St Michael’s got the 2014/15 cross-country season off to a reasonably satisfactory start at a sunny if windy Jordanstown on Saturday afternoon, taking team medals in three of the four age groups they contested at the NI/Ulster age group championships.
The Enniskillen school have not participated in these championships since 2008 when they were held at the same venue, a venue where they have won both of their Irish schools titles as, like all school teams, the St Michael’s effort is focussed on the schools championships in February and March. Given that this is very early season taking three team medals was a welcome bonus, but the lack of top ten individual finishes will give something to work on in the weeks and months ahead.
It has been some time since St Michael’s fielded a full U12 squad and the youngest team to pull on the blue vests on Saturday did not disappoint, in particular Oisin Cassidy who produced a fine effort to finish 5th, just three seconds off the medals. He was followed by Garbhan McGovern, Leo McGriskin and Daire Cleary who completed the scoring quartet for a very good silver medal behind a dominant Annalee squad from Co Cavan, with Cillian Murray and Jack Cassidy completing the team.
St Michael’s U16 squad had finished 3rd last Year at U15 level and, without their leading finisher on that occasion Jacob Britton they too took silver on Saturday behind the 2014 All-Ireland winners Omagh Harriers. Domhnall Lynam, Paul Breen, James Boyle and Gavin Green made up the scoring team which was completed by Rory Baird and Conor McNally.
The other St Michael’s medal came in the U18 race with a bronze behind two very strong Donegal club sides, Letterkenny and Finn Valley. Ryan Flanagan ran a courageous race, in the top 8 for much of the 5km trip, before fading slightly to 15th with Oisin Morris coming through the field to be the team’s second scorer ahead of Bruce Worley and Conall Boylan.
The U14 side from St Michael’s did not medal on Saturday but packed very well and all of them are at the very youngest end of this age band. They were lead by Oisin McGrath, closely followed by James Cox, Keelan Farry and Ben Corrigan, with Year 8 athlete Rhys Campbell and Pierce McGovern making up the team who will have to work hard to build on last year’s Ulster schools title winning performance.
The next outing for many of the St Michael’s athletes will be on Sunday November 9th in Cavan where what, is reported to be a much more challenging course, than that provided by the firm fast pitches of the University of Ulster lies in wait, at the uneven age group championships.