INDIVIDUAL BRONZE FOR HAMILL AT NATIONALS

Santry Park at the back of Morton Stadium at Santry, Dublin was in near perfect condition as it hosted the National Juvenile Even Ages & National Inter County Senior & Junior Cross Country Championships. Up on 1500 athletes from all over the island came together to battle it for the various titles and the large crowd present were treated a great afternoon’s competition. Monaghan may have been sparsely represented but where we were lacking in quantity with only two athletes we made up for in quality as both Glaslough Hariers athletes had excellent performances in their respective races.

Pre race Amy Hamill was expected to be in the top 8 in the Girls U16 race over 4000m, having won the Ulster title in style three weeks previous. From the off Amy positioned herself in the lead group as the large field of 118 athletes headed out on the first of their three laps. During the first of these laps the dominant force in this race Siofra O Flaherty of St Laurence O Toole club opened a commanding lead which she kept extending to the finish. Behind her Isobelle Carron of Skerries had opened up a 5-6m lead on a group of 14 athletes as they passed the finish line going out on their last lap.

During the final 800m as chasing pack  came into view to the spectators at the top end of the course for the final time the group was now getting strung out behind the effortless O Flaherty who was 400m clear off Carron in second who in turn had 20m on the leading runners in the chase group. At this stage Amy was in sixth position as they headed out of view into the corner next the Trinity grounds. As O Flaherty crossed the line, Carron was clear …