By Paul O’Neill
KATE Kelly proved she’s one of the county’s top athletes when she produced a standout performance at the National Senior, Junior & Even Age Group Championships in Derry on Sunday.
Organised by the City of Derry Spartans and held at the Templemore Sports Complex, over 200 athletes took part in a range of competitions at the centrepiece of the Irish Cross-Country season.
After their performance at Ulster level where they took team gold, the Enniskillen Girls Under-16 team were talked about as being in the mix for taking National honours.
Their chances took a major hit when they lost Annabelle McKenzie with flu.
Kate Kelly again was their lead runner. The 2025 Irish Schools Minor Girls Champion fought bravely against athletes who were a year plus older to secure an individual top 12 medal when finishing tenth.
As well as the individual medal, Kelly also helped Ulster to Gold in the Inter Regional team contest.
Erin McPhillips from Aghadrumsee had a cracking run, recording her highest ever finish at National level placing 29th.
Competing for the first time at this level, Jessica Largo Ellis was the third scorer crossing the line in 59th position and was closely followed by Megan Mullally in 62nd to close out the scoring four.
With a total of 160 points, the team came up just short, with Mid Sutton of Dublin piping them for the bronze medal.
In the Boys U16 race, over 4000 metres, Finn Elliott had a great run when placing 19th of the 132 finishers.
Elliott can be very happy with his individual performance, which saw him finish fifth of the Ulster lads, who claimed silver medals.
The Male U20 & U18 age groups were combined with the same race distance.
Having won the U20 race at the Autumn Open in Dublin last month, hopes were high that Frank Buchanan could be right there in the mix for one of the three automatic spots on offer at these championships.
The St Michael’s lad set off and he was right there in a lead group of seven after the first of the three laps 1500m laps. Buchanan finished the event in seventh place.
“I’m looking to build on the performances on the track in 2025 into 2026 after a solid but short Cross Country season,” he said.
“I felt ok until the final 700m when I just couldn’t cover the up in pace and just in a blink, the face of the race just changed and from there it was just holding on to finish as high as possible.
“I gave it all and that’s all you can do on any given day.”
Last year’s U17 Champion Harry McKenzie struggled to get going, placing 23rd in the U18 race and 53rd overall.
Tiernan McManus had a very good run and tracked his clubmate throughout and was just a step or two behind at the finish as he placed 54th.
Young Jack Donnelly also ran very well to finish 39th U18 and 83rd overall. In the U18 club team race, Enniskillen placed a very creditable sixth.
In the Senior races, two more local athletes Conan Mc Caughey running for North Belfast Harriers and Edel Monaghan turning out in the colours of Dublin City Harriers.
The course was very badly cut up and both would be disappointed with their showings.
The event will stand to all the local competitors with the immediate focus now switching to the National Uneven Juvenile Championships at the National Sports Campus in Dublin on Sunday 7 December.
