Juniors compete at Ulster Schools Cross Country Championships

The first race of the day was the Primary School Girls 1K, Springwell’s first runner home was winner of all three Springwell Cup races Danielle Graham (DH Christie) who had literally climbed out of her sick bed to be there finishing brilliantly in ninth, she was closely followed by Leah Gilfillan ( Bellarena) with a return to form at exactly the right time in 13th, Helen Tweedie (Portstewart) after an attack of nerves before the start finished well in 19th, next was Aine McKinney (St Columns) in 23rd and Charlotte Parr (Portstewart) 62nd.

In the Boys Primary School race over the same distance Ross Moore (Portrush) had a superb race finishing just outside the top ten in 11th with team mate Alex Conkey 41st and Jamie Nolan (Ballykelly) 57th.

In the Girls minor race Zara McLaughlin (Coleraine High) ran well to finish 40th in a field of 142 runners. Next up was the Boys Minor race and Luke Dinsmore (CAI) who has improved with every race finished 11th and first home for his school.

Billed as the race of the day the Boys junior race saw Springwell’s Ulster and Irish Cross country champion, Conor Christie (Cross & Passion) run his now trademark race from the front. This time though Tom Magee (Glengormley) hadn't read the script and shadowed Conor the whole race, never more than a metre behind, as it came down to the last 300m he and Conor sprinted side by side to the line with Tom just taking it by a shirt’s width.

Ryan Ennis (Dalriada) enjoyed the firm ground and ran really well for 28th, Ryan Murray (CAI) after an unfortunate fall in the first of two laps, picked himself up to finish 59th with Brian Tweedie (CAI) 70th.

The last two Springwell juniors Deborah Gilliland (Coleraine High) and Natalie Costello (Loreto) were in the Girls Intermediate race and both girls were on top form, running to the best of their ability’s with Deborah finishing 16th and Natalie 29th.

All the Juniors have trained very hard all winter, with the older runners now training three to four times a week, the club are pleased to see they are now reaping the benefits of all that hard work.

On Saturday Springwell’s Conor Christie travelled to Cork having qualified for the All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships finishing 5th overall and only six seconds off the first place. He has now qualified for the Irish Schools Cross Country Team and will travel to Cornwall later in the year. All at Springwell wish him the best of luck in this race.

Four Springwell Runners competed in the British & Irish Masters Cross Country Championships at Stormont on Saturday.

Marcus Devine (30:08), Michael Devine (32:31) and Thomas Moore (32:48) went in the MO35 age category which was won by Dave Morwood of Annadale Striders in 25:25. The MO50 age category was won by Ian Furness of Dudley & Stourbridge in 26:29 with Gerry O’Doherty coming home in 32:48.

The final race in the Sperrin Harriers Winter League was held on Saturday over the 5.3 mile An Creagain course. Springwell’s sole representative Jim Breen remained unbeaten in the MO55 age category coming home in 33:47.

Jim Platt was Springwell’s sole representative at the Albertville 5 Mile Road Race. He Jim completed the course in 37:18 to finish second MO65.