The Cross Country season is underway. Ardgillan Demesne was the venue for the first round of the Dublin Juvenile Cross Country League today. It was a testing course which featured an entire half lap uphill and the the second half down hill. This coupled with a very strong head wind and then some cross country rain made it a tough opener.
There was a small but select travelling party of Clonliffe athletes, mainly from the older juvenile age groups and some very encouraging runs at this early stage of the season. Of the younger athletes Abbie Sheehy had a very solid run finishing 7th in the girls U/12 1,000m race. Cliona Cooley was 16th in the U/14 1,200m race. A very good season opener also by Daniel Craig in the boys U/14 race finishing an excellent 6th.
Sophie Higgins also showed excellent form in the U/15 1,500 race finishing a fine 5th. Alanah Cooley was in the thick of the bad weather as the rain lashed down during her U/16 2000m race another promising run as Alanah was 3rd in her age group in this mixed age group race.
The Clonliffe boys also had solid runs. Joseph Hession in the U/15 1500 was 3rd, an impresses run in the, particularly over the final 600 from Kevin Loftus in 6th, Alex Hogan was next in placing 9th chased hard by Keith Hodson 10th and Luke Guy 11th. Sean Carrig looked very comfortable in the U/16 2,000m placing 3rd, with Shane Merrigan 5th and Greg Hosseny 6th.
Next up for these athletes is the club cross country on September 28th.