Holly O'Flynn and Caoimhe Flannery led the way on a successful day for Skibbereen AC athletes at the Munster A Even-Age Cross-Country Championships at Beaufort, Co Kerry.
HOLLY O’Flynn and Caoimhe Flannery led the way on a successful day for Skibbereen AC athletes at the Munster A Even-Age Cross-Country Championships at Beaufort, Co Kerry.
More than 850 athletes participated on what was a damp but mild morning, on a generally flat but fast course. There were medals for the first 12 individuals and team medals for the first three counties to have six athletes over the finish line.
Holly, Cork champion at both U10 and U11, got the day off to an incredible start by winning the U10 girls’ race in a field of 130 athletes. Having finished second in the Munster U9 race last year, Holly powered to a great finish to ensure the title would be hers this year. Her efforts also ensured that Cork picked up second place in the team event.
In the girls’ U12 race, Cork champion Caoimhe continued her good form and ran very strongly from the early stages. Caoimhe finished superbly, finishing in third place out of a field of 129 athletes, just behind the first two athletes, both from Clare. Caoimhe also led the Cork team to gold team medals and she will now represent Munster and Cork in the All-Ireland U12 cross-country in Abbotstown, Co. Dublin, on November 25th. Her team-mate Ciara Delaney’s very strong 16th-place finish ensured her a place on the Cork team too.
Other Skibb athletes who ran well but were outside the top 30 on this occasion were: Lorraine Coakley, Muireann O’Shea (U10 girls), Conor O’Brien (U10 boys), Emer Dennis McAleavey, Diana Coakley, Elaine O’Sullivan (U12 girls), Ultan Dennis McAleavey (U12 boys), and Ferdia Dennis McAleavey (U14 boys).
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