ATHLETICS | North East Runners win team gold at Louth Intermediate Championships

Glenmore AC’s Shane Lynch wins individual race

The North East Runners team that won team gold at the Louth Intermediate Cross Country Championships at DkIT on Sunday. L-R: Niall Fergus, Declan Toal, Simon Allen and Liam Fergus

The Louth Intermediate Cross Country Championships, hosted by local club North East Runners, were held in good conditions at DkIT on Sunday morning.

Men’s 8,000m Race

Shane Lynch from Glenmore AC made his move on the penultimate lap to win the Intermediate Men’s race, held over 8,000m in a time of 28.44 minutes.

He was followed Declan Toal of North East Runners (29.15) and Kieran McGrath from Drogheda and District (29.36) in second and third respectively with North East Runners’ Liam Fergus (29.41) continuing his good start to the cross country season by coming home in fourth place.

Toal and Fergus, along with Niall Fergus (8th) and Simon Allen (10th) picked up the gold team medal for North East Runners with Drogheda and District taking the runners-up prize and Dunleer AC in third.

Glenmore AC’s Shane Lynch and NER’s Declan Toal in action in the men’s intermediate race at the Louth Cross Country Championships at DkIT. PICTURE: NER

Women’s 4,000m Race

There was a Drogheda one-two in the Intermediate Women’s 400m race with Michelle Hughes from Drogheda and District (17.17) just seeing off Catherine Tiernan Bell of Boyne.

Ann Marie Duffy of NER was third (17.52) with her clubmate, Anita Bolton in fifth (18.09). Bernie Balfe (18.08) of Ardee and District was fourth.

Drogheda and District also collected the team award with Dunleer AC and the North East Runners team of Duffy, Bolton, Sabrina Mulholland and Anne Duffy in second and third respectively.

The North East Runners ladies team who won team gold at the Louth Cross Country Championships at DkIT on Sunday. L-R: Anne Duffy, Ann Marie Duffy, Anita Bolton and Sabrina Mulholland. PICTURE: NER

U19 Races

The U19 Boys race, held over 5,000m was won by Sam O’Neill from Drogheda and District (17.28). Blackrock AC’s Oisin Hughes (18.14) was second with Tadgh Leahy (18.34) and Alex O’Hagan of Glenmore AC next over the line.

Boyne’s Eva Cummins (17.19) won the Girls U19 race with Caitlin Mulholland (18.27) and Kate Smyth (21.35) of Dundalk St Gerard’s AC in second and fourth while Sinead McErlane of Glenmore AC (19.04) took bronze.

Abbie Sheridan (1700) of Ardee and District leads the way in the U17 girls race

U17 Races

Dunleer AC took team gold in the U17 Boys race as four of their athletes finished in the top four.

Conor Matthews (17.45) beat teammate Danny O’Brien to the gold medal, winning by just two-seconds while Kian Leavy (18.09) came third. Cormac Canning of Drogheda and District was third.

In the U17 Girls race, Abbie Sheridan (17.01) of Ardee and District pipped Blackrock AC’s Kellie Breen (17.49) and Glenmore AC’s Katie Mallon (18.21) to gold. Abigail Tegart from Drogheda and District was fourth.

The next round of cross country events will be on Sunday, November 5th when the Louth Senior and Junior Championships, along with the Juvenile Inter Club Relays, take place in Drogheda.

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