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7th
Jan 2011
Stormont Hosts Seasons First Big Cross Country Championships
Tomorrow
Belfasts spacious Stormont grounds tomorrow hosts the first
major cross country championships of the year,the NI/Ulster
Junior and Masters and despite doubts over the availability
of a few key personnel,local runners will travel with championship
medals firmly in their sights.
Both City of Derry Spartans and Foyle Valley will have squads
in action,the red vests with a medal interest in four races,male
and female Masters,male Junior and female Intermediate while
their city rivals will turn out in the male Junior. Adding
to the North West interest,Letterkenny,Finn Valley,Inishowen
and Tir Chonaill--the latter incidently travelling with the
Spartans--will also have designs on championship honours.
Scott Rankin will front the Foyle Valley challange in the
mens Junior 10K on the testing Stormont circuit but the talented
20 year old is unlikely to have the requisite squad back up
to push the purple vests into contention for team honours.
The Spartans on the other hand will travel with some confidence
and provided they get their full squad to the line they will
be among the favourites for team medals. They are the current
Novice team champions,edging Donegal rivals Finn Valley in
Monaghan a few months ago and have an impressive mix of youth
and experience in their ranks.
Last year in Ballybofey they won team silver behind an impressive
St Malachys outfit and the Belfast club will probably be among
their main rivals again tomorrow. Big runs all round will
be needed with Brendan Murphy and Noel Logan from the victorious
Novice squad in good shape and ready to go.The other two Novice
scorers Richard Johnston and Gary Slevin are not definite
starters tomorrow,hopefully they will be able to line up to
boost the challange.JP Williamson should make a big impact
in his Junior debut. Michael Finnegan,Mark Mullan and new
dad,Dara Furey will be joined by Masters Sean Laverty and
Gerry Duddy in what should be a competitive squad for a race
which usually needs maximum input from all six scoring runners----tomorrow
will be no exception!
Women and Masters
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Colin Roberts leads a strong Spartans Masters squad in the
mens 8K championship and despite the absence of the in form
Paddy Mor Doherty and the presence of the classy Annadale,Letterkenny
and Finn Valley teams the local boys will target medals tomorrow.
The elder Roberts has raced lightly this season but is a proven
quality competitor and with Declan Reed making his Masters
debut the Spartans have an excellent spearhead. Paul McCafferty,Damien
McGinty,Declan McCarthy,Dremot Connolly and Sammy McAnnaney
complete the red vests top selection and will look to better
their team bronze from last year in Ballybofey.
Top female Master Anne Paul is a flu victim and very unlikely
to line up tomorrow so Jackie McGinley will step up to front
the squad comprising Bridgeen Byrne,Hannah Shields,Karen Cutliffe,Roisin
Lynch and Linda Hall. Team medals are still a possibility
for the female Masters even minus their number one and this
is also the case for the Intermediates who will run alongside
the Masters in the 4K race.
Jackie McGinley doubles up as an Intermediate and will have
Marina Campbell alongside her fronting the challange for Intermediate
team gold.Catherine Lagan,Catherine Lilburn,Grainne Kearns,Ciara
Fraser,Cutliffe,Lynch and Hall complete the squad which,if
Campbell and McGinley do their stuff up front,can be serious
medal contendors.
Masters Winter League
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The Masters races tomorrow double as scoring events in the
NI Masters Winter League and with age grade points at stake
all the locals will be keen to impress in their respective
age categorys. The last two League races,the Malcolm Cup in
Ballyclare and Granshas NW cross country were both snowed
off so Stormont gives the very competitive Masters age groupers
an excellent start to 2011.
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