McCaughey and Whoriskey Take The Honours in Senior Cross Country

The gruelling Men’s 12k event produced a cat and mouse game by half a dozen athletes for much of the race, caused by the absence of firm favourite Andrew Milligan. Eventually in the final third of the race McCaughey broke away from the pack and built up a huge unassailable lead over Annadale’s Eskander Turki and East Down’s Neil McCartan.

This was a surprising development as McCaughey had trailed in 8th in the Seeley 10k behind runner up Turki in December, however Conan then turned the tables on Turki in the International Cross Country in January.

McCaughey was not to be denied at Gransha and crossed the line for a huge 27 secs victory over Turki in 39 mins 58 secs. Turki was some 12 secs ahead of McCartan.

Fell running specialist Zak Hanna was 4th in 40.39 followed by North Down’s Craig McMeechan ( 40.48) and Mourne Runners’ Andrew Annett (40.49)

Annadale just snatched the team title with 75 points only 4 ahead of North Belfast Harriers.

The Ladies race saw a two-person breakaway early on by the 2019 runner up Catherine Whoriskey and North Down’s ever consistent Jessica Craig. These two fought a restless struggle for much of the race with marathon specialist Whoriskey looking ominously comfortable in the closing stages.

Rio Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty was an isolated 3rd some 30 secs back.

Approaching the finish Whoriskey broke away for a narrow 2 secs victory in 22 mins 14 secs with O’Flaherty 3rd in 22.47. Fourth place went to Loughview AC’s Rebecca Rossiter ( 23.04 ) with Lifford Strabane’s Claire McGuigan ( 23.05 ) and North Down’s Katie Moore ( 23.24)  completing the top six .

North Down retained their stranglehold on the team title for the 5th successive year with 33 points well ahead of Newcastle & District AC (60 points)

British Athletics Senior Indoor Championships

NI’s Megan Marrs (City of Lisburn AC/ WSE & Hounslow) became the 2022 60m Hurdles Champion with a season’s best time of 8.15 in the final, after qualifying first in her heat in a time of 8.23. This also secures her a place on the GB & NI team for the World Indoors in Belgrade on 18^th-20^th March.

Irish National Senior Indoor Championships

Meanwhile Mid Ulster’s Nick Griggs was in action once more in the Irish Life National Indoor Champs at the Indoor Arena in Dublin. The new Irish U20 record holder had to settle for silver in the 3,000m with a time of 8 mins 5.83 secs, some 3 secs behind UCD’s Darragh McElhinney

City of Lisburn AC’s Lauren Roy finished 2^nd in the Women’s 60m Final in 7.43, after a re-run final, just behind St L. O’Toole’s Molly Scott, who set a new National Record of 7.19.

Ballymena & Antrim AC’s Niamh Carr secured bronze in the Women’s 800m Final in a time of 2:10.46. City of Lisburn AC’s Ellie McCartney took another Pole Vault title with a vault of 4.00m.

Lagan Valley AC’s Jai Benson won the Men’s Triple Jump with a jump of 14.86m, with Tir Chonaill AC’s Conall Mahon in 3^rd place, jumping 14.33m, while Adam McMullen (Crusaders AC) claimed 3^rd in the Men’s Long Jump with a jump of 7.16m. In the Men’s Shot Put, Finn Valley AC’s duo of James Kelly and Gavin McLaughlin took 2^nd and 3^rd places respectively, with James throwing 17.33m and Gavin throwing 16.57m.