St. Michael’s are Ulster’s top dogs following an emotion filled day

The recent loss of friend and teammate Oisin McGrath, who was a member of the minor boys team, had hit the St. Michael’s Cross-Country team hard over the last couple of weeks and it is testament to the character of these young men that despite the trauma of the previous two weeks they managed to produce such a great performance.

On the day St. Michael’s secured two team titles as well as wrestling the trophy for the top overall school in Ulster from St. Malachy’s Belfast by the minimum margin as they enjoyed their most successful Ulster Championships since 2010.

Invited to the provincial finals after missing the district championships due to the tragic events of two weeks previously, Oisin’s team mates wore black ribbons on their running vests to remember him. The Ulster schools organisers also held a minutes silence prior to the junior boys race as a mark of respect to this outstanding young sportsman who had been a key member of the St Michael’s winning U13 team just 12 months previously.

The St. Michael’s U14 team, while they didn’t win a medal this year, finished in fourth place just four points behind St. Malachy’s and just missing the All-Ireland finals. This side can only be commended for not only coming within a whisker of an Ulster medal, but after a more emotionally and physically draining few weeks than young men their age should have to experience, but the way they have conducted themselves during that whole time. Keelan Farry, James Cox, Joe McDade, Ben Corrigan, Pierce McGovern, Jack Largo Ellis, Peter Dolan, Ben Hamill and Josh Largo Ellis may not have added to their collection of provincial medals but they have represented their school community with dignity and pride, remembered their friend Oisin in a fitting manner and shown remarkable resilience, all things that are far more important in life than mere sporting success.

There was success for the St. Michael’s intermediate (U17) team who, despite running nowhere near their best, had a comfortable victory, with a depleted Rathmore team not able to put in the sort of challenge this squad had faced from the Belfast school at junior level two years ago. Paul Breen in 8th had an outstanding run to cement his growing talent with Jacob Britton 14th, Jack Scallon 18th and Domhnall Lynam 23rd completing the scoring. Conor McNally, James Boyle, Bruce Worley and Oisin Morris completed the team who have become the first St. Michael’s squad to win Ulster titles in four age groups Mini (2011) Minor (2012) Junior (2013) when they added the Irish title, and now intermediate (2015).

They go to the national finals in Kildare this weekend with modest hopes of success in a race where St Flannan’s Ennis, Rice College Westport and St Mary’s Mullingar should contest the medals, showing the changing nature of cross-country as St Michael’s were followed home by Knockbeg College and St Aidan’s CBS two years ago.

There was also gold for the St Michael’s mini (U13) team with a hugely impressive display of team dominance lead by Oisin Cassidy who set aside weeks of ill health to finish fourth, just four seconds off the gold medallist. He was followed by the fast finishing Oliver Hughes Jordan in ninth with Conor Murphy, who had ran very courageously in the top four for much of the race before fading slightly to 11th down the home straight into the icy gale. Garbhan McGovern just edged Dara McKenna for the final scoring position with Rhys Campbell, Andrew Brown and Cillian Murray completing a team who are undoubtedly very talented although how many of them may eventually focus on and progress in the tough demanding sport that is cross-country, is always open to debate as the age groups and distances increase.

The St. Michael’s senior team won bronze and with it a place in the Irish finals, a suitable way for this squad to go out as they have, with a few changes in personnel, been around and running consistently for St Michael’s since 2009, always finishing second or third in Ulster behind a very strong St Malachy’s team and battling St Columb’s Derry for silver and bronze.

This time around, with some of those St Columb’s athletes moving across the maiden city to St Joseph’s, it was the Creggan lads who edged out St Michael’s for silver. Mark McCaffrey lead the Enniskillen team from Conal Boylan who has had an excellent season, Pierce Connolly, Eddie Boyd, Ryan Gormley, Joe Worley, Conor Carney and Ruairi Kelly. They can enjoy a pressure free run at the All-Irelands where a top eight finish would be a good goal, and indeed more of this squad may well be running after leaving school than from some of the title winning teams of the past.

While the St. Michael’s junior (U15) squad may have finished sixth, it was the single point the attained for this finishing position which secured the trophy of best overall team for the ‘blue vests’ and this squad, while running somewhat below par on the day, have improved for 10th at mini level to seventh last season and now sixth, so their graph is at least in the right direction and the squad contains a few very talented athletes who perhaps need just a bit more focus and commitment.

The team was Sean Vaugh, Luke Harron, James Tormey, Tyler McKenna, Luke Flanagan, Rian Cullen, Mark Monaghan and Achlinn O’Cathain and, as noted, their sixth spot edged St. Michael’s across the line to take the Wilbert Hollinger Cup for the best overall school in Ulster just a single point ahead of St. Malachy’s.

This Saturday will see the season conclude when the Intermediate and senior teams compete at the national finals in Kildare at the end of a season that has seen plenty of success on the cross-country course. There has been Ulster age group medals in five age groups before Christmas, and the successes of last Tuesday, as well as some disappointments as athletes or teams perhaps underperformed as is frequently the case in sport.

But perhaps above all, a season where the need to ‘Carpe Diem’ as you never know what tomorrow will bring and a season where the strength of character, loyalty and friendship in adversity which sport builds, were highlighted as qualities which transcend any medals or trophies, qualities for life, qualities the young men of St. Michael’s have in abundance. Forever running!

An emotion filled day saw St. Michael’s return from Mallusk Playing Fields on Saturday as the top overall school at the Ulster Schools Cross Country Championships.

The recent loss of friend and teammate Oisin McGrath, who was a member of the minor boys team, had hit the St. Michael’s Cross-Country team hard over the last couple of weeks and it is testament to the character of these young men that despite the trauma of the previous two weeks they managed to produce such a great performance.

On the day St. Michael’s secured two team titles as well as wrestling the trophy for the top overall school in Ulster from St. Malachy’s Belfast by the minimum margin as they enjoyed their most successful Ulster Championships since 2010.

Invited to the provincial finals after missing the district championships due to the tragic events of two weeks previously, Oisin’s team mates wore black ribbons on their running vests to remember him. The Ulster schools organisers also held a minutes silence prior to the junior boys race as a mark of respect to this outstanding young sportsman who had been a key member of the St Michael’s winning U13 team just 12 months previously.

The St. Michael’s U14 team, while they didn’t win a medal this year, finished in fourth place just four points behind St. Malachy’s and just missing the All-Ireland finals. This side can only be commended for not only coming within a whisker of an Ulster medal, but after a more emotionally and physically draining few weeks than young men their age should have to experience, but the way they have conducted themselves during that whole time. Keelan Farry, James Cox, Joe McDade, Ben Corrigan, Pierce McGovern, Jack Largo Ellis, Peter Dolan, Ben Hamill and Josh Largo Ellis may not have added to their collection of provincial medals but they have represented their school community with dignity and pride, remembered their friend Oisin in a fitting manner and shown remarkable resilience, all things that are far more important in life than mere sporting success.

There was success for the St. Michael’s intermediate (U17) team who, despite running nowhere near their best, had a comfortable victory, with a depleted Rathmore team not able to put in the sort of challenge this squad had faced from the Belfast school at junior level two years ago. Paul Breen in 8th had an outstanding run to cement his growing talent with Jacob Britton 14th, Jack Scallon 18th and Domhnall Lynam 23rd completing the scoring. Conor McNally, James Boyle, Bruce Worley and Oisin Morris completed the team who have become the first St. Michael’s squad to win Ulster titles in four age groups Mini (2011) Minor (2012) Junior (2013) when they added the Irish title, and now intermediate (2015).

They go to the national finals in Kildare this weekend with modest hopes of success in a race where St Flannan’s Ennis, Rice College Westport and St Mary’s Mullingar should contest the medals, showing the changing nature of cross-country as St Michael’s were followed home by Knockbeg College and St Aidan’s CBS two years ago.

There was also gold for the St Michael’s mini (U13) team with a hugely impressive display of team dominance lead by Oisin Cassidy who set aside weeks of ill health to finish fourth, just four seconds off the gold medallist. He was followed by the fast finishing Oliver Hughes Jordan in ninth with Conor Murphy, who had ran very courageously in the top four for much of the race before fading slightly to 11th down the home straight into the icy gale. Garbhan McGovern just edged Dara McKenna for the final scoring position with Rhys Campbell, Andrew Brown and Cillian Murray completing a team who are undoubtedly very talented although how many of them may eventually focus on and progress in the tough demanding sport that is cross-country, is always open to debate as the age groups and distances increase.

The St. Michael’s senior team won bronze and with it a place in the Irish finals, a suitable way for this squad to go out as they have, with a few changes in personnel, been around and running consistently for St Michael’s since 2009, always finishing second or third in Ulster behind a very strong St Malachy’s team and battling St Columb’s Derry for silver and bronze.

This time around, with some of those St Columb’s athletes moving across the maiden city to St Joseph’s, it was the Creggan lads who edged out St Michael’s for silver. Mark McCaffrey lead the Enniskillen team from Conal Boylan who has had an excellent season, Pierce Connolly, Eddie Boyd, Ryan Gormley, Joe Worley, Conor Carney and Ruairi Kelly. They can enjoy a pressure free run at the All-Irelands where a top eight finish would be a good goal, and indeed more of this squad may well be running after leaving school than from some of the title winning teams of the past.

While the St. Michael’s junior (U15) squad may have finished sixth, it was the single point the attained for this finishing position which secured the trophy of best overall team for the ‘blue vests’ and this squad, while running somewhat below par on the day, have improved for 10th at mini level to seventh last season and now sixth, so their graph is at least in the right direction and the squad contains a few very talented athletes who perhaps need just a bit more focus and commitment.

The team was Sean Vaugh, Luke Harron, James Tormey, Tyler McKenna, Luke Flanagan, Rian Cullen, Mark Monaghan and Achlinn O’Cathain and, as noted, their sixth spot edged St. Michael’s across the line to take the Wilbert Hollinger Cup for the best overall school in Ulster just a single point ahead of St. Malachy’s.

This Saturday will see the season conclude when the Intermediate and senior teams compete at the national finals in Kildare at the end of a season that has seen plenty of success on the cross-country course. There has been Ulster age group medals in five age groups before Christmas, and the successes of last Tuesday, as well as some disappointments as athletes or teams perhaps underperformed as is frequently the case in sport.

But perhaps above all, a season where the need to ‘Carpe Diem’ as you never know what tomorrow will bring and a season where the strength of character, loyalty and friendship in adversity which sport builds, were highlighted as qualities which transcend any medals or trophies, qualities for life, qualities the young men of St. Michael’s have in abundance. Forever running!