Irish athletes were busy at home and abroad this past weekend. The US based collegiate contingent opened their indoor campaigns in Boston with encouraging early season form, while the Novice and Uneven Ages drew big crowds on Sunday as clubs fought for ground, medals and momentum to close out the cross country year.
Strong Start for Irish Students to the Indoor Campaign in Boston
The Sharon Colyear Danville meet in Boston produced a stack of talking points for Irish interest. Maeve O’Neill set the tone by finishing fastest in the 600m in 1:28.09, a personal best, a school record at Providence and the quickest indoor mark by an Irish woman over the distance this year.
Ava O’Connor then stole a fair share of attention with a superb 9:03.03 in the women’s 3000m, the second fastest Indoor 3K in NCAA DII history, and a seven-second lifetime best for her as she fine-tunes for next weekend’s European Cross Country Championships. She hit the front after the pacemaker stepped aside and only lost out on the win in the last stride.
Behind her, Róisín Treacy and Cara Laverty both put in solid shifts over the same distance, placing 13th and 20th overall, with Gemma Galvin coming in 40th to round out the Irish in the women's 300m.
The men’s 3000 metres served up another encouraging note, with Mark Milner and Liam Lyons both dipping under eight minutes in the same heat. Catch the race below courtesy of flotrack:
Anika Thompson continued her progression following solid cross country form with a 15:44.50 finish that left her 12th in her race and 15th overall. Thompson will be heading across the Atlantic to the Euro XC Champsionship next weekend.
Oisín Ó Gailín’s 13:40.25 was another eye-catcher, a new Donegal record and Finn Valley best that moved him into the Irish all-time indoor list.
The most impressive performance of the evening came in the men's 5000m invitational as Abdel Laadjel opened his season with an Irish U23 indoor record. The Oregon athlete clocked 13:24.17, laying down an early standard in the indoor season.
Full Results of the BU Sharon Colyear-Danvile Season Opener
🏃♀️ Women’s 600m
Heat 1 - Maeve O'Neill - Providence (Doheny AC) - 1st - 1st Overall
🏃♀️ Women’s 3000m
Heat 1 - Ava O’Connor – Adams State (Tullamore Harriers) - 2nd - 2nd Overall - 9:03.03 PB
Heat 1 - Róisín Treacy – Loyola (Ashford AC) - 13th - 13th Overall - 9:17:49
Heat 2 - Cara Laverty – Providence (Finn Valley AC) - 3rd - 20th Overall - 9:25.43
Heat 3 - Gemma Galvin – Providence (Ennis Track) - 8th - 40th Overall - 9:41.57
🏃♂️ Men’s 3000m
Heat 2 - Mark Milner – Portland (Tullamore Harriers/UCD) - 2nd - 18th Overall - 7:58.05
Heat 2 - Liam Lyons – Holy Cross (Cork City AC) - 7th - 24th Overall - 7:59.42
🏃♀️ Women’s 5000m
Heat 1 - Anika Thompson – Oregon (Leevale) - 12th - 15th Overall - 15:44.50
Heat 3 - Grace Richardson – NYU (Kilkenny City Harriers) - 56th Overall - 16:08.23
🏃♂️ Men’s 5000m
Jack Fenlon – Villanova (St Abbans) - 23rd - 169th Overall - 14:34.82
Oisín Ó Gailín – Wyoming (Finn Valley AC) - 9th - 28th Overall - 13:40.25
🏃♂️ Men’s 5000m Invitational
Abdel Laadjel – Oregon (Donore Harriers) -10th - 10th Overall - 13:24.17
O’Connor Claims Female Athlete of the Year Olympic Sports Awards
Kate O’Connor added another highlight to her remarkable year when she was named Female Athlete of the Year at the Team Ireland Olympic Sports Awards in Dublin on Saturday night. It capped a season that saw her claim euro bronze and world silver indoors, along with world university gold and world championship silver in Tokyo.
Barron and Cox Master the Mire in Abbottstown
The novice races at the Sport Ireland Campus on Sunday turned into a mudbath, more like a summer festival field than a championship course. Callum Barron of Kilkenny City Harriers handled it best over the gruelling 6k, taking the men’s crown in 20.50. The tighest of marginss separated the next two as Stephen Lyster of Lagan Valley finished runner up in 21.01 and Mahad Egaal of Clonliffe Harriers crossed in the same time for third.
The women’s contest was equally hard fought as Dearbhla Cox of Annadale Striders timed her surge over the final stretches of the 4k to win in 15.39. Stephanie Carter chased hard for second in 15.48 while Dundrum South Dublin’s Alex Murphy rounded out the podium in 15.59
Earlier in the day the uneven age races rolled through the course in their numbers, with under 11s through under 19s braving the conditions and adding to a lively atmosphere across the campus.
See full results below via My Run Results: