National Masters & Juvenile “B” XC 2024 ( 11th Feb)
The National Masters and Juvenile “B” Cross Country was held in Dundalk IT on Sunday 11th February where the Mullingar athletes performed well in tough mucky conditions. While there was no rain on the day and everyone enjoyed a cool but dry and bright sunny day, heavy rain in the week leading up to the event meant the ground was saturated and quickly turned to heavy sticky mud as the day went on.
Katie Bohan ran hard from the start of the u/11 girls 1,000m and was rewarded with an individual medal when she led the Mullingar team home with a great 12th place finish. Racing hard behind her and finishing strong and packing well was Penny Bohan, Grace Farry, Rose Harte, Roisin Keane, Laura Buckley, Aoife Dunne, Lyla Lennon and Eve Nugent but unfortunately the girls finished out of the team medals.
We had a very strong team in the u/11 boys 1,000m and they certainly lived up to expectations. Daniel Cummins went out fast and settled quickly into his running in the leading pack but when he made his move in the closing stages, he quickly opened a gap and raced clear to win well and claim the individual gold medal. With Mel Bohan also getting into the top twelve individual medal places with a terrific 11th place finish and fantastic team support from Conor Gavin, Cian Gavin, Noah Morgan, Cillian Gavin, Michael Kiernan, Senan Clinton and Fintan Harte, the boys finished 1st Club and 3rd County, great rewards for their efforts.
Shaynah Mitchell led the Mullingar team home in the u/13 girls 1,500m and with great running from Amelie Kelly, Chloe Bell, Liadan Gavin, Clodagh Keane, Emily Tully, Clodagh Doran, Muirin Dunne and Kaila Scally racing hard to the finish on the rapidly deteriorating course, the girls finished an excellent 5th Club and 6th County. We didn’t have a team in the u/15 girls 2,500m but that didn’t stop Isabel Tynan Daly from putting in a brilliant effort in the sticky mud, leaving nothing behind as she fell over the line exhausted but unfortunately just out of the medal places. Also having a great race behind her was Lisa O’Brien who likewise gave one hundred effort.
By the time the u/15 boys 2,500m got underway, the course was in very poor condition but Conor Walsh dug deep and kept right with the leading group. With a big push in the closing stages he raced home in 4th place to win an individual medal. Attention now turned to his team mates and with Conor Geoghegan finishing well up and excellent team racing by Greg McDonnell and Cormac McGrath, the boys finished 3rd Club, just one point ahead of fourth place showing that every place counts in cross country racing.
Sean McMullin was our sole representative in the 4,000m for master men o/65 and he ran a strong race to finish fourth in his master age category, just of the medals. Mullingar had a full team in the 4,000m for master women, led home by Aisling Corcoran, followed in by Linda Cunningham, Olivia Cooney, Claire Lennon, Terri Greene, Nuala Moran, Pauline Troy and Kelly Dunne. There were no individual or tam honours and while all were exhausted after their efforts negotiating the sloppy mud they have to be very satisfied with their efforts. As always, the 7,000m for master men was the biggest entry of the day and it was some sight to see two hundred men race from the start, among them a good number from Mullingar. Lap after lap on the slippery muddy course was simply draining and everyone really had to dig very deep just to keep going. Leading the exhausted Mullingar men home was Patrick Muldoon, followed by Eddie Newman who placed 3rd in his master age category, then came Paddy Daly with an excellent race, followed by Liam McGlynn, Colm Walsh and Mark Dunne leaving nothing behind. No team medals this time but top marks for giving their very best in the conditions [GD].
