National Uneven Cross Country Championships 2024

Report by Jim McKeown

Many thanks to everyone at Team Lagan who helped deliver another outstanding day for the Club at the National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross Country Championships yesterday! The ‘golden’ girls of Katie Keown, Olivia Morgan, Aoife Magee and Chloe Young kicked off a medal rush as they won the National u17 team title; the u17 boys, our perennial bridesmaids, packed well  for yet another 2nd place team finish, led home by Noah Harper, Rory Armstrong, Jude McGann, Scott Owen and Uilleac Fitzpatrick; last up was our Novice Men, correct me if I’m wrong but I believe this was the Club’s maiden outing at this National level event – outstanding runs from our top four of Noah Kavanagh, Stephen Lyster, Jack McCausland and Stephen Lunn, saw the lads rewarded with an historic team bronze, further dispelling the myth that we are perceived as a junior club! Our u19 girls finished 6th with a top table finish for Katie Graham 8th, supported by Lily Rimmer and Holly Arthur – another fantastic achievement. In the u19 boys, euro club bound Oisin McGloin travelled well throughout the tough 5k route, running arguably his best XC race of the season for a super 9th place finish. There were lots of other fine performances from our younger juniors too, the pick of which was probably Georgina Garland’s 26th place finish in the u15 girls, good enough to secure a Provincial bronze medal for Team Ulster!