How Donie Walsh’s charge produced thriller in Virginia

Tomorrow marks the culmination of the American collegiate cross-country season, when the 79th NCAA championships take place at Terre Haute, hosted by Indiana State University.

Considering the impact Irishmen on scholarship have made over the years, it may come as a surprise to learn that just three have won the coveted individual title — Neil Cusack (1972), Sean Dolman (1991), and Keith Kelly (2000).

But one of the greatest performances by an Irish runner occurred on November 23, 1970, when Corkman Donie Walsh finished runner-up at the NCAA finals in Williamsburg, Virginia.