On Saturday there will be a substantial Clonliffe presence at the IAAF Antrim International Cross Country which takes place in Greenmount Campus that afternoon. Club captain Joe Cooper intends using the senior race to gauge the form of athletes and it is being used as a trial for the Clonliffe team for the European Clubs Cross Country which takes place in Spain on the 3rd of February. A number of the clubs top senior athletes will compete on Saturday including John Heneghan who travels home specifically for this event, Brian MacMahan who on Saturday demonstrated his current fitness with a comfortable win in the Dublin County Council BHAA Cross Country Race, Michael MacDiarmada and David Fitzmaurice. Also a confirmed starter is Sergiu Ciobanu.
In the junior men’s race with Ian Guiden currently sidelined the Clonliffe challenge will be taken up by Aaron Hanlon. After his own injury woes at the start of the season Aaron has been showing some fine form in training in recent weeks and looks to be coming into form at just the right time. Other Clonliffe juniors travelling to Antrim include Liam Ashton and Eoin McCullough, another athlete making his comeback from injury.
In addition to the seniors and juniors the future of Clonliffe will also be in action with the national cross country winning U/15 team of David O’Hanlon, Kevin McKenna, Sean Carrig, Joseph Hession, Adam O’Brien and Paddy O’Hanlon taking part. There is also an U/17 team competing (the U/17 race will be run in conjunction with the junior race), that particular team of four is made up of Cathal Doyle, Ross Carney, Brian Flanagan and Niall Norman. The U/17 Girls will also be competing on Saturday with a team of Sally Aherne, Hope Saunders, Stephanie McCaul and Laura Tuite.
The coach to Antrim will leave the Morton Stadium at 8.30 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning. Athletes, therefore, should be at the stadium by 8.20.