Preview of National Senior Cross-Country Championships 2018
Mud and Glory on the Cards in Abbotstown
National Sports Campus, Abbottstown, Dublin
Sunday November 25th 2018
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| Reigning Champion, Shona Heaslip, An Riocht AC - Out due to Injury Photo: Sportsfile | Dylan Hassett, Leevale AC's New 33 min 10k Signing |
The Cream of Ireland’s cross-country runners will descend on Sport Ireland's National Sports Campus, on Sunday next, November 25, bidding for national glory and European selection, at the Irish Life Health National Senior and Juvenile Even Age Championships.
The course looks set to be soft underfoot, with long spikes at the ready, due to the heavy rain forecast this week, making for an exciting spectacle for cross country aficionados.
The first two senior male and female athletes at the National Cross Country Championships will gain automatic selection for the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg, Netherlands, next mont, on Sunday December 9th
It promises to be a star-studded line-up, at the purpose-built cross-country course, with Ciara Mageean (UCD) and Sean Tobin (Clonmel) bidding for their respective first Narional Senior cross country titles, with rising star Sarah Healy (Blackrock) in a high-quality Under 20 women’s race.
The battle for the team titles should also prove an absorbing contest, particularly in the men’s race where Clonmel will be bidding for the first team title in their history.
The action gets underway with the Under 12 girls, at 11:30 am, building to a crescendo with Senior Women’s 8,000m, and Senior Men’s 10,000m, at 13:45 and 14:25, respectively.
European Cross-Country Selection Policy
Senior Women
Reigning National Senior Women's Cross-Country Champion, Shona Heaslip, from Kerry club An Riocht, who had been hoping to win three successive Titles, won't defend her title at Sunday's Irish Life Health National Cross-Country Championships at Abbotstown, Dublin, as she has lost her battle to recover from injury.
Shona picked up a foot injury during her recent cross-country race in Mol, Belgium and, unfortunately it looks like she will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Ciara Mageean, who finished third, behind Shone Heaslip and Kerry O'Flaherty, in 2016, is entered, but will face stiff competition from Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC), who was fifth last year, Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle), who, for the past two years, has been runner-up to Shona Heaslip. Annmarie McGlynn (Letterkenny), and newcomer on the scene Dylan Hassett (Leevale). Also likely to be in the mix are Jessica Craig, North Down AC, Una Britton, Kilcoole AC and Laura Shaughnessy, DSD AC
Hassett's entry seems to have slipped below most people's radar is American-born Dylan Hassett, who has declared for Ireland, and runs for Leevale AC on Sunday. Hassett is based in New England, USA and has a 10,000m PB of 33:06, from Portland, Oregon, in June this year, and just last month, ran 32:38 to finish fourth in the Boston Women's 10km.
Senior Women's Team Title
Leevale women's team will be aiming to retain their National Senior Title, however Lizzie Lee and Claire McCarthy will be sorely missed. Claire is coming back from injury, however on-form Lizzie Lee, National Marathon Champion and winner of last Sunday's Stook 10, is a surprising omission from the Leevale Team...hopefully just a transcription error by Athletics Ireland. However Leevale have been reinforeced in recent days, by the addition of Dylan Hassett, who has joind the club in the past few days. Dylan has set an impressive array of times, right across the range, from a 4:37 1500m to a 2:57 Marathon.
DSD and Leevale look to have the strongest teams for the women’s race, with the South Dublin club counting Laura Shaughnessy, Linda Byrne, Bethanie Murray, Maria McCambridge and Meghan Ryan among their ranks. The Leevale team includes the Finn sisters, Michelle and Carol, Dylan Hassett and Sinead O’Connor.
Under 23 Women
Avril Deegan (Ballyroan, Abbeyleix and District) and Sorcha McAlister (Westport) are among the leading Under 23 women’s entrants.
Junior & Under 18 Women
The Under 18 and Junior (Under 20) races are also combined with the first two finishing athletes gaining automatic selection.
Sarah Healy (Blackrock) will look to continue her heady 2018 in a quality U20 women’s 4,000m race that includes Emma O’Brien (Sli Cualann), Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers), and last year’s winner Laura Nicholson (Bandon).
Mia McCalmont (Tír Chonaill A.C.) and Rebecca Wallace (Lagan Valley), Saoirse O’Brien (Westport) and Roisin Treacy (Ashford) will be among the leading Under 18 athletes entered.
Senior Men
After winning both the Autumn Open and the Leinster Championships in recent weeks, Clonmel AC's Sean Tobin is on form for his first National Senior Title. Spearheaded by Tobin, Clonmel AC will be vieing for the Team Title, with Kevin Maunsell, William Maunsell and David Mansfield completing the likely scorers for Clonmel
Behind Tobin in the Autumn Open were Kevin Dooney of Raheny Shamrock, second in the nationals last year, and Kevin Maunsel, a clubmate of Tobin's at Clonmel AC. With William Maunsell and David Mansfield in good shape, Clonmel AC are strong contenders for the team title.
Tobin looks to guide Clonmel to first team title
Sean Tobin will be vying for his first senior cross title with the added motivation of leading his club Clonmel to an historic team title. He has strong backing in the Maunsell brothers, Kevin and William, with David Mansfield and Michael Carey vying to be the fouth scorer.
If Clonmel AC succeed, they will be the first team from outside of Dublin to win the Title since 1999, when Mullingar Harriers were in flying form. The only other clubs from outside of Dublin to have won previously were Deise Waterford and Burgerland Limerick.
Clonmel won't have it all their own way, with Raheny Shamrock bidding for three-in-a-row, with Kevin Dooney, Mick Clohisey, Brian Fay and Mark Kirwan among their ranks. Clonliffe Harriers and Kilkenny City Harriers will also be among the teams looking to be in the shake-up.
Other strong individual entries include track John Travers (Donore Harriers) and Paul Robinson (St Coca’s), while defending champion Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) isn’t listed among the entries.
Some of the leading U23 entries include Tom O’Keeffe (Kilkenny City Harriers), last year’s winner, Brian Fay and Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) with the first finishing athlete (male/female) gaining automatic selection. Both U23 races are part of the senior races.
Junior Men & Under 18's
For the boys Under 18 and Junior Men’s 6,000m, the contenderss will include: Darragh McElhinney (Bantry), Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers), Micheal Power (West Waterford), Sean O’Leary (Clonliffe Harriers), Craig McMeechan (North Down), Fintan Stewart (City of Derry), Daire Finn (Dublin City Harriers) and Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley).
Louis O’Loughlin (Donore Harriers), Sean Donoghue (Celtic DCH) and Paul Hartnett (Midleton) are among the lead Under 18 entrants.
It promises to be an exciting day of action but be sure to bring your wellies and umbrellas.
Darragh McElhinney, Bantry AC, is the leading contender for the Junior Men's title, while Sarah Healy, Blackrock AC, the current European U-18 1500m and 3000m champion, is strong favourite for the Junior Women's title.
