Hoey claims provincial title in style at Adamstown

Star of the Sea athlete Mark Hoey was impressive in claiming the Intermediate men's title over 8km at the Leinster Uneven Age and Intermediate Cross-country Championships at Adamstown, Co Wexford on Sunday and it was his run that helped the Meath team into the gold medal position. Hoey, who is now just back training after taking a well-earned rest after his victory in the Dublin half marathon last September, was in the leading bunch of runners right from the start of the race. This group included Thomas Hayes (Kilkenny City Harriers) and Mick Kavanagh (Sli Culainn) and Neville Reilly (Dunboyne). With two of the six laps completed the group was whittled down to Hoey, Hayes and Kavanagh with Reilly in fourth place. Hoey continued to set the pace leading this trio of athletes with the Kilkenny and the Wicklow athletes alternating between second and third places. Then with 3km remaining the east Meath athlete stretched his legs and the race was now down to Hayes and Hoey as Kavanagh fell back. At this stage Reilly was cementing his position in fourth place while the rest of the Meath athletes were battling well further down the field. Hoey continued to press on and with 2km left to race he had broken Hayes and opened up gap on the Kilkenny man. Hoey continued to press home his advantage so that going out on the last lap he had a 40 metre lead. Hoey came home in a time 27 minutes 34 seconds for the 8km and had a winning margin of 17 seconds on Hayes with Kavanagh third and Reilly finishing in fourth place. Ronan Wogan (Slane AC, 17th), Loughlin Campion (St Andrew's, 24th), Robert Caffery (St Brigid's, 29th) and Paul Gannon (Dunboyne, 36th) made up the rest of the scoring team finishing with a total of 111pts and taking the team prize in the process. The intermediate ladies team finished second to Dublin when they amassed a total of 62 points. Emilia Dan (Dunboyne) was the leading Meath athlete when finishing fifth in the 4000m race. She was followed home by the Dunshaughlin duo of Ursula Byrne (14th) and Linda Fahy (17th) with Deirdre Fitzsimons (Dunboyne) in 26th position. The Meath u-11 girls team set the tone for the day when they finished fourth and qualified for the All-Ireland Championships which will take place in the Curragh next month. The u-11 boys team went one place better when they finished in third place over the 1500m race. The first of team gold medals were won by the u-13 girls team when they finished with an impressive 75 points to take the coveted title. The team of Sarah Clarke (Na Fianna, 4th) Eva O'Donovan (Navan, 6th), Martha Reidy (Fr Murphy, 14th), Amy Clarke (Na Fianna, 15th), A Cleary (St Andrew's, 17th) and Aine O'Connor (Ratoath, 19th) had packed very well to score a deserved win. The boy's u-13 team were not to be overshadowed by the girls as they won the title on a score of 55pts with Kevin McGrath and Alan Monaghan both from Bohermeen taking individual gold and silver medals. They were ably supported by Shane Hanley (St Brigid's, 5th), James Finnerty (Tara, 7th), Alex Hunter (Ratoath, 19th) and Francis Marry (Star of the Sea, 21st). The u-15 boy's team finished fourth on 191pts to qualify for the All-Irelands with Eoin Smyth (Tara, 8th), Ciaran McCarty (Ratoath, 23rd), Philip Marron (Ratoath, 28), Conor Leech (Na Fianna, 37th), Ciaran Crowther (St Andrew's, 43rd) and Mark Daly (Na Fianna, 52nd). The boys u-17 team finished fourth on 138 pts with five Star of the Sea athletes in the counting six. Niall Cornyn (Dunboyne) broke up the possible six out of six scoring members for the East Meath club as they also had the seventh Meath athlete across the line in Luke Fox. Rob Tully finished in eighth place, Ciaran McGinley 17th, Andrew Coscoran 21st (all Star of the Sea), Niall Cornyn (Dunboyne, 28th), Cormac Costello (Star of the Sea, 31st) and Jim Marry (Star the Sea, 33rd). Star of the Sea were the third placed club team in this race.