Burke fifth in international cross country as Finn Valley dominate medals in Ulster even ages

Nakita Burke finished fifth in the Bobby Rea International Cross Country 2022 on Saturday in Belfast.

At the Billy Neill MBE Country Park, Dundonald, the Letterkenny AC woman crossed the line in 22:23.

Burke’s LAC team-mate Natasha Adams was seventh in 22:35 with plenty of Donegal successes in the Ulster even age group cross country championships held at the same venue, where Finn Valley AC won eight team medals.

Finn Valley AC’s Amy Greene was the leading under-20 woman. Greene clocked 23:52 and was 12th overall.

Emer O’Brien of Finn Valley AC was the third under-20 in 25:37, with Marianna Doherty from Lagan Valley AC in between the blue and white singlets in second.

Nakita Burke and Natasha Adams.

Finn Valley AC woman Nuala Bose was sixth under-20, coming home in 26:19.

Caolan McFadden of Cranford AC was the under-16 boys gold medalist with Finn Valley AC taking the team gold in the same race.

Letterkenny AC runner Mark Galvin left with the individual bronze in the under-16 boys.

Finn Valley where led by Ciaran McCarroll in 11th and he was backed up by Odhran McBrearty, Paraic McGettigan and Brian Lyons.

In the senior men’s race, Finn Valley AC’s Oisin Toye was 16th overall and the fourth under-20 finisher, crossing the lie in 27:38. Cranford AC’s Oisin Kelly was 40th in 29:13.

Letterkenny AC, bronze medal winners in the under-16s.

In the under-18 boys, Letterkenny AC’s Philip McGee was seventh and Finn Valley AC’s Ryan Quinn eighth.

Eimear McCarroll of Finn Valley AC was fourth in the under-18 girls race with Elsa Moore from Lifford-Strabane sixth.

The under-14 boys bronze medalist was Daragh Naughton from Letterkenny AC.

Rosses AC, led by Odhran Rodgers in fourth, took the under-14 team gold. Rodgers was joined by Tristan Green (19th), Jack McElroy (37th) and Odhran Lynch (47th).

Finn Valley’s quartet of Mark Alexander, Shay McNulty, Caolan Gillespie and Joshua O’Donnell picked up the under-14 bronze medals.

Finn Valley won team gold and team bronze medals in the under-14 girls.

Holly McNulty (5th), Nia Byrne (6th), Aimee McElchar (11th) and Niamh McGlinchey (14th) were the gold medalists with the bronze lifted by Chloe Burns (18th), Andrea Reid (19th), Adriana McGlinchey (32nd) and Jessica Lafferty (41st).

Cranford AC man Oisin McBride was the individual gold medal winner in the under-12 boys race. McBride, Mathew Giles (20th), Oisin McHugh (38th) and Ben McGee (43rd) were team bronze medal winners.

Rhia Toner (Finn Valley) and Enya Logue (Rosses) on the podium from the under-10 race.

Finn Valley were the under-12 gold medalists, led by seventh-placed Peter Gallagher. Oisin Browne (11th), Eanna Byrne (15th) and Lee McGranaghan (29th) completed the scoring team.

There was gold for Finn Valley also in the under-12 girls with Darci Clarke leading the charge in taking an individual silver. Clarke was joined by Saorla Gilligan (7th), Katie Lynch (14th) and Caoimhe McElhinney (21st) for the team spoils.

Shay McHugh’s silver spurred Finn Valley AC to the under-10 boys team gold. Adam Breen in fourth followed with Kyle Lindsay (7th) and Odrhan Gallagher (12th) also scoring.

Killybegs men Flynn Daly, Ethan Diver, Leighton Robinson-Boyle and Conor Cunningham took the under-10 boys bronze.

Rhia Toner sped to gold in the under-10 girls event, edging out Rosses AC’s Enya Logue. Toner and her Finn Valley AC team-mates Alison Mbuli, Aoibheann Moss and Meghan McGranaghan won team silver with Letterkenny AC’s foursome of Aoibhinn Hegarty, Katie McDowell, Eve Nic Giolla Bhain and Aobhe Gibson collecting bronze.