in 2.22
Club results for the DUBLIN EVEN-AGES CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS are listed below. The team picked up 3 gold, two silver and a bronze on the day. Individual gold went to Emily Bolton in the Under 14 girls, Liam Morris in the Under 14 boys and Lorraine O’Connor who stepped up an age group to win the Under 16 girls. Liam Morris was involved in a real tussle with David Coakley of Lucan Harriers, before a final sprint got him the verdict in a photo finish.
Thomas Bolton took silver in the Under 16 boys’ race behind talented Sean Cronin of Clonliffe Harriers, with his brother James also claiming silver in the Under 18 boys’ race. The Under 14 boys team led home by Liam Morris claimed bronze thanks to good packing from Liam Blair, Daniel Hughes, and Eoin Mooney.
A special mention to Rosie-May Morris who came 22nd in the Under 12 Girls race. Rosie-May picked up a hip injury in the latter half of her 2,000m race, but battled on bravely to reach the finishing funnel. Her injury required some hospital treatment, but happy to report that she is now fine.
In 5km PARKRUNs David McConn was first home at Waterstown and Sinead O’Reilly was first woman finisher at Kilcock. Juvenile athletes Laura Nunan and Dylan McKenna came 3rd at the Sports Ireland Campus and Waterstown Park respectively.
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CENTRAL CONNETICUT STATE UNIVERSITY 18th ANNUAL MINI-MEET at Shanley Quarter Park, New Britain, CT (22.10.2021)
MEN’S 5KM XC: 1st Abdel Laadjel (14.41)
91 finishers
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at McAlpine Creek Park, North Carolina (23.10.2021)
MEN’S 8KM XC: 7th Eric Keogh (24.08)
101 finishers
USC UPSTATE INVITATIONAL at Spartanburg, South Carolina (16.10.2021)
MEN’S 8KM XC: 11th Eric Keogh (26.20)
158 finishers
ROTTERDAM MARATHON (24.10.2021)
Ciaran Ryan (2.52.59 PB)
1st W50 Anne Curley (3.07.38)
DUBLIN JUVENILE EVEN-AGES CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at Abbotstown (17.10.2021)
U/10 GIRLS 1,000m: 6th Anna Whelan, 45th Lola Blake, 59th Robyn McCluskey, 60th Lola Nagle-Mullaly, 63rd Ciara Jackson, 65th Cliodhna McMahon – TEAM 8th.
U/10 BOYS 1,000m: 33rd Alan Maddox, 38th Jedd Fanning, 40th Cillian O’Farrell, 67th Daniel Maddox – TEAM 9th.
U/12 GIRLS 2,000m: 22nd Rosie-May Morris, 34th Annabella Omozee, 54th Ruby Blake, 68th Saoirse Jackson, 74th Petra Cunningham – TEAM 11th
U/12 BOYS 2,000m: 23rd Michael Dillon, 38th Daniel Lynch, 67th Dylan O’Connor
U/14 GIRLS 3,000m: 1st Emily Bolton
U/14 BOYS 3,000m: 1st Liam Morris, 17th Liam Blair, 23rd Daniel Hughes, 42nd Eoin Mooney, 53rd James Murphy – TEAM = 3rd
U/16 GIRLS 4,000m: 1st Lorraine O’Connor (step-up), 5th Eva Crowe (step-up), 26th Eleanor Hopkins, DNF Laura Nunan (ill)
U/16 BOYS 4,000m: 2nd Thomas Bolton, 14th Dylan McKenna
U/18 BOYS 5,000m: 2nd James Bolton, 12th Oliver Hopkins
PARKRUNS 5km (23.10.21)
ARDGILLAN: 42nd Joe Murphy M40 (26.12)
BUSHY: 109th Thomas Halton M65 (32.19)
MALAHIDE: 121st Angela O’Dea W35 (25.52)
POPPINTREE: 107th Eilish Joyce W40-44 (34.05)
ROYAL CANAL KILCOCK: 5th & 1st woman Sinead O’Reilly W40-44 (19.59)
SPORTS IRELAND CAMPUS: 16th & 3rd woman Laura Nunan W11-14 (22,16)
WATERSTOWN: 1st David McConn M35 (16.53), 3rd Dylan McKenna M15-17 (19.37 PB)