FINN Valley AC retained the McGonagle Champions Cup after an exciting day of cross-country action in Stranorlar on Sunday.
Pictures by Dermot McGranaghan
Finn Valley AC took the overall prize after winning team golds at under-9 girls, under-9 boys, under-10 girls, under-11 girls, under-11 boys, under-12 boys, under-12 girls, under-13 girls and under-15 boys.
The McGonagle Cup was presented to Finn Valley AC captain Zara Alexander by experienced club coach Peadar McGranaghan.
The annual Champions Cup Cross-Country event was making its post-Covid return having been absent from the calendar in 2020. This was the fourth running of what has become a popular outing for clubs as they enter cross-country season.
Among those in attendance for the event was Pierce O’Callaghan, the new Head of Competition Management at World Athletics, who praised the organisation and operation on the day.
The Under-17 boys race produced a stirring finale with Ben Warnock from Monaghan inching out City of Derry Spartans’ Louis Cole.
Spartans athlete Hannah Wade gave one of the performances of the day to win the under-17 girls race.
Cranford AC were toasting success in both the under-15 races, won impressively by Caolan McFadden and Miah Fletcher.
Finn Valley AC’s Rhia Toner was an eye-catching winner of the under-9 girls race while Shea Irwin followed up with the gold in the under-9 boys race.
Dara Maguire of Letterkenny AC edged Foyle Valley’s Niall Callan for the line in the under-10 boys race
Killybegs AC were making their return to cross-country competition and Mia-Rose Boyle won gold in the under-10 race, beating the strong-running Jasmine Barrett-Doherty.
Killybegs took team silver in the under-9 boys, bronze in the under-10 girls and under-10 boys races.
A splendid Finn Valley AC team won the under-12 race in real style with Niamh McGlinchey, Aoibhin McElhinney and Amy McElchar making it a one-two-three for the host club, ably backed up by Andrea Reid in sixth.
Just under 400 athletes, coming from clubs across seven counties, took part in the event, which followed a big week of primary and secondary schools cross-country action at Finn Valley AC with in the region of 1,300 athletes having participated in the last week.
FINN VALLEY AC CHAMPIONS CUP 2021
Under-9 Girls
1 Rhia Toner (Finn Valley)
2 Enya Logue (Rosses)
3 Zoe Bruce-Brend (City of Derry Spartans)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Rosses, 3 – Finn Valley ‘B’
Under-9 Boys
1 Shea Irwin (Finn Valley)
2 Oisin Carr (Unattached)
3 Shea McHugh (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Killybegs, 3 – Rosses
Under-10 Girls
1 Mia-Rose Boyle (Killybegs)
2 Jasmine Barrett-Doherty (Finn Valley)
3 Caoimhe McElhinney (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Rosses, 3 – Killybegs
Under-10 Boys
1 Daragh McGuirk (Letterkenny)
2 Niall Callan (Foyle Valley)
3 Dargh Duffya (Letterkenny)
Team: 1 – Letterkenny, 2 – Finn Valley, 3 – Rosses
Under-11 Girls
1 Emma McNulty (Unattached)
2 Aileen Logue (Rosses)
3 Kayla Toner (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Rosses, 3 – Milford
Under-11 Boys
1 Harry Francis (Foyle Valley)
2 Evan Ward (Rosses)
3 Oisin McBride (Cranford)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Rosses
Under-12 Girls
1 Niamh McGlinchey (Finn Valley)
2 Aoibhin McElhinney (Finn Valley)
3 Amy McElchar (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Enniskillen, 3 – Rosses
Under-12 Boys
1 Caoimhin Crawford (Inishowen)
2 Tristan Greene (Rosses)
3 Mark Alexander (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Enniskillen, 3 – Rosses
Under-13 Girls
1 Sarah Mulvanney-Kelly (North Leitrim)
2 Faela Houston (Rosses)
3 Holly McNulty (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – Rosses, 3 – Finn Valley ‘B’
Under-13 Boys
1 Oran Rodgers (Rosses)
2 Finn Nolan (Unattached)
3 Deirs Tarvidis (Enniskillen)
Team: 1 – City of Derry Spartans, 2 – Milford
Under-15 Girls
1 Miah Fletcher (Cranford)
2 Anna Russell (Letterkenny)
3 Emma Bonnar (Letterkenny)
Team: 1 – Letterkenny, 2 – Enniskillen
Under-15 Boys
1 Caolan McFadden (Cranford)
2 Harry McKenzie (Enniskillen)
3 Jack McGlinchey (Finn Valley)
Team: 1 – Finn Valley, 2 – City of Derry Spartans
Under-17 Girls
1 Hannah Wade (City of Derry Spartans)
2 Annabelle Morrison (Enniskillen)
3 Sophia Byrne (City of Derry Spartans)
Team: 1 – City of Derry Spartans, 2 – Enniskillen
Under-17 Boys
1 Ben Warnock (Monaghan)
2 Louis Cole (City of Derry Spartans)
3 Ryan Quinn (Finn Valley)
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