Athletics: Finn Valley scoop McGonagle Champions Cup

Finn Valley AC collected the McGonagle Champions Cup on Sunday on a dominant day for the locals in Stranorlar.

An exciting morning of cross country action was played out with the host club taking the overall spoils to keep the McGonagle Cup on the Millbrae.

Sally McMenamin became the latest Finn Valley AC captain to take receipt of the McGonagle Cup from Finn Valley AC President Peadar McGranaghan after a thrilling sequence of races.

Odhran McBrearty continued his excellent form, the Finn Valley AC man taking the under-16 boys race with another superb run.

North Leitrim’s Sarah Mulvanny-Kelly held off the advances of Finn Valley AC pair Holly McNulty and Nia Byrne for the under-16 girls race with Karen Mulvanney, also of North Leitrim, coming home in fourth. Finn Valley captain McMenamin was sixth in the under-16 girls race. 

Molly Gallagher of Finn Valley AC picked up from where she left off during the week at the primary schools cross country. Having won the under-13 race in the SN An Choimin colours on Tuesday, Gallagher led the way in the Under-12 race on Sunday, winning from club mates Ciana McCosker and Rhia Toner. It was a Finn Valley AC top six in that race with Jasmine Barrett-Doherty, Caoimhe McNeill and Caoimhe McElhinney also finishing well.

The early races were won by Eve McElwaine (Letterkenny) and Shay McHugh (Finn Valley), while Darragh McGuirk of Letterkenny squeezed past Finn Valley AC’s Dylan Temple on the way into the pen after a titanic battle in the under-12 race.

Cranford AC’s Oisin McBride was an impressive winner of the under-14 boys race and Darci Clarke turned on the afterburners with the muck deepening to win the under-14 girls race. Clarke was followed by a sequence of Valley vests in the form of Saorla Gilligan, Aimee McElchar and Aoibheann Gallagher.

Girls Under-10

1. Eve McElwaine (Letterkenny)

2. Eimear Gallagher (Finn Valley)

3. Ellen Rose Carlin (Finn Valley)

4. Muirin Burke (Finn Valley)

5. Caitlin Gillespie (Finn Valley)

6. Caoimhe Coyle (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley; 2. Letterkenny; 3. Cranford

Boys Under-10

1. Shay McHugh (Finn Valley)

2. Lucas Lyndsay (Finn Valley)

3. Daire Coyle (Finn Valley)

4. John Patrick Duffy (Cranford)

5. Jake O’Donovan (Letterkenny)

6. Conor Carroll (North Leitrim)

Team: 1. Finn Valley; 2. Letterkenny; 3. North Leitrim

Girls Under-12

1. Molly Gallagher (Finn Valley)

2. Ciana Mccosker (Finn Valley)

3. Rhia Toner (Finn Valley)

4. Jasmine Barrett-Doherty (Finn Valley)

5. Caoimhe McNeill (Finn Valley)

6. Caoimhe McElhinney (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley; 2. Rosses; 3. Letterkenny

Boys Under-12

1. Darragh McGuirk (Letterkenny)

2. Dylan Temple (Finn Valley)

3. Ben McGee (Cranford)

4. Matthew Giles (Cranford)

5. Adam Breen (Finn Valley)

6. Kyle Doherty (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley; 2. Cranford; 3. Letterkenny

Girls Under-14

1. Darci Clarke (Finn Valley)

2. Saorla Gilligan (Finn Valley)

3. Aimee McElchar (Finn Valley)

4. Aoibheann Gallagher (Finn Valley)

5. Nicole Barr (Inishowen)

6. Aileen Logue (Rosses)

Team: 1. Finn Valley

Boys Under-14

1. Oisin McBride (Cranford)

2. Oirighiall Curran (Spartans)

3. Jayden Sproule (Finn Valley)

4. Mark Alexander (Finn Valley)

5. Peter Gallagher (Finn Valley)

6. Oisin Browne (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley; 2. North Leitrim

Girls Under-16

1. Sarah Mulvanney-Kelly (North Leitrim)

2. Holly McNulty (Finn Valley)

3. Nia Byrne (Finn Valley)

4. Karen Mulvanney (North Leitrim)

5. Aoife McGonagle (Rosses)

6. Sally McMenamin (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley

Boys Under-16

1. Odhran McBrearty (Finn Valley)

2. Lucas Lyons (North Leitrim)

3. Odhran Rodgers (Rosses)

4. Pauric McGettigan (Finn Valley)

5. Dallan Curran (Spartans)

6. Cillian Ellis (Finn Valley)

Team: 1. Finn Valley

Athletics: Finn Valley scoop McGonagle Champions Cup was last modified: September 25th, 2023 by Staff Writer