Fionnuala Ross secures podium place at Autumn Open International XC

22 October 2018

Fionnuala Ross secures podium place at Autumn Open International XC

Northern Ireland's Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC / Dermot Kerr) should be awarded a place on Ireland's team for the upcoming European XC Championships after an excellent performance and podium place at the at the Autumn Open International Cross Country at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus (Sunday 21st October 2018).

The Scotland based athlete, who recently won the Scottish Athletics Half Marathon Championships, claimed 3rd place in the competitive Senior Ladies 6,000m race, crossing the line in 20:22. This was seventeen seconds behind winner Shona Heaslip (Ireland), who secured top honours in 20:05. Highly rated Scottish athlete Mhairi McLennan finished as runner up in 20:12 (2nd place).

There was also encouraging performances from fellow NI ladies Rachel Gibson (North Down AC / Francis Marsh) and Rebecca Henderson (QUB AC / Eamonn Christie). Both finished around the top twenty, with Rachel taking 20th place in 22:16 and Rebecca 22nd place in 22:20.

In the Senior Men's 7,500m race, Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games star Adam Kirk-Smith, who was representing Ireland in the international aspect of the event, claimed 7th place in 22:54. Glaslough Harriers athlete Conor Duffy clocked 23:14 for 11th place and St Malachy's AC man Ben Branagh crossed the line in 23:37 for 18th place.

Teresa McGloin (Finn Valley AC) won the Masters Ladies 6,000m in 21:02 (1st place).

Craig McMeechan (North Down AC), Fintan Stewart (City of Derry AC), Mia McCalmont (Tir Chonaill AC) and Rebecca Wallace (Lagan Valley AC) all impressed with top ten places in the Under 20 races.

Full results for the event are available HERE.

Elsewhere this weekend¦

Closer to home, Mark McKinstry (North Belfast Harriers) and Shalene McMurray (Newcastle AC) won the opening race of the Athletics NI XC League 2018/19, the Comber Cup XC.

Mark was followed home in the men's race by Finn Johnson (North Down AC) and John Black (North Belfast Harriers), who claimed 2nd place and 3rd place respectively.

In the ladies race, Shalene held off North Down AC's Sarah Grant (2nd place) and Dromore AC's Laura Bickerstaff (3rd place) for the win.

Full results for the event will be added to our website HERE.