Finn Valley U16 golden girls top the charts as Caolan McFadden nabs national silver

On a day when Caolan McFadden won U20 silver, Finn Valley AC’s U16 girls stormed to a stunning team gold at the National Even Age Cross Country Championships in Derry.

Cranford AC’s McFadden, a serial national medalist who is now  bound for Villanova University next summer, and placed second at Templemore in the U20 race, beaten only by Noah Harris of Parnell AC.

The day had started with bronze medals for Finn Valley AC’s U12 girls and Oisin Gallagher of Tir Chonaill AC won a brilliant bronze in the U12 boys race.

McFadden was long since touted as a medal contender for the U20s and so it proved in a tight race that had only about 15 seconds separating the top five finishers.

Harris won from McFadden, the Cranford athlete getting ahead of Clonliffe Harriers’ Tom Breslin for the silver medal.

Finn Valley AC topped the charts in the U16 girls race.

The girls in the blue and white singlets were led home by Tara Rose Smith in 11th to take a commanding win over Kilkenny City Harriers and Mid Sutton when the points were counted.

It was unbridled joy for Finn Valley AC and their coaches, Mark Connolly and Sinead Kenny.

Smith ran a controlled race and was followed by an out-of-her-age-group Saorla Gilligan, who was a fine 17th while Andrea Reid in 26th and Darcie Clarke in 41st completed the Finn Valley AC scorers. The team was completed by Leah Kenny, Abi McGeehan and Jessica Lafferty.

Finn Valley AC’s Odhran McBrearty suffered a mid-race fall and was 15th in the U18 race.

In the U12 boys race, Oisin Gallagher of Tir Chonaill was the individual bronze medallist. 

Home runner Lukas Janosik - in the red and white of host club City of Derry Spartans - won when just edging out Loughlin Downes of St Cronan’s AC with a hair’s breadth between them.

Gallagher, a grandson of Tir Chonaill AC and Donegal athletics stalwart Eamon Harvey was third, nosing in ahead of Parnell’s AC’s Devin Sheehan.

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The Finn Valley AC U12 girls earned team bronze medals with Caitlin Gillespie (23), Muireann Burke (29), Sorcha Cunningham (60) and Eimear Moy (63) scoring. 

Letterkenny AC’s Eve Nic Giolla Bhain was sixth in the U12 girls race following an excellent run that helped her team into fifth spot. Nic Giolla Bhain was joined in the LAC scorers by Faye Laughlin (58), Sadie McDermott (59) and Eimear Gallagher (66).