Liam McCay to join Finn Valley AC’s US scholarship athletes

Liam McCay will become the next Finn Valley AC athlete to take up a US scholarship.

McCay, the Irish Under-19 3,000m gold medallist this year, has signed on a full scholarship to attend Providence College in Rhode Island in the autumn of 2024.

McCay impressed in July when winning the National Under-19 3,000m in Tullamore at the 123.ie National Juvenile Track and Field Championships. McCay clocked 8:39.97, firmly ahead of Louie Woodger, who was second in 8:57.36.

In September, McCay partnered fellow Finn Valley AC representative Jon-Jo Doherty at the Northwest Road Relays in England. Last month, McCay was first under-20 and second senior home when competing at the Mid Lancs Cross Country League at Westmorland Showground - his first 10km cross country outing.

This weekend, he is set for the National Cross Country Championships in Gowran, County Kilkenny.

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Cara Laverty, another Finn Valley AC runner, is studying at Providence College and recently helped her team to silver at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championships.

Laverty, who took up a scholarship in August 2022, finished in 19th spot with Providence concluding on 56 points, ahead of Villanova in third. Georgetown won on 28 points, led by race winner Chloe Scrimgeour.

This year, Sarah Bradley has taken up a posting at Queen’s University of Charlotte in North Carolina.

In 1985, Camilla Harron, then a student at the Letterkenny Regional Technical College, was the first Finn Valley athlete to take up a scholarship opportunity when she headed for Arizona University.

Sarah Collins, Dempsey McGuigan, Arlene Crossan, Shannon McLaughlin, Cassie Lagan and Oisin Ó Gailín are among a large contingent to have previously gone Stateside