The Dublin Juvenile Even Ages XC Championships Report was held yesterday in Abbotstown. Outstanding athlete Louis O’Loughlin won the Boys under 16s race (4km) with 100 metres to spare over his nearest rival and team-mate Fathi Aden. Barney Kelly, stepping up an age group and making his Donore Harriers debut, proved to be the surprise athlete in the race by placing an excellent 9th. With Jack Raftery retiring mid-race due to illness, it was left to Keenan McDonnell to close the scoring team in 33rd position. Alan Reid, a member of the club for several years and stepping up an age group, was the non-scoring athlete and fully deserving of his first Dublin championship medal. Clonliffe Harriers closed on 22 points with Donore Harriers next on 45, ten ahead of DSD.

DSD dominated the under 18s girls race (4km) closing 4 athletes in the first 5. However, consistent running by the Donore team was good enough to gain team silvers on 52 points – just 3 ahead of Raheny Shamrocks. Suzanne Masterson led the team home in 8th place with Eliza Ni Thighearnaigh one place behind. Debutante Emma Grandgeorge had a very satisfactory run in placing 16th with Grace Hutton closing the team score in 19th. Emer Rynn-Cahill, stepping up in age group, placed 21st.

Matei Ursachi got the day off to a promising start when he repeated his fine run in the recent Dublin Juvenile League by placing 2nd in the Boys under 10s race. Matei is certainly a young athlete to watch out for in the future!

Other notable performances came from Faye Leigh-Quinn who was 12th in the Girls under 10s; from Roisin Brady 14th in the girls under 16s race; and from Grace Raftery and Honor Lynch, who placed 20th and 27th respectively in a very competitive Girls under 12s race.

5 medals – 1 gold (Louis O’Loughlin) and 4 silver (Fathi Aden, Matei Ursachi, u.16 Boys and u.18 girls).

Well done to all!

Provisional results from today’s Dublin Juvenile Even-Ages XC Championships at Abbotstown. u.10 Boys = 2nd Matei Ursachi; 30th Adam Clement; 41st Louis Wright. U. 10 Girls = 12th Faye Leigh Quinn; u.12 Girls = 20th Grace Raftery; 27th Honor Lynch; 49th Aoibhinn McCooey; 52nd Brooke Fagan; 53rd Laura Nunan; 54th Emily Windsor, 58th Emma Quigley: u.12 Boys = 44th Daniel O’Neill; 48th Fergus Johnson: u.16 Girls = Roisin Brady: u.16 Boys = 1st Louis O’Loughlin; 2nd Fathi Aden; 9th Barney Kelly (step-up & debut); 33rd Keenan McDonnell; 36th Alan Reid (step-up) TEAM = 1st Clonliffe Harriers 22; 2nd Donore Harriers 45; 3rd DSD 55: u.18 Girls = 8th Suzanne Masterson; 9th Eliza Ni Thighearnaigh; 16th Emma Grandgeorge (debut); 19th Grace Hutton; 21st Emer Rynn-Cahill (step-up) TEAM = 1st DSD 11; 2nd Donore Harriers 52; 3rd Raheny Shamrocks 55.