The NCAA cross country season continued for Irish athletes on Friday September 25th and Saturday September 26th, with 20 Irish athletes competing across five meetings.
Below is how each athlete got on and what their performance meant for their university in the team standings.
Buchanan Leads Illinois at Gans Creek Classic
Six Irish athletes competed at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri on Friday September 25th.
Nicole Dinan finished 30th in the women’s Gold 6km in 20:22.4. The Leevale AC athlete was the third Florida State University runner home and counted among the university’s five scorers.
Florida State placed third in the women’s team standings with 152 points.
Susie Nestor completed the same race in 22:26.5, placing 212th. The UCD AC athlete was Rice University’s fifth scorer as the team finished 29th with 789 points.
Dearbhla Allen represented the University of Mississippi in the women’s Black 6km. The St Peter’s AC athlete finished 40th in 22:43.4 and was the third of three Ole Miss runners in the race. With fewer than five finishers, Ole Miss did not receive a team score in the Black contest.
In the men’s Gold 8km, Frank Buchanan led the University of Illinois team home. The St Michael’s College AC athlete placed 27th in 23:25.9 and supplied Illinois with its lowest individual score.
Illinois finished ninth out of 30 universities with 269 points.
Noah Harris placed 108th in 24:22.4 for the University of Tennessee. The Parnell AC athlete was Tennessee’s eighth finisher, leaving him outside the five scoring positions. Tennessee took second with 75 points, six behind Arkansas.
Seán Donoghue finished 179th in 25:01.3 for Ole Miss. The Dublin City Harriers AC athlete was the tenth Ole Miss runner home and did not count towards its team total. The university placed fifth with 202 points.
Full Gans Creek Classic Results
Fagan Scores for Loyola at Lakefront Invitational
Scott Fagan and Cillian Gleeson competed in the men’s 8km championship race at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago on Friday September 25th.
Scott Fagan placed 25th in 23:20.38. The Metro St Brigid’s AC athlete was the third Loyola University Chicago runner across the line and counted among the university’s five scorers.
Loyola finished tenth in the team standings with 210 points.
Cillian Gleeson finished 82nd in 23:49.88 for the University of Wisconsin. The Celbridge AC athlete was Wisconsin’s fifth scorer as the Badgers took eighth with 201 points.
Full Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational Results
Keane Completes Adams State Scoring Five
Claragh Keane represented Adams State University at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Saturday September 26th. She placed 69th in the women’s 6km in 22:20.5. The DMP AC athlete was the fifth Adams State scorer and contributed 52 points to the university’s total.
Adams State finished sixth in the women’s team standings with 173 points.
Gardiner and Dixon Lead Providence at Meadows Challenge
Eight Irish athletes were in action at the Meadows Challenge in Princeton, New Jersey on Saturday September 26th.
Anna Gardiner finished 12th in the women’s 6km in 20:09.7. The East Down AC athlete was the second Providence College runner home and counted as the university’s second scorer.
Lorraine O’Connor placed 94th in 21:38.2. The Clonliffe Harriers athlete finished outside Providence’s scoring five.
Providence took third in the women’s team standings with 87 points.
In the men’s 8km, Cormac Dixon led the Providence team home in 37th. The Tallaght AC athlete recorded 23:53.2 and supplied the Friars with their lowest individual score.
Liam McCay finished 105th in 24:53.4. The Finn Valley AC athlete was outside Providence’s first seven and did not count towards the team score. Providence placed tenth with 285 points.
Jack Fenlon placed 44th in 24:00.2 for Villanova University. The St Abban’s AC athlete was the sixth Villanova runner home, placing him just outside the scoring five.
Caolan McFadden finished 109th in 25:00.3 and was also outside Villanova’s scoring group. Villanova took third in the men’s team standings with 104 points.
Billy Coogan was Iona University’s third scorer. The Gowran AC athlete placed 59th in 24:09.8 as Iona finished ninth with 277 points.
Sean Lawton also started for Iona but did not finish, leaving him without an individual time or team score.
Full Meadows Challenge Results
McCarthy and Moloney Help McNeese Men to Victory
Ryan McCarthy and Diarmuid Moloney both finished inside the first six at the McNeese State Cowboy Stampede in Lake Charles, Louisiana on Saturday September 26th.
Ryan McCarthy placed fifth in the men’s four mile race in 19:08.7. The Leevale AC athlete was the second McNeese State University runner home and contributed five points to its team score.
Diarmuid Moloney followed in sixth in 19:09.9. The Nenagh Olympic AC athlete was McNeese’s third scorer and added six points to the team total.
With all five scoring runners inside the first nine, McNeese won the men’s team contest with 30 points.
Maria Murnane finished 20th in the women’s 5km in 18:39.5. The Killarney Valley AC athlete was McNeese’s fourth scorer and contributed 18 points as the women placed third with 63.
Full McNeese Cowboy Stampede Women’s Results
Full McNeese Cowboy Stampede Men’s Results
No Irish athlete recorded an NAIA cross country result during the weekend. Across the five NCAA meetings, 19 Irish athletes finished and one recorded a DNF.
Full Irish Athlete Results
Gans Creek Classic
Women’s Gold 6km
Nicole Dinan - Florida State University (Leevale AC) - 30th - 20:22.4
Susie Nestor - Rice University (UCD AC) - 212th - 22:26.5
Women’s Black 6km
Dearbhla Allen - University of Mississippi (St Peter’s AC) - 40th - 22:43.4
Men’s Gold 8km
Frank Buchanan - University of Illinois (St Michael’s College AC) - 27th - 23:25.9
Noah Harris - University of Tennessee (Parnell AC) - 108th - 24:22.4
Seán Donoghue - University of Mississippi (Dublin City Harriers AC) - 179th - 25:01.3
Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational
Men’s 8km Championship
Scott Fagan - Loyola University Chicago (Metro St Brigid’s AC) - 25th - 23:20.38
Cillian Gleeson - University of Wisconsin (Celbridge AC) - 82nd - 23:49.88
Cowboy Jamboree
Women’s 6km
Claragh Keane - Adams State University (DMP AC) - 69th - 22:20.5
Meadows Challenge
Women’s 6km
Anna Gardiner - Providence College (East Down AC) - 12th - 20:09.7
Lorraine O’Connor - Providence College (Clonliffe Harriers) - 94th - 21:38.2
Men’s 8km
Cormac Dixon - Providence College (Tallaght AC) - 37th - 23:53.2
Jack Fenlon - Villanova University (St Abban’s AC) - 44th - 24:00.2
Billy Coogan - Iona University (Gowran AC) - 59th - 24:09.8
Liam McCay - Providence College (Finn Valley AC) - 105th - 24:53.4
Caolan McFadden - Villanova University (Cranford AC) - 109th - 25:00.3
McNeese State Cowboy Stampede
Women’s 5km
Maria Murnane - McNeese State University (Killarney Valley AC) - 20th - 18:39.5
Men’s Four Mile
Ryan McCarthy - McNeese State University (Leevale AC) - 5th - 19:08.7
Diarmuid Moloney - McNeese State University (Nenagh Olympic AC) - 6th - 19:09.9
Image: McNeese State University
