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GRAND NATIONAL GALLOP ON MARCH 15

Race Organiser Paula McGilloway has confirmed that this year’s Grand National Gallop 5K will go ahead at Gransha on March 15.

The Creggan woman will be hoping for better weather conditions this year after heavy rain and cold winds blighted the event 12 months ago.

Gregory Roberts on his way to victory in 2007

Gregory Roberts and Aileen Morrison, winners in 2007, are both expected to be back to defend their titles with McGilloway targeting a starting line-up again of over 100 runners.

Despite being buffered by a strong crosswind on the exposed parts of the course Roberts returned a very creditable 15 minutes 30 seconds timing.

Last year’s second placer Declan Reed should also be in action but a certain absentee will be Marcus Christie who was third last year but has subsequently had to quit the sport due to foot problems.

Last year Aileen Morrison made short work of the female opposition. She will be hot favourite to repeat that success after a phenomenal winter which has seen her lift no less than three individual titles and culminated in a bronze medal in the NI & Ulster Senior Cross-Country Championships.

Entry forms and further information should be available shortly in all the local leisure centres.

EARLY START IN ARMAGH FOR LOCAL ROAD RUNNERS

Three northwest athletes made impressive early starts to the season when they took part in the Armagh Road Races.

While American Christian Hesch made it three wins in four years with a storming last lap there were promising times for the three Derry runners.

City of Derry’s Sammy McAnaney took second place in the M50 category with a 17 minutes 47 seconds clocking for 97^th overall of the 239 finishers.

Foyle Valley’s Billy Orr also showed a fine turn of speed to finish just three seconds back of McAnaney in 104^th overall and seventh of the M45 competitors.

Back in 118^th place Gary O’Donnell will have been happy with his 18:17 timing on his first outing of the season.

Up front Hesch defied a strong wind to lop a massive ten seconds off his own course record with Ireland’s Mark Carroll just two seconds back in the silver medal spot.

Finland’s Jussi Utriainen who had always been in the leading group took third in 14 minutes one second.

“I just love it here, it’s like my home track,” said Hesch after crossing the line and getting the plaudits of the appreciative crowd.

Although failing in his attempt to become the first Irish athlete in over a decade to win the race, the Corkman was nevertheless pleased with his performance.

“I’m delighted to run so fast at this time of year,” said Carroll. “I’ve given up on running marathons any more, I’m just not suited to it but I’m going to try for the Olympics at the 10,000 metres.

“This will be last chance; I’m going to hang my spikes at the end of the year. I’m 36 now and there are other things I want to do,” said the Irish record holder for all distances from 3000 metres to 10,000 metres.

Both Hesch and Carroll were prominent from the gun and were in a leading group of at least ten that went through the opening kilometre in 2 minutes 47 seconds.

Hesch led through the second lap while another American, Pat Tarpy, was in front after three circuits of the tight Mall course.

Utriainen led at the bell before the Hesch and Carroll imposed themselves on the race but the American had just too much speed for the home favourite on the long run to the line.

Gareth Turnbull was the first northerner to finish but will have been disappointed with his 13^th placing in 14:30 after slipping off the leading group as early as the second lap.

There was, however, an Irish winner in the women’s race as Maria McCambridge outpaced a good field over the final lap to claim victory in nine minutes 36 seconds.

Ten seconds back England’s Angela Whitcombe took second with Marta Wojkinska third in 9:53.

Just five days after winning the NI/Ulster Senior cross-country title Newcastle’s Kerry Harty showed she can mix it with the best by taking sixth in 9:59.

McCambridge attributed her splendid form of late to a change of residence from her native Dublin to Letterkenny, the hometown of her husband Gary Crossan.

“I’ve been there now exactly a month,” enthused the Dundrum South Dublin athlete. “It’s been like a breathe of fresh air being able to train with Gary and nip across to races in the North.”

WARD LIFTS ULSTER SCHOOLS TITLE

Two Donegal athletes scored a marvellous double at the Ulster Schools Cross-Country Championships with Ian Ward and Michelle English taking both senior titles at Mallusk.

The north Belfast course was uncharacteristically firm and wind free and the weather, though cold, remained dry throughout the afternoon.

Over 3000 district competitors from throughout the province had entered the District schools championships but that number had been whittled down to just under 800 for the northern deciders.

However, Ward from the Royal and Prior in Raphoe had to contend with the stickiest conditions after the course had endured seven races prior to the Senior Boys’ contest.

The Castlefinn 17-year-old found himself up against last year’s champion Andrew Doherty and it was the Belfast Metro pupil who was the early pace maker.

Spurred on by the fact that his sister Rebecca had taken second in the Junior Girls’ earlier in the afternoon, Ward took the lead just after halfway and moved emphatically away from the opposition on the final lap for a memorable victory.

Loreto Letterkenny’s Michelle English improved from sixth last year to win the Senior Girls’ race and emulate sister Joanne’s previous win in the event.

There was other local success with Tamara Boyle taking runner-up spot in the Minor Girls’ race and leading her St. Cecelia’s squad to team gold.

25 February 2008

SUCCESS FOR SPARTANS AT INDOOR CHAMPS

Six athletes from City of Derry Spartans travelled to Jordanstown on Saturday, writes Tony Robinson, to compete in the Ulster/N.I. underage indoor championships. The championships were held in the newly opened indoor athletics facility at the university.

The Spartans returned with a total of Seven individual medals.

Surprise performances of the day came from Ian Sheridan, who although competing in the Boys 1991 category, this was Ian’s first ever athletics competition.

In his first event he gave his team mate Karl Bradley a close run and narrowly missed out on a medal in 4^th place.

Next he turned his hand to the Triple Jump and finished up in the Bronze medal position with a very credible jump of 11.56m.

In the Final event of the day Ian returned with the Spartans only Gold Medal when he won the Boys 1991 Long Jump with a jump of 5.58m.

Also, in the Boys 1991 category Karl Bradley returned with two medals. Karl continued his fine performances at the Scottish Indoor Champs. In the 60m Karl got the Bronze medal with a time of 7.4 sec. This was a new P.B. for Karl, knocking five hundredths of a second of his Scottish times.

In the 60m Hurdles he gave Damien McIlroy form BRA a close race to take the Silver medal.

Also, in the Boys 1991 age group 400m hurdler Daniel Reid equalled his P.B. in the High Jump with a fine jump of 1.70m.

Three other athletes also achieved personal bests. Aileen Faller was awarded with a Silver medal with a throw of 6.33m. in the Girls 1990/91 Shot Putt. Mathew Cregan also in the Shot Putt got the Bronze medal with a throw of 10.71m. and in the Boys 1991 Shot Brendan Quinn was 4^th with a throw of 10.49m

In the Ladies Open Seanan Heaney had a seasons best in the Long Jump with a leap of 4.83m and had a jump of 9.72m in the Triple Jump.

16 February 2008

SPARTANS ENJOY BRONZE EDGE AT ULSTER CHAMPS

Diarmuid Grant, Kevin Seaward and Brian Campbell (Photo: Declan Roughan)

The portents were not good but City of Derry Spartans enjoyed phenomenal success at the combined Northern Ireland and Ulster Cross-Country Championships at Antrim Forum.

The City slickers lifted two individual and a set of team bronze medals – the only club from the Northwest to make a visit to the podium at the provincial deciders.

The hopes of double success in the men’s race had looked fairly unlikely when key team member Colin Roberts had pulled up with a knee injury while warming up.

The Spartans had already been denied the services of their first counter in 2007, Allan Bogle, who is now resident in the Canary Islands.

However, a rousing display by Diarmuid Grant saw him snatch a sensational individual bronze medal in what was probably his best run over the country since winning the Irish Schools’ Intermediate title in nearby Ballyclare some years nine years ago.

“I’m really pleased with that,” said Grant shortly after he crossed the line. “I’ve only been training for six weeks after injury and I’ve been running 80 miles per week but I’ve been doing it all on grass.”

Inspired by their leader a weakened City squad battled gamely. Gregory Roberts was prominent from the gun before settling in to take an excellent 12^th place finish. Declan Reed (17^th), John Lenehan (18^th), Aaron Doherty (34^th) and Gerry Duddy (51^st) completed the scoring sextet which pipped neighbours Finn Valley by just three points for third.

It was justification for both Reed and Duddy who recently made the switch from the rival Foyle Valley club to further their athletics development.

However, with a full strength squad it could have been much better for the Derry team who lost out on first place by only 16 points to Willowfield and by 10 points to runners-up North Belfast.

Twelve months ago Aileen Morrison ran in the race for the first time but only after an assurance by City coach Noel McMonagle that she would not finish last.

On that occasion she went on to take a creditable 16^th spot.

Aileen Morrison (164) Photo: Eoghan Furey

Twelve months later and with three championship titles under her belt, the Derry runner was a different proposition.

She harried pre-race favourite Kerry Harty from the gun but unfortunately had no answer when the Newcastle athlete put in a burst around halfway.

After that she lost concentration for a while but refocused when she realised that North’s Breege Connolly was bearing down on her in the final 800 metres.

Nevertheless the tape arrived just in time for the Irish triathlon champion to score her biggest achievement in a brief but promising athletics.

Behind her, Inishowen’s Helena Crossan did well to take tenth while Olivia McCullagh (18^th), Jackie McMonagle (22^nd) and Bridgeen Byrne (37^th) completed the City quartet which finished fifth in the team classifications one point behind Finn Valley.

TRIPLE BRONZE FOR CITY AT NI/ULSTER CHAMPS

Photo: Eoghan Furey

Willowfield Harrier Brian Campbell and Kerry Harty from Newcastle were the winners of the combined Northern Ireland and Ulster Senior Cross-Country titles at Antrim Forum.

Both athletes were rewarded for brave tactics on a European-style flat multi-lap course that initially drew complaints from some purists but in the end won over practically everyone over because of its spectator appeal.

Campbell and St. Malachy’s Kevin Seaward fought out the tightest battle for the men’s title in years. The two of them broke away from the main field as early as the quarter distance of the 12 kilometre trip.

Seaward, hugely talented but sadly not yet fulfilled, always looked to be going the better of the pair but when the chips were down it was Campbell who applied the coup de grace with less than 800 metres to run and come home for his second consecutive title.

It concluded a perfect winter for the Larne man who has gone through the entire domestic cross-country season unbeaten with wins in, among others, Comber, Ballyclare, Coleraine, Lisburn and Limavady.

An equally enthralling contest developed for the bronze medal between newly-crowned Irish Master’s champion Dave Morwood and City of Derry’s Diarmuid Grant.

The places changed continually over the second half of the race but in the end the younger fresher legs got home first but only after a tenacious effort by the North Belfast Harrier had brought him back to within inches of the bronze medal.

Ciaran Doherty from Letterkenny finished strongly for fifth and Annadale Striders’ Paul Carroll rounded off the top half dozen.

With defending champions Annadale unable to field the requisite six runners, team victory in a tight four-way contest went to Willowfield from North and City of Derry.

Kerry Harty started the women’s race with mixed feelings. Confident after taking two medals at the Irish Indoor championships last month and buoyed by back to back victories over 1500 metres in Cardiff a week later but deflated by a chest infection which saw her struggle in the 3000 metres at the UK Indoors seven days earlier.

Added to this pressure of favouritism meant that when the gun fired Harty exploded to the front. But she quickly realised that she was not going to have it all her own way when she was joined by Lagan Valley’s Suzanne McCormick and the improving Aileen Morrison from City of Derry.

The three came through the first two kilometre circuit of three in a tight bunch with perhaps Morrison looking the most relaxed. However, around the halfway point Harty put in a burst which took her away from her two main rivals and she literally never looked back after that.

McCormick, showing glimpses of the form that took her to the title in 2003, was a comfortable second with Morrison holding off a spirited finish from North Belfast’s Breege Connolly.

Connolly derived some consolation in leading her club to a successful defence of the team title despite the best efforts of the Abbey and Lagan Valley squads.

Meanwhile James McIlroy continues to impress at his new event, the 1500 metres. The Larne man, who was incidentally a year behind cross-country champion Brian Campbell at school, took over two second off his personal best at the Norwich Union Games in Birmingham with a time of three minutes 39.73 seconds.

Winner of the race was double World champion Bernard Lagat with a 3:35.23 clocking.

McIlroy will now run one more race over 1000 metres next weekend before heading to Valencia for the World Indoor Championships.

Although Ireland’s Alistair Cragg has decided not to compete in Spain, opting instead for the World Cross-Country in Edinburgh, he ran the fastest indoor 5000 metres of the season in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The former All-American took control of the race early on and lapped several runners before posting a time of 13 minutes 32.01 seconds.

2 February 2008

CAMPBELL DOMINATES AT ROE VALLEY TRAIL RUN

Meanwhile a fall of snow overnight did not prevent the Roe Valley Trail Run going ahead in Limavady with almost 100 runners turning up despite the adverse weather conditions.

Former Northwest cross-country champion Brian Campbell continued his domination of the domestic winter season with a facile victory over a course of varied terrains.

At the line the Willowfield Harrier had 20 seconds to spare over City of Derry’s Diarmuid Grant with a time of 23 minutes one second for the 6.8 kilometre distance.

Letterkenny’s Gary Crossan took third ahead of Derry duo Colin Roberts and Declan Reed.

Irish Olympian Maria McCambridge had an even easier win in the women’s race finishing almost four minutes ahead of the opposition in 25:56.

Springwell’s Alison Rankin took second in 29:40 with clubmate Fran McFadden another 21 seconds back in the bronze medal position. North Down’s Stephanie Hambling was a close-up fourth.

The laurels in the Masters’ race went to David Jordan from Derbyshire but whose parents hail from Limavady.

The Heanor athlete got away from City of Derry’s Declan McCarthy after the first mile and had opened up a 25 seconds lead at the tape. Local man Colin Loughrey continued a rich vein of form to take third.

City of Derry’s Eamon Colhoun had a 50 seconds victory over clubmate Kevin Carlin in the Junior Men’s race with Omagh’s Ciaran Collins someway behind in third.

GOOD NEWS BOOSTS MURRAY

National Cross-Country kingpin Gary Murray received a boost this week when Athletics Ireland announced its selection policy for the World Championships in Edinburgh on March 30.

The national governing body for athletics has decided to accord automatic selection for the Worlds to the first three finishers in the senior men and women races in the National Inter-Club Championships in Belfast on March 1.

As well as that the first two finishers in the junior men and women races can also pack their bags for the Scottish capital.

Athletics Ireland have indicated that they may also select other individuals based on their performances over the winter as well as current form.

The announcement come as the perfect fill-up for the Newtowncunningham-based athlete who had feared that only Alistair Cragg and Martin Fagan would be sent to Edinburgh.

Murray defends his title in Belfast and has shown himself this winter to be the top cross-country runner in the country. He won the Inter-Counties title in November before running well in the Europeans the following month.

He took the opportunity a few weeks ago to test himself on the course for the Worlds when he finished seventh in the 4.4 kilometre race at the Great Run Cross-Country in Holyrood Park.

The World Cross Country team will be announced on Monday, March 3 with former medalist Anne Keenan Buckley already confirmed as team manager.

“The World Cross Country Championships is being held on our doorstep in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is a familiar course to the majority of Irish cross country runners. We hope that the athletes will embrace the challenge and intensity of this top level competition,” said the Laois woman.

MEMORABLE DOUBLE FOR HARTY

Newcastle athlete Kerry Harty recorded a memorable double over the weekend when she recorded back to back victories over 1500 metres at the UWIC Indoor Centre in Cardiff.

Competing as part of the Belfast team in the Inter City Challenge, Harty followed the early pace making of London South’s Charlotte Best before cutting out for home on her own to win in four minutes 22.30 seconds.

The time was not only an indoor personal best for the Athletics Development Officer at UUJ but also the fastest mark she has ever recorded for the distance either indoors or out by five seconds.

Only Harty and sprinter Alan Baird achieved wins for a weakened Belfast selection which ended up sixth and last of the participating cities.

The former teacher returned to the track the following day to represent Ireland at the distance in the annual indoor international against Wales and Scotland and, despite feeling the effects of her run the previous day, won a tactical affair in 4:28.60.

Although she had finished third in both the 1500 and 3000 metres at the Irish Championships in the Odyssey the previous weekend, Harty had not been happy with her performance in the second of the events, the 1500 metres.

“I was pleased with the 3000 metres and a new personal best but although I was tired I thought that I should have run better,” said Harty.

“But it meant I came here really gunning for it and feeling strong which is what saw me though both days.”

Omagh Harriers’ talented junior Noel Collins also impressed going under four minutes for the 1500 metres for the first time with a 3:58 clocking.

27 January 2008

JAMES McILROY SHOWS TOP FORM

Northern Ireland record holder James McIlroy stole the show at the Woody’s DIY Irish Indoor Athletics Championships in the Odyssey Arena, Belfast.

On an all too rare appearance on the local stage McIlroy turned in an electrifying burst of speed on the final bend to win the 800 metres from Richard Kiplagat in one minute 49.61 seconds.

“I’ve never felt better,” said the 31-year-old. “I’ve been doing 1500 metres training this and it has really given me a lot of strength.

“My target this winter is to run that distance at the World Indoors in Valencia (March 7-11) and then I’ll drop down to 800 metres with a view to going to the Olympics,” concluded the Larne native.

At the other end of the age spectrum 15-year-old Ciara Mageean continued her rich vein of form. After successive wins over the country at Stormont and in the Celtic International at Edinburgh the Portaferry schollgirl showed she was equally adroit on the track with a fine victory in the Senior women’s 1500 metres.

The Lisburn athlete’s time of four minutes 24.07 seconds was a personal by eight seconds and a new Irish Junior record.

The revenge match between local sprint stars Amy Foster and Anna Boyle failed to live up to expectations. Foster had relieved the Dunloy woman of the title of top Ulster 100 metres runner when winning the NI Senior championship at Antrim last summer.

This was supposed to be payback time for Boyle, coached by Strabane man Stephen Maguire, but the North Down athlete easily saw off the half-hearted challenge of her more experienced rival.

The big name visitors lived up to their reputations with American James Nieto setting a new Irish All-Comers’ record with a 2.26 metres clearance in the High Jump.

Olympic Decathlon Champion and World record holder had a busy afternoon taking part in no less than three events with a second in the Shot Putt his best result.

Greencastle winner Gareth Turnbull took the men’s 3000 metres title.

“That was a one night only special” was Turnbull’s comment on his only indoor run this season as he switches his focus now on the Olympic qualifying standard in the 1500 metres.

27 January 2008

SMYTH HAS SIGHTS SET ON BEIJING

Eglinton sprinter Jason Smyth was one of several high profile athletes missing from last weekend’s Irish Indoor Athletics Championships in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena last weekend.

However, the City of Derry athlete has decided to miss the indoor season so that he can concentrate fully on his preparations for this September’s Paralympics in Beijing.

“Because of his impaired vision Jason always has had problems with indoor tracks but particularly so in the Odyssey,” explained his coach Stephen Maguire.

“Besides we have just come back from an excellent ten days training in Portugal and to take in a competition now would have meant us missing at least two weeks of valuable training.”

Smyth and his coach will be heading off to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah to commence their final preparations for Beijing.

This will be the second consecutive year that the University’s facilities are made available to him thanks to the groundwork done by his uncle who is the rugby coach there.

The former Limavady Grammar School student will have the fulltime services of a physiotherapist provided by the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland (SINI).

“Jason will have his first race out there on 25 April and then he will not race again until we return and go to Geneva on May 31,” revealed Maguire.

“Then we’ll put together a block of three races with competitions at the NI Senior Championships on June 14, the Europa Cup for Ireland and Donnas in Italy on successive weekends.

“He does another block of three in August before we leave for Beijing on the 24^th with Jason running his heats of the 100 metres on September 10.

“The final is scheduled for the following evening and then he has a short break before the heats of the 200 metres on the 15^th.

“In the meantime there’s a lot of hard work to be done,” added Maguire.

20 January 2008

DUNCAN’S WAIT PROVES WORTHWHILE

Stephen Duncan presses on for an impressive win in NI Junior/Ulster Intermediate

Twelve months was a long time to wait but in the end Omagh Harrier Stephen Duncan was the convincing winner of the combined Northern Ireland Junior and Ulster Intermediate title scoring an emphatic victory at Gransha.

Held in excellent conditions on a flat but in places muddy course the general consent was that the fixture was by far the best of the domestic winter season to date.

After suffering the agony of losing out in a photo finish twelve months ago Duncan was not in the mood to leave matters again to the final straight.

The Omagh Leisure Centre employee was prominent from the gun but took his opportunity to move clear after the opening third of the race before drawing away for an extremely impressive win.

Behind him Abbey’s Owen Carleton always looked comfortable and ended up with a healthy margin to spare over Ballymena and Antrim’s Jarlath Falls.

“Last year I felt easy and thought I could have gone away at anytime but I waited until the last 200 metres but Conor Flannigan of North Belfast just got me at the line,” explained Duncan after crossing the line.

“The first lap today was a bit fast but when it slowed down I took the lead and a gap seemed to appear behind me. I was tired later on but just tried to stay relaxed on the last lap.”

Omagh Harriers had a double cause for celebration when a youthful scoring sextet completed by 15-year-old James Speaight overcame a determined combination from the hosts City of Derry Spartans to land the team title.

Undisputedly, the most exciting race of the day was the Masters’ championship contested over a distance of 8.7 kilometres.

Letterkenny’s Pauric McKinney should have been going for a three in a row after a victory in 2006 but was disqualified last year after crossing the line in first place having failed to formally enter the race.

The Buncrana-based teacher was obviously smarting from that incident when he hit the front with a vengeance at the halfway point.

However, he had underestimated the ability of Dave Morwood. Always a top class athlete the North Belfast Harrier has flowered since entering the ranks of the over-35s winning the British & Irish title and Stormont races in the past few months.

Showing the confidence gained from those successes Morwood never panicked when the Donegal man opened a gap. He bided his time before inexorably hauling in the former national marathon champion and going on to win by almost 50 metres.

Annadale’s Paul Carroll upset a host of more fancied contenders to take the bronze medal.

The team contest was close with McKinney drawing some measure of revenge over Morwood when his Letterkenny squad got the better of hot favourites North Belfast by a single point.

The final race on the programme, the combined women’s Intermediate & Masters, also provided an interesting tussle between two athletes with contrasting styles.

In the end the long-striding Aileen Morrison from the host club got the better of the very effective pitter-patter action of North Belfast’s Louise McClean.

However, honours were shared with Morrison taking the Intermediate gold while McClean was proclaimed Masters’ champion, successfully defending the title she won for the first time in Bangor twelve months earlier.

Third place went to evergreen Anne Paul, one of the doyennes of the local cross country scene over more than two decades.

FULL RESULTS

13th January 2008

BATTLING MURRAY TAKES SEVENTH IN INTERNATIONAL FIELD

St. Joseph’s Creggan schoolteacher Gary Murray put up a brave effort at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country meeting to finish seventh in the 4.4kms race against a top class field.

Undaunted by the fact that the race line-up included most, if not all, of Britain’s top middle-distance runners, Murray was the first to hit the front on a testing course around Holyrood Park.

Gary Murray

The Irish cross-country champion was still in contention until well after halfway before tensing up and slipping back to seventh at the line in a race won by Britain’s Andrew Baddeley.

In the feature race, a trademark late sprint finish ensured that Kenenisa Bekele lifted his third consecutive BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country title.

Doubts had been raised about Bekele’s over Bekele’s long-held superiority over the country after he dropped out of last year’s World Cross Country gifting victory to Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese.

The Ethiopian delivered the best possible riposte to his critics by opening up a gap on the testing final climb before accelerating to victory from Tadese and long-time leader Eliud Kipchoge.

In the women’s race, Gelete Burka also secured a hat-trick of titles as she cruised to a 15-second win from World Junior champion Linet Masai who had been prevented from competing in Belfast the previous weekend due to the civil unrest in her native Kenya.

A feature of the race the confident and assured performance by British teenager Stephanie Twell, sixth in Belfast, who just lost out on third in a tussle with Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, the World 5000m silver medallist.

Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton followed up her seventh in the Europeans before Christmas with an eleventh place here in a good international field.

The burden of favourite did not prevent Portaferry schoolgirl Ciara Mageean from scoring a brilliant victory at the Celtic Cross Country International held in conjunction with the meeting and contested by teams from Ulster, Ireland, Wales and hosts Scotland.

Running in the U17 race over 4.1Kms, Mageean had a ding-dong battle with Scottish champion Bess Potter, advised by Liz McColgan, before pulling away on the final hill to win by 50 metres.

“A very good and classy run,” was how Coach Eamon Christie described the performance of his charge.

Ballymena & Antrim’s Eimear Black almost made it an Ulster double failing to win the U20 race by just a second after a gripping battle with Ireland’s Sarah Treacy.

Letterkenny’s Michelle English was one of Ulster’s scorers behind Black helping province to team bronze medals.

13 January 2007

MORRISON SET HERSELF UP FOR HAT-TRICK OF TITLES

Aileen Morrison continued a very successful cross-country season with a fine second place in the Moira Cross Country meeting hosted by the City of Lisburn club.

With the Ulster Novice and NW Senior gold medals safely in the trophy cabinet this winter, Morrison installed herself as hot favourite for this weekend’s provincial Intermediate title at Gransha with another run of the highest quality.

The former NW Athletics Development Officer was always in contention over the three mile course before losing out on the top spot to Breege Connolly, a member of North Belfast’s winning national championship team last year, by just 12 seconds.

In third place was Abbey’s Gladys Ganiel regarded as one of the leading females on the Irish road running stage while the Springwell club placed three in the top ten through Alison Rankin (7^th) and Catherine Henry (9^th) and Gillian Wasson (10^th).

Brian Campbell continued his domination with a comfortable victory in the men’s race run over four miles.

The Willowfield Harrier had 26 seconds to spare over clubmate Matthew Wilson who got the better of Chris Madden from the host club, City of Lisburn, by a single second to take the runner-up award.

Springwell athletes scored an age group double with Colin Loughrey (M35) and Gerry O’Doherty (M50) both topping their respective category classifications.

City of Derry’s Billy Orr was runner-up in the M45 listings to complete a successful afternoon for Northwest athletes.