As Fermanagh’s juvenile athletes were impressing at the Irish Schools Cross Country in Ballybrit, local Senior and Masters athletes were bringing further success to the Erne County.
It was thirty years since a Men’s team from Northern Ireland had won a UK Inter Counties Cross Country, but that record was set straight on Saturday 8 March at Wollaton Park, Nottingham.
Conal McClean of Candour Track Club led the team home in ninth position, Andrew Milligan also had an excellent run to finish 16th.
Milligan’s north Belfast club mate Finn McNally was next to cross the line in 23rd, Jared Martin was next home finishing 31st, three seconds ahead of the fifth scorer Craig McMeechan in 33rd with Luke Dinsmore closing out the scoring team in 37th.
Neil Johnston was next in 42nd, while Conan McCaughey was 10 places back in 52nd. Chris Fielding was the final Northern Ireland runner to finish in 140th position.
In the team contest with six to score, Northern Ireland ran out very comfortable team winners on 149 points, with Surrey taking silver on 218 and Yorkshire completing the podium positions.
McCaughey was pleased with his own personal performance.
“This is probably the strongest team we’ve been able to field since the late eighties and it was representative of our individual performances seven of our team finishing in the top 50,” he said.
“I was quite content with my own performance after a winter broken up by flu and sickness. This is my sixth consecutive run in these championships.
“I’ve now the full set of team medals which is a great return from this prestigious event.”
The local athlete has a busy schedule ahead.
“I’m hoping to travel to Brussels next month for the European Road Championships where I’ve not yet decided on whether I’ll do the half or full marathon,” added McCaughey.
At the National Masters Indoor Championships at the TUS Arena, Tina Gallagher of the Oisin McGrath Club claimed two golds and a silver in the Women’s Over 60 category.
Gallagher’s 60m Hurdles has come on leaps and bounds this year and once again ran a near perfect race to take the title in 11.27 which is just 0.03 shy of her national record.
Her second gold came in the Shot Putt where her best effort was measured at 7.47m.
The Belcoo woman was unlucky not to make it a hat-trick of gold medals, losing out to Moria Gromme in a photo finish with the Trim AC athlete taking the win in 9.21 seconds.
Following an operation on his knee, Clones athlete Niall Fox was content with his performances in the last few months.
He concluded his Indoor season by placing fifth and sixth respectively in the Men’s Over 40 60m and 200m.
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