Finn Valley AC women win Ulster Novice title as Caolan McFadden soars to latest win

Finn Valley AC made home advantage count to win the women’s team title at the Ulster Novice Cross Country Championships on Sunday.

On an autumnal day by the Millbrae, Finn Valley AC took the women’s novice team title and there were plenty of medals too for Donegal clubs in the Uneven Age Cross Country Championships.

Finn Valley AC’s women were led by Nuala Bose in third.

Bose was edged out of second by Tir Chonaill AC’s Ciara Cunningham with Annandale Striders’ Holly Taggart winning.

Bose’s third-place finish was key to Finn Valley’s success and she was ably backed up by Sally McMenamin in seventh and Bronagh O’Gara in 13th with Bernie Martin (39th) scoring to secure team gold.

Letterkenny AC, whose lead runner was Niamh Farrell in fourth, not far behind Bose, were the second team.

Amanda McCloone was 11th while Ciara O’Donnell (29) and Ella Gallagher (30) also scored for the silver-winning LAC side.

In the men’s novice race, Shaun Kerrs was fifth with his Tir Chonaill AC team fourth in the team standings - just six points off the medals.

He was followed by Martin Cunningham (9), Donal Murrin (12) and Declan Gallagher (38).

Caolan McFadden took an impressive win in the U19 boys race.

It was a Donegal 1-2-3 with McFadden claiming a fine victory ahead of Finn Valley AC’s Odhrán McBrearty and Tir Chonaill AC’s Caolan Kilbride.

Villanova-bound next autumn, McFadden was in the mood and had around 30 seconds to spare.

Alongside McBrearty, Mark Kearns (7), Ismael Fathoun (17) and Paraic McGettigan (19) scored as Finn Valley AC left with team silver.

Caolan McFadden and Diarmaid Gallagher of Cranford AC

The Finn Valley AC U17 girls took bronze medals, their charge spearheaded by Tara Rose Smith in fourth. Smith was joined by Andrea Reid (14), Holly McNulty (15) and Abi McGeehan (22).

In the U15 boys, Cranford AC took second team with Ewan Summers in sixth and Oisin McBride eighth going well and they were joined by Ben McGee (28) and Mark Mitchell (43).

Rosses AC’s Evan Ward was the U15 silver medalist, bested only by Cormac Leheny of North Belfast Harriers in a tight battle.

There was a team gold for Finn Valley in the U15 girls with Caoimhe McNeill (6), Darcie Clarke (11) and Saorla Gilligan (12) all in the top 12 and Aoihinn Greene (28) also scoring.

Evan Patton (14), Noah Davis (15), Shay McHugh (20) and Odhrán Gallagher (39) scored as Finn Valley AC bagged the U13 boys bronze medals.

Letterkenny AC won the U13 girls gold medals with Niamh Woods leading their line in eighth.

Eve Nic Giolla Bhain (15), Zoe Marley (20) and Katie McDowell (24) joined in for the golds and a big margin to Omagh Harriers with Finn Valley AC taking bronze through Muireann Burke (22), Aoibheann Moss (26), Alison Maul (27) and Ellen Rose Carlin (42).

Read next: Caitriona Jennings breaks the World Record in the Women’s 100 Mile

Finn Valley AC pair Cora Clarke and Caitlin Gillespie were second and third in the U11 girls and led their team to gold, joined by Erin Moy in fifth and Eimear Moy in 16th.

The Rosses AC quartet - Isa Bonner (7), Aine Doherty (11), Molly McCready (17) and Katie Sharkey (30) took the team silvers.

Finn Valley AC’s Rhea Moy took gold in the U9 girls while Eoghan Sharkey of Letterkenny AC won the U9 boys race.