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Donegal
Athletics Board

Donegal Senior CC

Results

Pictures by Kieran Carlin.

A great day for Donegal athletics, on a dry Sunday morning November a full compliment of teams in both ladies & gents a first for some years, with a noon kick off for the ladies and twenty in the field time for the gun, Teresa Mc Gloin who just arrived home from New York the previous night set the early pace closely followed by Michelle Harvey Tir Chonaill and Karen Crossan Inishowen, Breda Mc Ginty FV & Emir O Brien LK further back were the master athlete in the pack with the experience Helena Crossan & Nolleen Porter waiting push in the later stage, at half way stage the positions changing Helena Crossan coming through to third place & Nolleen Porter now battling with Emir O'Brien for 4th & 5th. Further down the field were our younger athletes Breda Mc Ginty & Elish Patton both in their first senior race proving to be a vital cog in the Valley wheel. One km to go Michelle Harvey heads the field with the by now jet lagged Teresa Mc Gloin content with 2nd position with Inishowen woman Helena Crossan 3rd Emir O'Brien 4th , the ever improving Noleen Porter just back from injury taking 5th Breda Mc Ginty a talented young athlete who must start believing in herself finishing 8th & to complete the team was another young athlete Elish Patton 15th. The team event won by the valley quartet with 30 points followed by Tir Chonaill 33pts, Inishowen 35pts & Letterkenny 39pts

Moving onto the senior race with the clash of the youth & the master who would prevail? 40 athletes step to the line again all clubs represented with teams a great plus for athletics in the county. The man to start the race none other than Olympic games team manager and 40years in the sport who better than Patsy Mc Gonagle, gun sounds, stampede under way the battle to the first bend, the usual suspects with the new kids on the block right up there Padric Mc Kinney LK Darren Mc Glinchey FV, Ian Ward FV, Garry Crossan LK Noel Collins Omagh, Shane Bonar FV, John Creane FV, Ivan Toner & John Mc Glinchey FV. After 2km as expected the marathon man from Lifford Padric Mc Kinney prepared to push the pace with two of our up & coming athletes Ian & Darren both following in their family footsteps tucked up in the group, a few seconds back another group which consists of another talented Valley kid Shane Bonar also John Creane & John Mc Glinchey. Further back another of the young pretenders in the Blue & White Darren Stewart, Darren improving with ever race. Further back Michael Penrose a loyal servant to the club battles through the muddy conditions to back the team up, as the race progresses the field begins to spread out now the competitive edge kicks in. with supporters getting excited who will win? The battle at the front now between Mc Kinney & Ward, by now Mc Glinchey catching Noel Collins to take 4th spot this was the end for Collins dropping out Mc Glinchey to hot to handle. Surging through the field group consisting of Brian Thursby LK & Paul Ward TC Shane Bonar FV, John Creane FV with John Mc Glinchey dropping of the pace. The team positions still to close to call everyone battling for pride of place. In the closing stages the battle was coming to a climax as we thought but with the talent that is Ian Ward you never right him off till the race is over. Padric pushing from two laps out when Ian taking a stitch but with the support of the crowd and the determination of Ian he put the head down and bit the Bullet, the transition from junior to senior is about to begin. 500m to go and still 30m down Ian now uses his all familiar speed to close Padric down and pass with 200m the race was over Ian Ward will become the Youngest winner of the Donegal Senior CC at he finish to meet him was Coach Peader Mc Granaghan and an army of delighted Valley supporters. Padric gave a gallant performance to finish 2nd now handing over to the younger generation whilst in 3rd position Gary Crossan followed by Darren Mc Glinchey who's performance has now crossed the divide youth to senior, the Third Valley athlete home Shane Bonar another fantastic run from a young man who needs to believe in this potential, with some patients Shane will progress and excel at senior level. John Creane 9th just getting back after an injury will take some satisfaction from his run with only a few week training he now know he's back on the rails that will take him to the masters in February. The fourth youth on the Valley team that has come of edge today was Darren Stewart finishing a very creditable 13th Darren who struggled through a race a few week ago showed that with consistent training nothing is impossible, John Mc Glinchey 14th the elder on the now very youthful team show great determination all through the race at times talking the younger lads through, the final member man home Michael Penrose finishing in 25th position brining the team home in 2nd place behind Letterkenny and Inishowen 3rd . It has been a long road many exciting days since the spring of 1971 the first ever County senior cross country champ. Held in the grounds of Holy Cross College . Falcarragh the winners on that day Neil Mc Daid , Cranford and Lily Quinn , Lifford . Since then Valley names that have popped up to win include Neil Martin, Anthony Rushe ., Patsy Doherty, Mark Morgan, Kieran Carlin and the champion himself Patrick Hegarty . Ian Ward now dons the mantle and exciting times are up ahead for a young squad that has taken the best part of 10 years in the making .

To conclude the future looks good with a group of young talented lads maturing from junior ranks to seniors and the mix of masters we can look forward to an exciting few years, to day we had seven men who wore the Blue & White with pride and showed great grit and determination from start to finish from Ian Ward at the front To Michael Penrose at the rear a great performance by one and all. We also have several more men who were either on the sideline calling or were on other ventures to come into the team this can only make the team stronger, with the Ladies winning the team and the men 2nd we can now look forward the season ahead. We must also commend the support on the sidelines from the young athletes that trained earlier to the old reliable that keeps the passion for the sport alive a word to Niall and the team who by now erect the course with their eyes closed. Well done to all . . .not forgetting the staff at club that once again prepared course

Looking forward to the future we have the Ulster Juveniles & Novice Championships at the Finn Valley Centre Juvenile races start at 12 noon and Novice race starting at 2.00pm. All team members meeting at 11 am at the FV Centre.

I must apologise as I forgot the mention John Grant who ran in the Dublin City Marathon, this was John's first marathon and an experience he will not forget running a time of 3.45.03 well done John. Club meeting Thursday after training .

Pictures


2008 Top Three L-R Gary Crossan 3rd, Ian Ward 1st, Paudric Mc Kinney 2nd




Early stages of the Ladies Race .




Head to Head battle.




In deep discussion .




John & Shane in the Donegal Senior CC .




Micheal Penrose in the Donegal Senior CC .




Shane John & Darren Stewart in the Donegal Senior CC .




The Ever determined Noleen Porter .




The Fifth & Sixth Team Members Caitriona & Ava .




The Future .




Top Three Ladies.




Valley Ladies with Mark .




Valley lads in the Donegal Senior CC.




Youth v Masters .