The Laois Intermediate and Juvenile Cross Country Championships took place in Abbeyleix on Sunday, October 8.
The town was awash with blue and yellow as they geared up for the Senior Hurling Final later that day.
In glorious sunshine, in Ireland’s Tidiest Town, there were dominant performances from the athletics clubs of St Abban’s, Oughaval, Portlaoise, and St Micheal’s.
Crettyard-based club, St Abban’s AC were in outstanding form in the Juvenile categories, showing the club’s strong roots.
The action got underway with a Fun Run, followed by the U-9 girls, which got the Championship programme up and running.
Underfoot conditions were solid for the most part, with one testing section for athletes to navigate.
The weather was perfect with temperatures unusally high for this time of the year.
The Vicarstown-based Oughaval AC, meanwhile, won both the Intermediate Men’s and Intermediate Women’s Team Titles.
As the 5 laps progressed, the Oughaval contingent had some places to make up, and slowly but surely they reeled them all in.
It was all down to a sprint finish between Paddy and Dave Murphy of St Michael’s, to win the title.
Intermediate
Women’s Individual
- 1st – Aoife Conroy (Portlaoise)
- 3rd – Aileen Lynch (St Abban’s)
Men’s Individual
- 1st – Jack McMahon
- 2nd – Barry McEvoy (Portlaoise)
- 3rd – David McEvoy (St Abban’s)
Women’s Team
- 1st – Deirdre Miller, Frances Lalor, Catherine Stapleton and Edel Carty (Oughaval)
- 2nd – (St Michael’s)
Men’s Team
- 1st – Daniel McLoughlin, Kristian Redmond, Oisin Jago, Paddy McLoughlin and Brian Hogan (Oughaval)
- 2nd – David McEvoy, Conor Barry, Billy Ramsbottom, Patrick Dune and Philip O Hara (St Abban’s)
Juvenile:
U-19 Girls
- 2nd – Orla Looney (Portlaoise)
U-19 Boys
- 1st – Richard McLoughlin (Oughaval)
- 2nd – Ruairi Jago (Oughaval)
U-17 Girls
- 1st – Rachel Ayers (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Katie McLoughlin (Oughaval)
U-17 Boys
- 1st – Finn Craig (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – John Delaney (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Micheal Lacey (St Abban’s)
U-17 Girls Team
- 1st – Rachel Ayers, Áine Carter and Annabel Lawlor (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Katie McLoughlin, Della McLoughlin and Lucy Browne. (Oughaval)
U-17 Boys Team
- 1st – Finn Craig, John Delaney, Micheal Lacey, James Hyland and Cormac Dineen (St Abban’s)
U-15 Girls
- 1st – Eliza McLoughlin (Oughaval)
- 2nd – Katie Hartnett (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Cara English (St Abban’s)
U-15 Boys
- 1st – Will Duffy (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Adam Kelly (St Abban’s)
U-15 Girls Team
- 1st – Katie Hartnett, Cara English, Rachel Dooley and Sarah Kennedy completed (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Eliza McLoughlin, Heidi Browne and Leah Foley (Oughaval)
U-15 Boys Team
- 1st – Will Duffy, Adam Kelly, Eoghan Mitchell (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – (St Michael’s)
- 3rd – Sean Finnane, Cormac Foley and Oisin Finnane (Oughaval)
U-13 Girls
- 1st – Sinead Fitzpatrick (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Aoibheann Carter (St Abban’s)
U-13 Boys
- 1st – Eoin Dowling (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – John Conway (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Shane Kelly (St Abban’s)
U-13 Girls Team
- 1st – Sinead Fitzpatrick, Aoibheann Carter, Zoe Dunne and Leah Dunphy (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Ellie Knowles, Mollie Kelly, Heidi Buggy and Lily O’Neill (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Taylor Bailey, Aine Goulding, Kathryn Gargan and Laoise Dunne (Oughaval)
U-13 Boys Team
- 1st – Eoin Dowling, John Conway, Shane Kelly and Cathal English (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Harry Brennan, Josh Delaney, MJ Dowling and Darragh Kennedy (St Abban’s)
U-11 Girls
- 1st – Roisín Kearney (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Penelope McMahon (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Isabelle Brophy Roberts (St Abban’s)
U-11 Boys
- 1st – Daire O’Sullivan (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Liam Doyle (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Edward McDonald (St Abban’s)
U-11 Girls Team
- 1st – Roisín Kearney, Penelope McMahon, Isabelle Brophy Roberts and Aoife Lawlor (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Lily Knowles, Amelia Fitzgerald, Kate Kelly and Emilia Pampaliega (St Abban’s)
U-11 Boys Team
- 1st – Daire O’Sullivan, Liam Doyle, Edward McDonald and Paudi Murrin (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Daniel Curran, Joseph Lawlor, Callum Kenny and Adam Mooney (St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Brenin Haughney, Oran McCarthy, Marcus Harding and Aaron O’Connor (St Abban’s)
U-9 Girls
- 1st – Ava Brophy St Abban’s)
- 3rd – Clodagh Deegan (Oughaval)
U-9 Boys
- 1st – Conor Keegan (St Abban’s)
U-9 Girls Team
- 1st – Ava Brophy, Meabh Kearney and Amelia Flanagan (St Abban’s)
U-9 Boys Team
- 1st – Issac Fitgerald, Conor Boran and Darragh Hosey (St Abban’s)
- 2nd – Jacob Thomas, Ciaran Goulding and Michael Dunne (Oughaval)
- 3rd – Sebastian Harding, Jack Brennan and Donnacha Lynch completing the team (St Abban’s)
St Abban’s AC
Oughaval AC
Portlaoise AC
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