Belfast International and Lurgan Cross Country photos - Click Here
As the schools cross-country season rapidly reaches it's critical point, with the District championships just twelve days away, local athletes from St Michael's College and Mount Lourdes athletes enjoyed a useful outing at the Belfast International cross-country on an excellent course in the grounds of Greenmount Agricultural College on Saturday last.
In cold and foggy conditions the first race saw the best performance of the day from a local athlete when Mount Lourdes Sarah-Jane Flanagan, who runs in the colours of Clones AC, finished an excellent 7th.
Dennis Green in 11th had an excellent run in the U15 boys where a very small St. Michael's squad, depleted to to the college's Ski-Trip, all performed very creditably with Gavin Dolan 19th and Stephen McGullion 36th and there is no doubt the presence of one or two more of last year's Irish Schools winning squad would have ensured team medals for the Enniskillen school.
In the U13 boys, where over one hundred athletes, the largest field outside the ever popular veterans section, faced the starter, Stefan Allen lead home a well packed St. Michael's team in a very good 15th place ahead of Michael Dooris in 20th with Keelan Kelly in 24th completing the scoring trio.It was good also for local athletics to see Enniskillen Running Club represented in this event in the shape of Tom Mills who finished in a solid mid-field position. The St. Michael's team just missed out on the medals by six points, finishing 4th behing club raiders from Scotland in the shape of Kilbrachan AC and leading southern clubs Mullingar Hariers and DSD.
In the U17 girls Alex Carroll was the leading Mount Lourdes finisher and all the local athletes will have gained from the experience with many of them having been in action again yesterday in Lurgan when the annual Lakeside Cross-Country took place in Lurgan Park.