West Waterford’s Philip Harty (No25) – pictured with East Cork athletes Sean McGrath and James McCarthy – won the county senior cross country title for the first time in Abbeyside last Sunday. | Photo: James VealeVEA001
On Sunday last, again in ideal conditions in St Augustine’s College Grounds, Abbeyside the County Cross Country Championship programme was a great success with large entries in most events.
The Senior and Junior races were incorporated in the MT Motors Open Event. In the Open Races there were wins for Mark Hanrahan, Leevale and Pauline Lambe, Waterford AC, and West Waterford won both the men’s and women’s team events.
Philip Harty, West Waterford is the new County senior champion and he won from two Waterford AC athletes, Bryan Swaby and Jim Baldwin. Pauline Lambe took the Women’s senior title with Corina Walsh, West Waterford, second and Diane Behan, Waterford was third. Waterford AC won both team awards. The two junior champions are Gary Cantwell, KCK and Siobhan Heylin, Waterford.
In the juvenile championships all clubs in the county had medal winners, individual and team, and there were some great races and finishes. The Boys’ u11 in particular was very exciting as the long-time leader Hugo Blair was overhauled close home by Thomas Ahearne, An Ghaeltacht, but Blair, showing great tenacity, came again to take the victory.
Damien Crowley from Tramore was a most impressive winner at u13 level and Miceal Power and Liam Reilly, An Ghaeltacht fought out another thriller with Power eventually taking the title.
In the Girls section, Kate Veale (u17) and Sinead Flynn, West Waterford, both had convincing wins, as had Grace Kirby, Ferrybank and Molly Hutchinson, do, who had a great battle with Rena Behan, KCK and held on for victory.
