Cross Country & Road Running 2004

Cavan Senior Cross Country, Muff, December 27th

John Muldoon's farm at Muff once again provided the venue for the annual county senior cross country championships today and a strong turnout in both the ladies and mens events made for some highly competitive racing. The first event was the ladies 3km race in which national novice silver medalist Louise Reilly from Annalee AC ran away from the rest of the field to comfortably retain the title. A great battle for second place between Shercock's Laura Magorahan and Fiona Murray (left) was finally settled on the closing lap when Laura pulled clear of her younger rival to take the silver. A real battle followed for the team honours with both Shercock and Innyvale fielding two teams. Karen Ruxton (below left) put in a great effort to move up the field on the last lap to bring the Shercock A team into contention. The A team was completed by Michelle Murray in 12th 

position and when the points were totaled they had done just enough to hold off the challenge from the two Innyvale teams who finished second and third. Joanne Ormiston, Jean Cunningham and Catherine Magorahan all ran well for the Shercock B team which finished fourth. The result meant that the ladies cup returned to Shercock after a two year stay at Annalee AC. Laura Magorahan received the cup on behalf of her team mates from county board chairperson Carol Kiernan (right).

By the time the men's race had got underway the dry conditions that had greeted the athletes on their arrival in Muff had given way to a steady drizzle which was driven by a biting wind. This combined with the soft conditions underfoot turned an already difficult 10km into a pure test of stamina. Defending champion Sean Smith handled the conditions with ease and pulled away from the start, initially accompanied by Larah's Martin Fulton (below centre). However by the end of the second lap he had opened up a considerable gap which he held all the way to the finish to retain his title. 

Michael Muldoon (below centre) kept in contact with Fulton for the opening laps before dropping back and losing third place to his Shercock team mate Noel Carroll. Michael held on to fourth place despite the efforts of Bailieborough's Briain O'Dowd to close him down while Noel pulled away clear of Michael as he set off in pursuit of Fulton. Despite closing the gap on the Larah man, Noel couldn't get close enough to challenge for the silver and had to settle for the bronze medal after a typical battling performance.
James Muldoon was next home after O'Dowd in sixth place, securing team honours for the Shercock A team. Not far behind his brother Peter (below left) and veteran stalwart Albert Eakins (below centre) set the pace for the Shercock B team, both of them running strongly to finish 7th and 8th. Noel Ruxton and Edward McDermott were next home for the Shercock B team in 11th and 12th position and secured the team silver. 

The Shercock C team of James Ruxton, Eamonn Gargan, Tom Coyle and Keith Goodwin engaged in a head to head with the Innyvale men's team for the bronze medals however as the race progressed the superior fitness of the Shercock athletes came to bear and gradually the whole team pulled ahead of Innyvale. When Keith Goodwin crossed the line as the final scoring Shercock athlete of the day the club had completed a rare clean sweep of all the team medals in the senior men's race. 

Sean Smith completed a three-in-a-row as he collected the senior men's individual cup from county board chairperson Carol Kiernan (right). There was further good news for Shercock when the overall championship points were totaled and the club secured the championship trophy for the sixth year in succession, with Innyvale second and Annalee third. The teams braved the biting wind for one last time as they posed for a final photograph with their collection of silverware (above left).

Dec 12th - AAI Cross Country Championships, Mullingar

Belvedere House in Mullingar once again provided an ideal venue for the national juvenile and novice cross country championships today as dry conditions both underfoot and overhead combined with a highly impressive feat of organisation by the host club to make a great day out for the hundreds of athletes and supporters who journeyed to the midland town for the event. In the girls under 12 event Celine Clerkin produced a great effort to finish well up the field in 17th position. Celine led home her Ulster team however when the points were totaled the region finished outside the medals. In the same race Barbara Ward (72nd) and Shauna McGeever (131st) combined with Innyvale AC's Kerrie Byrne (95th), Keava Galligan (78th) and Geraldine Sheridan (110th) to bring the Cavan county team home in 10th place overall. The Innyvale girls under 12 team finished in 11th position in the team stakes.

Derrice McPhillips (left) ran well to finish in 22nd position in the under 14 1200m and shared in the success of the Ulster team when the province finished in the runner-up position. Fiona Murray (Drumlin AC) who trained with the Shercock squad in the lead up to the competition, produced a strong run in the closing stages of the under 16 3000m to finish 24th. Fiona, who was competing a year above her age group, was also the fourth scorer on the Ulster team, however the regional team finished outside the medal positions. There were further strong performances for Drumlin AC in the boys under 12 1000m in which Conor Moynagh (6th) and Barry Cooney (20th) both shared in the success of the Ulster team which finished second. Cian O'Reilly (Annalee AC) finished in 24th position in the boys under 14 event and was the second scorer on the fifth placed Ulster team. Fionan O'Reilly finished 29th in the under 18 5000m and was the 6th scorer on the Ulster under 18 team which finished second.

In the novice womens 3000m Cavan senior champion Louise Reilly produced one of her best cross country performances to date to take the individual silver medal. The Annalee runner held off a late challenge as she sprinted for the line to secure second place (right). In the novice men's race Cavan's sole finisher was Martin Fulton of Larah AC who came home in 43rd position in a field of almost 200 competitors. (Photos by Alan Cowzer)

 

 

November 28th - Sean Smith Finishes Second in Dungarvan

Sean Smith achieved his highest placed finish to date in a national cross country event when he finished in second place behind Danny Darcy in the under 19 6000m in Dungarvan today. Sean started the race conservatively in the main pack and then moved strongly through the field to join juniors Joseph Sweeney, Jamie McCarthy and Mark Hanrahan who held together as a group behind the leading trio of Christie, Ledwith and Darcy. The group broke up in the closing stages and Sean finished in seventh place overall in the junior championships, taking the under 19 silver medal in the process. The Junior championship result followed the form book when Mark Christie confirmed his status as Ireland's top junior distance runner by taking the title with ease ahead of Andrew Ledwith, Mark Hanrahan, Jamie McCarthy, Danny Darcy and Joe Sweeney. Sean's previous best results in Irish cross country championships were third place finishes in last year's under 18 competition in Killybegs and this year's Irish schools senior cross country. Sean has been training for the last few months with Brother John Dooley's squad at Cork's North Mon school where he is taking a post leaving cert course and there was further success for the North Mon squad when Jamie McCarthy finished fourth, putting him in line for selection for the Irish team for the European junior championships. Sean's performance in Dungarvan today will see him enter the new year as Ireland's second ranked junior behind under 19 winner Danny Darcy. 

Edward McDermott in action in the under 17 4000m in Dungarvan. Photo by Alan Cowzer

There was further good news for Shercock in Dungarvan when Cavan finished second in grade B in the junior inter-county competition, the same position as in 2003, thanks to strong performances by Shercock's Noel Carroll, Michael Muldoon and Peter Muldoon, helped by Bailieborough's Briain O'Dowd and Killian Heery. Noel received a further medal when he scored on the third placed Ulster team in the junior inter-provincial competition. 

The Shercock under 17 team finished in fourteenth position with James Muldoon first home in 42nd place, followed by Edward McDermott, Paul Fitzpatrick and Martin McGeever.

 

 

 

County Cavan Winter League 2004 - Final Leg, Ballyhaise, December 5th

 

Mens 6km Start

Men's 6km Lap 2 - Michael Muldoon, Briain O'Dowd and Noel Carroll

 

 

Noel Ruxton out-sprints Killian Heery at the finish

Karen Ruxton - 2nd senior ladies 3km, is cheered to the finish line by her mother Margaret.

  

 

Albert Eakins wins the Men's Masters 6km

Reservoir Dogs - Shercock's Seniors and Masters

  

 

Boys 18 - Martin McGeever (3rd), James Muldoon (1st) and Peter Muldoon (2nd)

Boys under 16 (1st team) and Fiona Murray (1st u18)

  

 

Shercock Girls under 16 (2nd team)

Shercock boys under 12 - 2nd team

  

 

Shercock boys under 14 - Kieran McDermott (centre) was 2nd overall)

Shercock girls under 12 - 2nd team

  

 

Shercock girls under 10 - 2nd team

Shercock boys under 10 - 3rd team

  

 

Shercock girls under 14 - 3rd team

Albert Eakins receives the Sillan Tours Cup on behalf of Shercock AC from Carol Kiernan, chairperson of the County Cavan Athletic Board

  

Nov 6th - Ulster & NI Cross Country Championships, Ballyclare

Sixmilewater Park in Ballyclare was the venue today for the Ulster even age juvenile championships. The wet overcast conditions and heavy course failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the young athletes who turned out in large numbers to support the event. For the Shercock competitors it provided an opportunity for some of the club's youngest members to show their potential and there is every indication that there are some future stars in the making among the clubs juvenile ranks as the top Cavan performers in both the boys and girls events on the day were wearing the Shercock singlet. Niall Clerkin produced an outstanding effort in the under 10 600m, moving rapidly up the field in the closing stages to secure a well deserved silver medal. The two under 10 teams ran well in their first Ulster championships, finishing just outside the medal positions. 

Niall Clerkin - 2nd under 10 Boys under 10 - 5th team - Niall Clerkin, Ryan Clerkin, Stephen Monaghan and Senan McGeever Girls under 10 - 4th team - Bernadette Duffy, Maria Donnery, Ashling Farrell, Darina Fitzpatrick and Joanne Culleton.

Celine Clerkin followed in Niall's footsteps in the under 12 1000m producing a great effort to finish in eighth place and qualify for the Ulster team at the national championships in Mullingar in December. Derrice McPhillips had one of her best runs to date as she battled her way to the head of the field and overtook several runners in the closing stages to cross the line in fourth place. Derrice showed a great improvement from the under 15 event in Killybegs, finishing well ahead of many runners who were in front of her on that occasion. 

Girls under 12 - 4th team - Julie Ward, Celine Clerkin (8th) Barbara Ward and Shauna McGeever Derrice McPhillips - 

4th under 14

 Shercock Boys under 16 - Paul Fitzpatrick, Ciaran Ward and Kevin Ruxton

James Muldoon left it too late in the under 18 5000m as a strong surge over the last lap saw him move from 22nd up to 14th, a good effort but not enough to gain a qualifying position for the nationals. Peter Muldoon had one of best races to date, finishing in 27th position and showing that he has the base fitness in place for the up-coming racewalking season.  Michael Muldoon and Noel Carroll were the club's first ever representatives in the McConnell Shield 8km men's race and both ran well, finishing in the top 20 in a field of 99 competitors. Michael had his best race of the season, coming off the better in a duel with Glaslough's 800m star Ciaran O'Connell (below), Michael came home strongly in 16th place. Noel was still feeling the effects of his winning effort in the 8km team trials at Sligo IT on Wednesday and struggled to find his best form as he came in some way behind Michael in 20th place.

Shercock Boys under 18 - 4th team - Martin McGeever, Peter Muldoon, James Muldoon, Hugh Fitzpatrick & Edward McDermott Michael Muldoon  - McConnell Shield 8km.

The Odyssey Arena - A Lost Cause?

Belfast's magnificent Odyssey Arena, home to the Irish indoor athletics championships for the past two years, is to close its doors to athletics and will not be available for the 2005 indoor season, according to sources within the sport. Athletics doesn't feature on the agenda of the facility's new management, apparently, as the sport appears set to be once more left out in the cold. If these rumours are confirmed, the failure to develop a new permanent indoor facility either north or south of the border will undoubtedly generate heated debate within Irish athletics as the senior indoor championships may be forced to return to Nenagh. The implications for Ulster's juvenile athletes are even more stark, however, as they once again face the prospect of  trials being held outdoors in February in the absence of any indoor alternative. 

Oct. 30th - Ulster Cross Country Championships Killybegs

The links course at Killybegs provided an ideal venue for the Ulster juvenile and novice championships today as the dry underfoot conditions combined with a mild sunny day to make an enjoyable outing for the club's cross country runners. Shercock interest was concentrated in the older age groups and the best club performance came in the under 19 6000m. Sean Smith set the early pace over the opening two laps with James King and Paul Pollock following in close order. On the third lap Sean was dropped by King and Pollock as the Donegal man ran on strongly to take a convincing win on home territory. Sean held of the challenge of a threesome of North Belfast Harriers runners to take the bronze medal. Not far behind Noel Carroll continued his most successful season to date as he finished strongly in seventh place, his highest placing yet at the Ulsters. Peter Muldoon was next home for Shercock in 20th place, soon followed by Hugh Fitzpatrick in 23rd. The Shercock team took the bronze medals behind North Belfast Harriers and Abbey AC. In the men's novice race, which was run with the under 19 event, Michael Muldoon put in a strong run to finish in sixth place in his first senior race at this level.

Sean Smith leads James King on the opening lap of the under 19 6000m Noel Carroll (u19) and Michael Muldoon (novice) work their way up through the field. Peter Muldoon (u19) battles for position on the opening lap.

James Muldoon had been disappointed not to qualify from the Ulsters last year and was determined to produce a better performance when he toed the line for this year's competition. Producing a typical battling effort, James fought all the way to line to finish in 11th place, just behind Cavan team mate Fionan O'Reilly from Annalee AC. Strong performances by Shercock's Edward McDermott, Paul Fitzpatrick and Ciaran Ward, and Drumlin AC's Luke O'Brien, secured third county team for Cavan, gaining qualification for the national finals in Dungarvan on November 28th. Derrice McPhillips was the leading finisher on the girl's under 15 team in 14th place however despite the best efforts of team mates Niamh Traynor, Claire McMahon and Rachel Daly the team finished outside the medal positions. Colm Smith showed well to the front of the under 15 boys 2000m during the early stages, however the fast pace took its toll and he dropped back down the field to finish 17th. Kevin Ruxton and Kieran McDermott also ran well for Shercock in the under 15 event, however without a fourth scoring member they were out of contention in the team stakes.
Derrice McPhillips (u15 1500m) Girls under 15 team - Claire McMahon, Rachel Daly, Niamh Traynor and Derrice McPhillips Kieran McDermott     (u15 2000m)

October 17th - Cavan Cross Country - Novice & Juvenile Ages 10 to 18

The second stage of the county cross country championships took place today on the GAA football pitches at Drumgoon. On a near perfect day the combination of dry conditions both underfoot and overhead made for an enjoyable outing for the county's mudlarks. The main event of the day was the county novice championships and the men's event provided one of the most competitive races for some time as Shercock's Noel Carroll went head to head with Bailieborough's Briain O'Dowd and Michael Muldoon, also from Shercock, who was competing as a guest. Michael pushed the pace out over the opening 3km of the 6km race while Noel and Briain followed at a short distance. James Ruxton, meanwhile, was engaged in his own battle for the third spot with an Innyvale athlete. As the race entered the final lap Noel stepped up a gear and overtook Michael before running on strongly to win by almost 100m. Michael was next to cross the line with Briain not far behind. James, meanwhile, had shaken off the attentions of his pursuers and finished relatively comfortable in third place. Noel, Briain and James are pictured left following their medal presentation.

 In the Novice women's race Shercock's Michelle Murray (right) was a runaway winner from an Innyvale threesome and looked very relaxed as she crossed the finish line for a comfortable victory.

In the juvenile race there were some impressive runs by club athletes in all the age groups. Maria Donnery produced a storming finish in the under 10 event to finish second and led team mates Ashling Farrell (4th), Joanne Culleton (8th) and Darina Fitzpatrick (11th) to victory in the team stakes. In the boys race Niall Clerkin led from gun to tape to win his first county title and there was further success for the Clerkin family when sister Celine held off the challenge of Annalee's Eadaoin O'Reilly to add the under 12 title to the under 13 title she had won two weeks previously. The under 12 girls team ran strongly behind Celine and scoring performances by Barbara Ward (5th), Nicole Garaghan (14th) and Shauna McGeever (15th) secured team silver for Shercock. In the boys event the top Shercock finisher was Daniel Muldoon in fifth place while Brian Sankey (10th), Owen Duffy (11th) and Colin Clerkin (16th) secured team bronze. In the girls under 14 competition Derrice McPhillips never looked under pressure as she pulled away from the field over the 1km race to cross the finish line well clear in first place to complete a double of county under 14 and 15 titles. Bernedette Muldoon was the top finisher for Shercock in the girls under 16 2000m in 6th place and combined with Lisa Clerkin (8th), Niamh Traynor (10th) and Bevin McGeever (13th) to take team silver. Paul Fitzpatrick produced another strong run to finish third behind Bailieborough's Shane Donnellan and Drumlin's Luke O'Brien in the under 16 3000m. Team mates Ciaran Ward (5th), Kevin Ruxton (6th) and Gerard O'Reilly (8th) brought home the team gold for Shercock. The under 18 boys 5000m got off to a blistering start as a guest runner from Donegal pulled out James Muldoon and Annalee's Fionan O'Reilly for the opening 2km. He flattered to deceive however and dropped out of the race after two laps leaving O'Reilly clear in the lead with James some way behind in second place. A strong run by Peter Muldoon saw him finish not much further behind in third place while Edward McDermott (4th) and Martin McGeever (5th) completed the scoring for Shercock and took the team gold.

October 2nd - Cavan Cross Country - Juniors, Masters & Juvenile Ages 11 to 17

The first round of the county cross country championships was hosted by Innyvale AC today on Carol Kiernan's farm outside Killnaleck. The event was well organised and the course provided a tough challenge to the competitors as it had softened after heavy rain on the morning of the competition. Shercock was well represented across all the age groups and Albert Eakins got the club off to a winning start when he held off the challenge of Annalee's Sean O'Reilly to win the men's masters 3000m. Annalee took the team title and Shercock finished as second team thanks to John Muldoon and John McGeever. The junior men's race was dominated by the Shercock threesome of Sean Smith, Noel Carroll and Michael Muldoon who worked together for the opening 5km before Sean broke away on the final lap to win well from Noel and Michael. Peter Muldoon was the final scoring team member in fifth place to secure team gold for Shercock. 
Celine Clerkin sprints home to win the under 13 1000m. Derrice McPhillips overtakes Innyvale's Lorna Cahill to win the under 15 1500m

Some of the best juvenile results for the club came from the girls events with Celine Clerkin (u13) and Derrice McPhillips (u15) (left) coming from behind to win their events with a sprint finish. Both girls were competing outside their age groups and are a pair to watch for the even ages championships. The Shercock girls under 15 came home in second place behind Innyvale. The boys under 13 event saw a new face with a familiar surname feature for Shercock as Daniel Muldoon produced a great effort to finish third in his first cross country race. Daniel will be looking forward to the even ages championships where he can expect to feature strongly in his own age group. 

 
Daniel Muldoon runs well to finish third in the under 13 1200m. Kevin Ruxton was the top finisher for Shercock in the under 15 2000m, also finishing third. James Muldoon challenges Annalee's Fionan O'Reilly on the second lap of the under 17 4000m.

The club team packed well behind Daniel to take the gold medals with good runs by Brian Sankey, Stephen Donnery and Micheal Gargan. Kevin Ruxton was first home for Shercock when he came third in the under 15 2000m. In the under 17 boys 4000m James Muldoon challenged for the lead on the opening laps before Annalee's Fionan O'Reilly pulled away in the closing stages leaving James in second place. Paul Fitzpatrick also ran well to come home in fifth place and team mates Edward McDermott and Martin McGeever secured first place for the club.

When the championship points had been totaled after the first round, Shercock had taken an early lead in the club's bid to retain the county cross country championship trophy:

Results: 1. Shercock (49 points), 2. Innyvale (39 points), 3. Annalee (30 points), 4. Drumlin (18 points), 5. Balieborough (7 points), 6. Team P Elliott (4 points).

 

September 26th 

County Cavan Winter League

The annual winter league series of races got underway in Shercock today when one of the largest crowds ever to appear at the event were treated to some fine early-season displays by the county's distance specialists. The event was notable for the large turnout from some of the county's developing clubs, Team P Elliott and Annalee in particular. Shercock AC was very well represented with a strong turnout across the age groups and while team results are not yet to hand some of the leading performers were: Noel Carroll & Michael Muldoon, 2nd and 3rd in the senior men's 5km, Albert Eakins, winner of the masters 5km, James & Peter Muldoon and Edward McDermott, who pulled off a 1,2,3 in the under 18 2000m.

Celine Clerkin, right, was 1st in the under 12 400m, Derrice McPhillips, 1st in the under 14 600m and Niall Clerkin, 1st in the under 10 400m. Paul Smith (far right) set the early pace in the under 14 800m before being passed in the closing stages by team mate Kieran McDermott. Karen Ruxton was third in the ladies 2km event and Gerard O'Reilly, despite competing in the schools combined events championship the previous day, came from behind to finish second to Bailieborough's Shane Donnellan in the under 16 1500m (above left).

 

April 18th - County Cavan Road Championships

Shercock Wins The McCormack Cup

The county road championships took place in Bailieborough today and a large field turned out to contest the senior men's 10km. The start was marked by a thunderous hail shower which pelted the runners for the first lap of the 3km course. Sean Smith was making a return to competition after a layoff due to injury and Sean looked comfortable throughout as he coasted home in first place in 34:33. The hilly course combined with the weather conditions took their toll on all the athletes however Martin Fulton from Laragh AC coped well to finish second not far behind Sean, followed by Bailieborough's leading veteran Noel O'Dowd. James and Michael Muldoon finished 4th and 5th and Noel Carroll came 7th to secure the team title for Shercock once again. 

Shercock's Laura Magarahan was making her debut for the club in the ladies 3km race and gave a very good account of herself as she challenged Agnes Mundy from Annalee for the lead for much of the race (right). In the end Mundy held on for the win however Laura finished strongly in second with team mate Jean Cunningham third. Sharon Lyons finished the scoring trio for Shercock in 4th place and secured team gold for a team title double.

Shercock also fared well in the master's events. Albert Eakin's finished second to Noel O'Dowd from Bailieborough in the men's 10km while team mates Eamonn Gargan (4th) and Phil Ward (7th) helped Shercock secure second place in the team standings behind Bailieborough. Ruth McCreery comfortably retained her ladies master's title while her Shercock team mate Catherine Magarahan finished in second place.

When the points were totalled, Shercock had comfortably retained the McCormack Cup for best overall club with 29 points. Bailieborough were second with 14 points and Annalee were third with 6 points.

Shercock coach John McGeever, in his capacity as County Cavan PRO, is pictured left presenting the McCormack Cup to Shercock captain Sean Smith together with the Shercock men's team.

 
Feb 18th - Sean Smith Wins Ulster Schools Senior Cross Country

Following his odyssey over 800m in Belfast at the weekend, Sean Smith was back on more familiar ground in Mallusk today when he lined out for the Ulster schools senior cross country championship. Sean's main opposition came from James King, against whom he has had many close fought races in the past, and Paul Pollock, who has shown considerable improvement this season. When a small group bunched at the head of the field following the start, Sean went to the front after the opening 200m and settled into his race pace which quickly carried him clear of most of the field with just Pollock and King for company. Running with the relaxed self-confidence that has characterised his form of late, Sean maintained a strong pace through the opening lap and stepped up a gear as the race headed for 2km. A gap quickly opened behind him as King and Pollock dropped off the pace and settled into a duel for second place. Finding himself well clear by the half-way point, Sean could afford to relax and cruised comfortably through the second half of the race to win by over 100m. The all-Ireland schools championships are due to be held on the well-known course at Ballyclare in March and here Sean will come up against stiff opposition from Munster champion Andrew Ledwith and Leinster's Danny Darcy who will start as strong favourites for the top two positions. However as his form continues to improve with every race, Sean will undoubtedly relish the prospect of challenging for the medals as Ulster champion running on home ground. Also running well at the Ulster's was Shercock's Derrice McPhillips who put in a great performance to finish fifteenth in the junior girls race.
County Cavan Senior Cross Country Championships

Sean Smith Retains Senior Title in Style

The field for the county senior men’s race was remarkable in several respects. For the first time in recent memory five club teams contested the title – Bailieborough, Laragh, Annalee and two teams from Shercock AC. Also notable was the presence on the Shercock teams of the three Muldoon brothers, Michael, Peter and James, who enjoyed something of a home advantage as the race was run on the family farm. Irish junior international Sean Smith started as a clear favourite to retain his title and the seventeen year old went straight to the front from the gun. By the end of the first lap only his Shercock team mate Michael Muldoon was still in contact, a situation that changed on the second kilometre of the ten kilometre race as he dropped Muldoon and opened up a commanding lead on the rest of the field. Muldoon had been carried clear of the rest by Smith and ran most of the race by himself in second position. Not far behind an absorbing struggle was taking place between his younger brother James and Bailieborough’s Briain O’Dowd. O’Dowd led the younger Muldoon for the first two kilometres before James took the initiative and moved into third place. For the next 7km he tried to break away from O’Dowd, however the Bailieborough man kept in contact and only a short gap separated the two as they entered the final lap. Sensing the threat, James put in an impressive surge over the closing kilometre to finally break away from O’Dowd and secure the bronze medal. Further down the field Killian Heery from Bailieborough held off a strong challenge from Annalee new-comer Eugene O’Reilly to finish fifth while Albert Eakins, the county masters champion, was next home in seventh place to secure the team title for the Shercock A team. Noel Carroll led home the Shercock B team in eighth place and combined with Peter Muldoon, Noel Ruxton and James Ruxton to take third team behind Bailieborough.

Team Honours

With three runners in the first three places, the Shercock A team comfortably retained the team title. Bailieborough made strong progress throughout the race and were rewarded with second place overall with a score of 35 points. The Shercock B team packed well to take third place with 47 points, just ahead of Laragh (52 points) and Annalee (65 points). The overall cross country championship trophy was won by Shercock who performed consistently well at juvenile, senior and veteran level. The only setback on the day occurred when the individual and team medals failed to appear for the presentations due to an oversight by county board officials.

Ruth McCreery came off the better in an absorbing battle with Team P Elliott's Ann Donoghue to lift the women's master's title. In the women's championship, Karen Ruxton (4th), Michelle Murray (5th) and Ruth combined to take second team behind Annalee AC

Cavan Cross Country - Photos

Senior Men - Michael Muldoon (2nd), Sean Smith (1st) and James Muldoon (3rd)

Albert Eakins (left) runs strongly while Sean Smith (right) takes a significant lead on the second lap.

James Muldoon puts the boot down at the start of the final lap (left) and Noel Carroll leads the B team home in eighth place. Michael Muldoon (below) finished second.
Belfast International Cross Country

Shercock Junior Men Finish Third Club Team in Belfast International

The Shercock junior men's team put in a great performance at the Reebok International in Belfast on January 10th. Sean Smith,  who was on both the Irish team and his club team in the race, contested the lead with Jamie McCarthy for the opening two laps. As the race entered the final lap, McCarthy increased the pace and broke away from Sean who dropped back to third as they approached the finish, With 200m to go Mark Kirwan from Raheny Shamrocks sprinted past leaving Sean in fourth place when he crossed the line. Michael Muldoon kept up a strong effort to finish with a sprint in 18th place while his brother James came in 28th despite being one of the youngest competitors in the field. Noel Carroll and Peter Muldoon were the closing runners for Shercock, finishing in 40th and 43rd place respectively. When the results were published the Shercock juniors finished as third club team behind the Irish national team (1st), Raheny Shamrocks (2nd) and Clonliffe Harriers from Dublin third. It was a great start to the year for the juniors, whose next outing will see them defend their senior title at the county championships in Muff on January 17th.