North Mayo schools in cross country action
The top 12 finishers in the 3rd and 4th class girls race at the North Mayo NS Cross Country championships held in Belleek, Ballina last week.
Athletics: Moy Valley Athletic Club hosted the North Mayo Primary Schools Cross Country in brilliant sunshine in Belleek, Ballina last Thursday. There was a great turnout from almost all schools in the region and it was a great sight to see hundreds of primary school children taking on the challenging parkland course with a tough hill at about half way.
Inspired by the exploits of the Irish Olympians this year, there were four great races as kids got a chance to run with school colleagues. Prizes of sports vouchers were presented to the top 12 finishers in each race with team prizes for the top three schools in each race.
In the first race of the day, Síomha Whelan, representing the Quay, Ballina ran an assured race from start to finish to win the 3rd/4th class race ahead of the fast finishing Aoife Butler from Breaffy who blitzed the second half of the race. Síomha’s teammate from the Quay, Ariana O’Flynn, was third after an even paced race.
In the boys race for 3rd/4th boys, Kyle Molloy hit the front at the bottom of the famous Belleek hill and made his strong strike for home. His Quay teammate, Joe Tighe surged through the field to come second with Currabaggan’s Ronan McLoughlin in third holding off a brave run from Jamie Sweeney from Culleens in fourth.
Roxane Sands and Grace Tighe are two of the best juvenile cross country athletes in their age groups in Ireland. It was a pleasure to see the two of them compete in the 5th/6th class race for girls as they made light of the course. Roxane, representing Rathbane, won the race and retained her title with Grace from the Quay, Ballina coming second with Saoirse Ruane from the Quay coming third.
In the last race of the day, for 5th/6th class boys, Daniel Gallagher from the Quay, Ballina retained his title after opening up a good lead in the second half of the race. Daniel’s teammate, Brody Loftus, came second with a strong run with Darragh McHale from Rehins in third.
An event of this scale is not possible without a lot of preparatory work and thanks was extended to Moy Valley Athletic Club members and local teachers who ensured the event went off smoothly.
The Mayo championships will also be held in Belleek this coming Wednesday, September 25.
Results:
1, Síomha Whelan, Quay NS; 2, Aoife Butler, Breaffy NS; 3, Ariana O’Flynn, Quay NS; 4, Ysanne Harrison, Quay NS; 5, Eve MacHale, Behy NS; 6, Ailbhe Sweeney, Currabaggan NS; 7, Aoibhe Judge, Bonniconlon NS; 8, Kyna Flanagan, Crossmolina NS; 9, Ali May Grimes, Quay NS; 10, Chelsea Maughan, Scoil Iósa; 11, Aoibhinn Mc Loughlin, Crossmolina NS; 12, Zara Gardiner, Crossmolina NS.
Teams: 1, Quay NS – Síomha Whelan, Ariana O’Flynn, Ysanne Harrison, Ali May Grimes, Sadie Clarke, Laura Deacy; 2, Crossmolina NS – Kyna Flanagan, Aoibhinn Mc Loughlin, Zara Gardiner, Saoirse Loftus, Cait Brennan, Ciara Moffatt; 3, Breaffy NS – Aoife Butler, Alexandra Jaszyszyn, Anna Cunnane, Fiadh Judge, Amber Murphy, Sophie Peyton.
1, Kyle Molloy, Quay NS; 2, Joe Tighe, Quay NS; 3, Ronan McLoughlin, Currabaggan NS; 4, Jamie Sweeney, Culleens NS; 5, Charlie McGuire, Quay NS; 6, Séan Leonard, Breaffy NS; 7, Joe McAndrew, Lahardane NS; 8, Koa Sands, Rathbane NS; 9, James Ryan, Killala NS; 10, Beau O’Neill, Behy NS; 11, Danny Loftus, Crossmolina NS; 12, Thomas Gorman, Rehins NS.
Teams: 1, Quay NS – Kyle Molloy, Joe Tighe, Charlie McGuire, Harry Ruane, Fergal Clarke, Cian O’Flynn; 2, Killala NS – James Ryan, Matthew McLoughlin, Odhran Noone, Conor McLoughlin, Daniel Gilbea, Lekgotla Waheng
; 3, Breaffy NS – Séan Leonard, Archer Williams, Adam Syron, Conor Quinn, Rowan Walshe, Ethan Sheridan.
1, Roxane Sands, Rathbane NS; 2, Grace Tighe, Quay NS; 3, Saoirse Ruane, Quay NS; 4, Cora Naughton, Gaelscoil; 5, Leona Hackett, Cooneal NS; 6, Amy Ferguson, Quay NS; 7, Orna Hannick, Gaelscoil; 8, Rachel Gallagher, Kilmurry NS; 9, Bláithín Cunnane, Behy NS; 10, Grace McMyler, Quay NS; 11, Evie Devaney, Ardagh NS; 12, Aishling McHale, Gaelscoil. Teams: 1, Quay NS – Grace Tighe, Saoirse Ruane, Amy Ferguson, Grace McMyler, Aoibhinn Gannon, Bethan Kelly; 2, Gaelscoil – Cora Naughton, Orna Hannick, Aisling McHale, Ali Maloney; 3, Cooneal NS – Leona Hackett, Hannah Gardiner, Patricia O’Donnell, Aoibhinn Carden, Ruth O’Donnell, Harriet Carden.
1, Daniel Gallagher, Quay NS; 2, Brody Loftus Rouse, Quay NS; 3, Darragh McHale, Rehins NS; 4, Jack Molloy, Quay NS; 5, Alex Lackey, Gaelscoil; 6, Cian McDonnell, Mount Palmer NS; 7, Scott Clarke, Quay NS; 8, Brian Ruane, Quay NS; 9, Noah Fleming, Currabaggan NS; 10, Cillian Ruane, Quay NS; 11, Ríain McLoughlin, Breaffy NS; 12, Eoin Connolly, Behy NS.
Teams: 1, Quay NS – Daniel Gallagher, Brody Loftus Rouse, Jack Molloy, Scott Clarke, Brian Ruane, Cillian Ruane; 2, Breaffy NS – Ríain McLoughlin, Oísin Cunnane, Aiden Lynch, James Gallagher, Archie Mulherin, Hugh Kennedy; 3, Crossmolina NS – Ruairí Coggins, James Gallagher, Darragh McLoughlin, Tom Cosgrove, Jamie Cleary, Conor O’Boyle.
