Silver success for Fitzpatrick at All-Ireland Schools Cross Country
Sinead Fitzpatrick claimed a brilliant second place at the All Ireland Schools Cross Country running for Heywood Community School
ST Abban’s AC athletes produced strong performances at the All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships held in Antrim, with Sinead Fitzpatrick claiming an outstanding silver medal.
Fitzpatrick, representing Heywood Community School, delivered a superb run in the Junior Girls race to finish second and secure the silver medal. Her performance also earned her selection on the Irish Schools team for the upcoming SIAB Cross Country Championships, which will take place in Wales in two weeks’ time. It marks Fitzpatrick’s first international vest, a major milestone in her athletics career.
Earlier in the day, Ella Murray put in a solid performance in the Minor Girls race, finishing in 57th place.
In the Minor Boys race, John Conway represented Knockbeg College as part of their team and finished 74th overall. The Knockbeg team placed eighth in the team standings.
Laura Ayres was the final St Abban’s athlete in action and produced a strong run in the Intermediate Girls race, finishing 24th.
Overall, it was a successful day for the St Abban’s athletes competing at the national schools championships with attention for many now turning to Track and Field events which will roll around very soon.
St Abban’s athletes were in action at the IUAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, representing their universities with a number of strong performances across the field events and distance races.
Grace Fitzgerald, competing for UCD, recorded two solid results in the jumps. She finished 13th in the women’s long jump with a best leap of 4.87m, before going on to place an impressive fourth in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.25m.
Also competing in the triple jump was Katie Baldwin of DCU, who finished seventh with a best effort of 10.22m.
There was gold medal success for UCD’s Aoibheann McDonald in the women’s pole vault. McDonald claimed first place with a clearance of 3.00m to take the IUAA title.
On the track, Billy Ramsbottom represented UCD in the men’s 3000m, finishing 33rd in a time of 9:59.96.
The athletes were representing both St Abban’s AC and their respective universities at one of the key events in the Irish university athletics calendar, continuing the club’s strong presence in third-level athletics.
