Weekend roundup March 8th9th 2025

The NI Senior men’s team produced a historic team win in the prestigious Intercounties XC Championships with an emphatic win in both the six to score and the nine to score team categories. This was the first time that an NI team had completed this double in the history of the event and the first win in any category for thirty years. The last NI team to win was in 1995 in Luton. The women’s team also acquitted themselves very well finishing eighth overall out of fifteen teams. There were also some impressive individual performances with Conall McClean (CNDR) finishing 9^th and Andrew Milligan (NBH) also making the top twenty finishing in 16^th position. Sarah McNutt (NBH) was first home for the women’s team finishing in 48^th place.

In the Irish Schools Championships there were also some excellent team and individual performances. Kate Kelly and Madison Welby both had very impressive wins in the Minor and Junior girl’s races. Kate also led her school team (Mount Lourdes Enniskillen) to victory in the Minor girls’ team race. In the Minor Boys’ team race St Colman’s Newry had an emphatic win from St Michael’s Enniskillen. St Michael’s were also runner up in the Junior Boys’ team race with St Malachy’s Belfast taking the win. In the Intermediate Boys race there was another victory for St Colman’s Newry and Lumen Christi Derry finishing 3^rd in the girl’s team race. In the final race of the afternoon St Malachy’s Belfast and St Michael’s Enniskillen both secured podium Finishes in the Senior Boys race with second and third places respectively.

Although most people’s focus was on the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands there was also the Irish U20/U23 Championships held in Athlone on Sunday. There were podium finishes for Lucy Foster (Willowfield) 3^rd U20 1500m, Kirsti Foster (Willowfield) 3^rd U23 1500m, and Clara Casey (Foyle Valley) 2^nd U20 800m.