SPRINGWELL athletes travelled to Stranorlar on Saturday for the NI and Ulster Junior Cross Country Championships.
These championships had been scheduled for the 9 January but were cancelled due to the weather. Conditions were soft under foot with a light sprinkling of snow on parts of the tough 2K lap.
Alison Rankin and Jim Platt went in the combined ladies a
nd male vets over 65 4K race. Alison came home in 17:20 and Jim in 19:55. The race was won by North Belfast's Cathy McCourt in 15:44.
The male vets race over 8K was won by Omagh Harriers Stephen Duncan in 26:51. Springwell had five representatives in this race. First home for the club was Philip Mullan in 32:05 followed by Gerry O'Doherty 33:04, Bryan Edgar 33:15, Leslie Ashe 34:32 and James McMullan 36:51.
The main race of the day the Junior Championship over 10K was won by St Malachy's Michael McKillop in 34:33. Springwell's two representatives in this race were the Marcus and Michael Devine. Marcus came home in 53:41 and Michael 59:33.
Jim Breen was Springwell's sole representative at the fourth race in the Sperrin Harriers Winter League on Saturday at Drum Manor. This 10K race is run over two laps, with a fast start for about 800 meters, then you are climbing for over a mile before you get some better running; but all the sharp twists and turns don't make it that easy!
The major prize winners were Omagh's Martin Cox 36:23 and Sperrin's Karen Alexander 38:31. Jim maintained his unbeaten run in the MO55 age category coming home in 41:33.
