McCarthy strides to senior success
Last week he stepped up from 800m to 1,500m to defeat his schools rival, Ciarán Ó Lionaird, in a thrilling finish at the indoor international meeting in Cardiff but the Cork athlete was absent on Saturday suffering due to a virus.
They will renew rivalry at the national senior indoor championships at the Odyssey in Belfast.
McCarthy’s only threat came from his St. Augustine’s team-mates, Ferdia Ó hAodha and Diarmuid Ó Foghlu, after they had disposed of the challenge of Joe Fitzgerald (Midleton CBS).
Ó hAodha led briefly in the early stages until McCarthy made stepped up the pace to win with the proverbial ton in hand.
“I will run in the Irish schools championships on March 4 and that will be my only other cross-country race,” he said, indicating he will not contest the national junior championships at the end of the month.”
Joe Fitzgerald filled fourth position ahead of Gavin Downey (Tramore CBS) and St. Flannan’s, with Seosamh O’Loughlin sixth, finished second in the team contest with the defending champions, Midleton CBS, third.
Craig Murphy (Douglas Community School) wore down Kevin Cooper (Waterpark) in a storming finish to the intermediate boys’ race with Niall Tuohy (Newtown School), coming off illness, eventually overtaking Cooper for the silver medal.
Mark Shalloe (St. Augustine’s) finished fourth ahead of Brendan O’Sullivan (Colaiste na Sceilge, Cahirciveen) with Eric Murphy (Douglas CS) sixth as Douglas Community took the team title.
Shane Quinn (DLS Waterford), son of former Olympic steeplechaser, Brendan Quinn, was a runaway winner of the junior boys title. A week earlier he won the 1,500m at the indoor meeting in Glasgow and, at 13, he still has another year left as a junior.
Karen English (St. Paul’s, Waterford) was another very impressive winner, coming from a long way back to overtake long time leader Joyce Curtin (Colaiste Eoin, Youghal) in the senior girls’ race.
A week earlier she finished second in the 1,500m at the indoor meeting in Glasgow one of around 50 athletes from the Ferrybank club competing there.
But this was her best performance to date by far as she waited patiently and then made a devastating winning run to claim her first title.
Claire Hackett, in third place ahead of Niamh Kennedy (Ard Scoil na nDeise), led Ursuline, Thurles, to the team title.
As expected, Ciara Cronin (Abbey CC), stepped up to intermediate level to claim another title at the expense of her Abbey CC team mate, Niamh Ryan, with Lorraine McCarthy (St. Augustine’s) third and Orlagh Farmer (St. Mary’s, Midleton) won the junior girls’ title.
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