Springwell Juniors have a ball at District races

University of Ulster Coleraine was the venue for the Ulster Schools District C cross country races on Wednesday 5 February and with a break in the bad weather the scene was set for some great racing.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Feb 2014, 13:22 BST
Inter Girls finishers Christine Russell (2nd), Aife McSheffrey (1st) and Ciara Finnegan (3rd).Inter Girls finishers Christine Russell (2nd), Aife McSheffrey (1st) and Ciara Finnegan (3rd).
Inter Girls finishers Christine Russell (2nd), Aife McSheffrey (1st) and Ciara Finnegan (3rd).

First race was the mini girls 1500m and once the scramble at the start was over it became a two girl race with Ellie McBroom (Loreto College) leading Hermione Skuce (Coleraine High School) until the last 200m when Hermione pushed hard to the finish, to clinch her first and the Coleraine High Schools only District medal of the day in 6.16, Ellie took silver in 6.22.

Mini Boys 1500m saw Andrew Gordon (CAI) lead from start to finish winning easily in 5.58, Eoghan Gormley (Loreto College) had a good race finishing 5th in 6.22, with the clubs only other runner Conor Kendall (CAI) 87th.

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Minor Girls 1500m had Rachael Brown (Ballymena Academy) lead from the front to win in 6.12, she was chased all the way by Laura Crossan (Loreto College, Letterkenny) and Springwell’s Niamh Carr (Loreto College) who clinched a superb 3rd place in 6.18, the clubs other runners were Amy Fountain (Coleraine High School) 22nd, Eileanor Blair 31st and Stephanie Forsythe-Wilson 63rd both (Limavady Grammar).

Minor Boys 2000m had an under the weather Andrew Carr (CAI) clinch 15th with Finlay Hutchinson (Loreto College) 25th.

The next race was the Inter Girls 2000m, which was to see one of the most hotly contested races of the day.

Pre-race favourite’s Abigail McBroom (Loreto College) and Emma Hutchinson (Ballyclare High School) went for it from the gun, but the surprise of the day was Aine McKinney (Dominican College) running a fantastic race who refused to let them get away, in the end it was decided over the last 400m where Abigail moved clear to win in 7.33 with Emma 2nd in 7.43 and Aine 3rd in 7.51 picking up the Dominican College’s only medal of the day.

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Next up was the Inter Girls 2500m with Springwell’s Aife McSheffrey (Limavady Grammar) cruising to an easy victory in 9.56, she was followed in by Aoife Carr (Loreto College) who scrapped all the way for a superb 4th in 10.19, Niamh Tweedie (Coleraine High School) having missed some training due to exams had a great run to finish 7th in 10.55.

Other Springwell runners were Lauren McKee (Coleraine High School) 25th, Naomi McQuilken (Coleraine High School) 53rd and Beth Henderson (Coleraine High School) 56th.

Inter Boys 4000m saw Springwell’s Luke Dinsmore (CAI) take the front from the gun and never look back to record and easy victory in 14.37, with the club’s Zak Hutchinson (CAI) running brilliantly to finish third in 15.18.

Related topics:Coleraine