Leinster Cross-Country title for Hoey

Star of the Sea athlete Mark Hoey (pictured) took the novice title at the Leinster Cross-Country championships at Belvedere House, Mullingar on Sunday. Hoey made light work of the undulating course and clearly benefited from his training sessions around Stamullen and Ardgillen. The early pace was set by Hoey and Derek Croal as they led a committed Meath effort to the novice team title. Croal took bronze and his promising young Bohermeen colleague Darragh Rennicks ran his best ever race in adult competition to finish fourth. The county team also included Loughlin Campion, Donal Hanratty, Sean Kinnane, Don Mahon and Robert Caffrey. In the battle for club honours Bohermeen earned a silver medal. The women’s masters race was the best demonstration of the strength in depth in Meath. Na Fianna’s Mary Hanley battled it out from the start with Helen White over the 3km course. Her performance earned victory and she led the county team and her club Na Fianna to their respective titles. The successful Na Fianna team included Bridgid Clarke, Maggie Higgins, Margaret Neary, Ann Marie McCloskey and Imelda Clarke. The same athletes were also part of the successful county team which dominated the inter-county race ahead of a strong Dublin team. The other members of the Meath team included Ursula Byrne, Mary Watters (W45 silver), Ann Hunter, Linda Gunning and Ann Tobin. The final adult race of the day was the masters’ championship and once again the individual victory went to a Meath athlete with Gerard Heery producing a very impressive performance. The Meath over-50s team medalled as did the Trim AC team who were third club in the M50 grade. In the juvenile races the performance of the day came in the u-12 boys race which was won by Bohermeen’s Alan Monaghan. He led the county team to a convincing victory when they occupied five of the top 12 places. Bohermeen’s Rose Finnegan also made the top three podium finish with a well earned individual bronze medal in the girls u-14 race despite running out of her age. In the girls u-12 race both Annie Kavanagh and Aoife Donnelly from Bohermeen helped Meath to bronze team medals.