Clonliffe`s Brian Flanagan got his US Collegiate Cross Country career off to a winning start for McNeese yesterday, the 16th at Baton Rouge, to take a fine individual title at LSU Cross Country Invitational. Brian was a clear winner by some six seconds winning the 6k event in 17.09 and helping McNeese to a second place team placing.
Brian tells the tail:
How ya doing? Sorry its been a little while so here’s a little update. So a week and a half ago our cross country season opener was put on hold due to us getting hit by Hurricane Harvey, our own home meet was canceled along with one in Houston too.
Instead we travelled to LSU’s invitational cross country in Baton Rouge on Saturday last. I lead the team that we sent, our top four runner stayed at home getting ready for next week.
Race was 6000m and started at 7:50am. Even at that stage temps were at 75F (24C). But my long summer of training injury free in the unforgiving heat of the deep south paid it’s dividends and I recorded my very first ‘W’ (time: 17:09 – wasn’t even a flat course) on this side of the Atlantic. Needless to say I was very happy to run this in my very first XC race in over a year and a half, most of which plagued by injuries most doubted I’d ever come from. I felt good but I know now is not the time for complacency, theres still a job to be done.
With that being said the next stop is the Texas A&M invitational this coming Saturday morning in College Station TX. I’ll keeping you posted. Until then all the best.
Nil Desperandum,
Brian.
In what was a fairly quiet weekend for Clonliffe athletes Stephen Scullion was 2nd in Sunday`s Belfast Half Marathon, a week after his excellent outing in the Great North Run, in 66.12