After battling through regional qualifiers and then provincial qualifiers the country’s top middle and long distance athletes will make their way to Clongowes Wood College, Clane, Co. Kildare this Saturday, March 9th, for the Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships.
There is very strong Clonliffe interest with the Senior boys race in particular going to provide considerable intrigue. Efrem Gidey chases a second senior title following on his outstanding win at Waterford IT last year. The Belvedere College senior team go into this race full of confidence having won the Leinster title for the first time in some 20 years in Santry last month and will have two Clonliffe athletes amongst their ranks, Daniel Stone and Ben Guiden. Individual entries from the club also include Aaron Cullen and Stephen Cashin.
The senior girls race includes Tess Loftus on the Loreto on the Green team that qualified as Leinster bronze medallists. Whilst in the inter girls race Sarah Bateson will look to continue her fine form, which has included recent indoor PBs over both 1500 and 3000.
The St. Aidan’s team in the inter boys race go into Saturday’s All Irelands’ as Leinster champions fielding an almost all Clonliffe team of Callum Simpson, Evan Foster, Dermot Buckley, Alex Neuroth, John Lawrence, Cian Hill, Milan Binoy and Bryan Nnadi.
The St. Aidan’s junior boy’s team also include a number of Clonliffe athletes, Sean Boyne who has impressed enormously this season having placed 8th in the Leinster Schools, Cian O’Hare and Cillian Keegan.
On the subject of St. Aidan’s Alan O’Neill has organised a coach to leave from the Clonliffe clubhouse on Saturday morning at 9.45 sharp. Alan has very kindly invited not just St. Aidan’s athletes and parents to travel but also other club members who are competing and indeed their parents and coaches. The bus is on a first come first served basis so the strong advice is to be in the stadium from 9.30 a.m. on Saturday.
The very best of luck to all of our athletes on Saturday morning.
Timetable for Saturday click: Time_Table_All_Ireland_XC_2019