Cragg gets chance to prove fitness for Euros
That is to give Alistair Cragg an opportunity to prove his fitness in a race in the US on that day as the former European indoor 3,000m champion has requested he be considered for selection.
“It would be very difficult to leave an athlete of his calibre out if he was fit enough,” Anne Keenan-Buckley said.
“Of course we would have liked him to compete in the inter-counties on Sunday and it would have been nice to have seen Martin Fagan compete in front of his home crowd as well. But those athletes have their own plans as regards preparation. When they get to that level you expect they are mature enough to make the best decision.”
She paid tribute to Mary Cullen and Andrew Ledwith for their approach to the Europeans which, she said, was paying dividends.
“Mary (Cullen) was just superb on Sunday,” she said. “One had to be impressed with the way she cruised through the mud and the wind because those were very difficult conditions.
“Andrew (Ledwith) also turned in a very good performance and one would have been impressed with that and with his approach to the event.”
She said it was unfortunate Mark Christie had to miss Sunday’s race. Like Mary Cullen, he won the Gerry Farnan Race but was subsequently laid low with a chest infection.
“Fortunately he got it on time and just finished a course of antibiotics and is back running but obviously he would not have been able to compete in a race of that quality at the weekend.
“We have talented runners but we don’t have depth so it is important that we get everyone to the starting line healthy and ready to run.”
Last year Andrew Ledwith came back from the US having won a bronze medal at the NCAA championships and there are a number of athletes involved in the collegiate championships again this year.
Last night the team management were waiting for news from Indiana where last year’s national junior champion, Craig Murphy (Togher), European U23 5,000m bronze medallist David McCarthy, Leevale’s Ciarán Ó Lionaird and Dubliner David Rooney were competing.
All four will qualify for the men’s U23 team joining the likes of Michael Mulhaire and John Coghlan who were very impressive on Sunday. Mulhaire, coming off a big run in Mol, was runner-up to Craig Murphy in the junior men’s race in Tramore last year and on Sunday he took on the big guns in Kilbeggan when he was only overtaken by Michael Clohisey and David Kelly in the closing stages of the race. A student at UL, sixth was a big achievement and it was special for Anne Keenan-Buckley, herself a multi-champion, who advises him with his training.
And talking of taking on the big guns, Ryan Creech (Leevale) took the field apart in the junior men’s race before finishing third behind surprise winner Michael McKillop (Antrim) and Dubliner Liam Tremble.
McKillop who a won a gold medal in the 800m at last year’s Paralympic Games in Beijing suffers from mild cerebral palsy but is a class runner. He is coached by his father, Paddy, who is a former international runner and a past pupil of St Malachy’s where he is now a PE teacher.
