Meath teams bid for cross country honours at Kilbeggan

In a setting more familiar for the top equine stayers in the country, Kilbeggan racecourse will be the venue for next Sunday's Athletics Ireland Cross-Country Championships where Meath's Andrew Ledwith and Sarah Treacy will be amongst the leading contenders. The Meath senior men's team will be led by Fr Murphy athlete Ledwith. The Athboy man started the 2009/'10 cross-country season in fine form by finishing third in the recent Mayor's Cup cross-country race in Boston. The race, which was held at the end of October, was the pre-eminent cross-country event on the east coast of the United States. Ledwith, who recently graduated from Iona College, New York, was pleased to kick-off his cross-country season with this performance against a quality international field. Last summer Ledwith set a personal best time of 29 minutes, 10 seconds at the NCAA 10km championships and he is confident of producing a quicker time at Sunday's event. Ledwith has spent some time this year in Flagstaff, Arizona doing altitude training and he is clearly benefiting from the competitive atmosphere among the main players in the revitalised American distance running circuit. Having won national cross-country titles through the juvenile ranks, Moynalvey athlete Treacy will be hoping that her experience at this level will stand to her in the senior women's race. Treacy has made a big impression on the British inter-varsities running scene with distinguished performances on both track and cross-country. She clocked 22 minutes, 57 seconds when finishing third in last month's Birmingham Cross Challenge where she was ahead of the leading Irish challengers Ava Hutchinson and Rose Ann Galligan. As well as the prestigious national title there will also be places at stake for the European Cross-Country championships at Santry on Sunday, 13th December. The Irish squad will comprise teams of men and women at senior, junior and u-23 levels, with the top three in each race in Kilbeggan automatically earning selection for the European Championships. Irish team manager Anne Keenan-Buckley has been monitoring the progress of the Irish athletes as they have been competing over the past few months and Kilbeggan will provide a good yardstick as to the kind of team Ireland will produce in Santry in December. As well as Ledwith and Treacy there will be a number of other Meath athletes vying for places on the Irish teams. Ciaran McKenna (Star of the Sea) and Bohermeen's Darragh Rennicks will compete in the junior men's race and should be encouraged by recent performances at the Leinster championships. The county squads will be giving their all in their efforts to secure team honours. Aoife Brady was part of an Irish team which contested the Lotto Cross Cup in Belgium and put in an encouraging run. Another leading contender from the Royal County is Sharon Monaghan who finished fifth at the Leinster novice cross-country championships and led the county team to the inter-county title. Close behind her at the Tullamore event was Orla Timmons (Star of the Sea) who also made an impression on the triathlon scene over the summer. Lucy Darcy recorded an excellent time of two hours, 50 minutes in the recent Dublin City Marathon and took the W40 title in the process - that type of form might stand to her in Kilbeggan. Garret Coughlan is another athlete who is running very well at the moment and will be hoping to continue his recent form over the Westmeath racecourse alongside his old clubmate Ledwith and former Na Fianna runner Aidan Bailey in the senior men's inter-county contest. Robbie Matthews finished second in the Leinster novice championships and combined with Derek Croal, Morgan McDonagh and Sean Kinane to take team honours and all four will aim to enhance the county team's senior status at what promises to be an exciting event. TEAMS SENIOR Men - Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy), Robbie Matthews (Dunshaughlin), Rory McDonnell (Dunboyne), Aidan Bailey (Clonliffe Harriers), Gerard Heery (St Brigid's), Derek Croal (Bohermeen), Morgan McDonagh (Dunboyne), Sean Kinane (Dunboyne), Mark Leacy (South O'Hanlon), Gareth Coughlan (Crusaders), Dermot Farrelly (Bohermeen), Shane Boyle (Bohermeen), Liam Newman (Dunshaughlin), Robert Caffrey (St Brigid's), Mark Hoey (Star of the Sea). Women - Sara Louise Treacy (Moynalvey / Kilcoon) Mary Hanley (Na Fianna), Sharon Monaghan (Fr Murphy), Orla Timmons (Star of the Sea), Aoife Brady (Sportsworld), Crona Brady (Sportsworld), Fiona Mahon, (Donore Harriers), Lucy Darcy (Sportsworld), Fiona Reid (Dunboyne), Ursula Byrne (Dunshaughlin), Linda Fahy (Dunshaughlin). JUNIOR Men - Ciaran McKenna (Star of the Sea), Darragh Rennicks (Bohermeen), Loughlin Campion (St Andrew's), Thomas O'Reilly (St Brigid's), Cian O'Connor (Ratoath) Darren Vahey (Bohermeen), Ian Hunter (Ratoath), Nick Hoey (Navan), Graham Connor (Na Fianna), Torlach Grant (Navan), Luke Forde (Dunboyne), Shane Laird (Dunboyne). UNDER-18 Girls - Shauna Moore (Dunshaughlin), Shauna Moran (Dunshaughlin), Elaine Plunkett (St Brigid's), Grainne Sheridan (St Brigid's), Kate Clarke (Na Fianna), Rachel Neary (Na Fianna), Sinead O'Brien (Bohermeen), Jane O'Sullivan (Na Fianna). UNDER-16 Boys - Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), Brian O'Connor (Ratoath), Rob Tully (Star of the Sea), Eoin McNamee (St Brigid's), Jack McDonnell (Ratoath), Niall McCabe (Dunboyne), Jim Marry (Star of the Sea), Conor Duncan (Ratoath), Ciaran McGinley (Star of the Sea), Aidan McGrath (Bohermeen). UNDER-14 Boys - Brian McGrath (Bohermeen), Gavin Maher (Dunshaughlin), John Finnerty (Dunboyne), Ben Clarke (Na Fianna), Niall Cornyn (Dunboyne), Shane Fox (Bohermeen), Conor Rennicks (Bohermeen), Aaron Kelly (Na Fianna), Evan Phelan (Dunboyne), Cathal Bailey (Dunboyne). UNDER-12 Boys - Eoin Smith (Tara), Alan Monaghan (Bohermeen), Peter Kilgannon (Ratoath), Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen), Niall Durkan (Trim), Conor Nash (Bohermeen), Conor Leech (Na Fianna), Paddy Maher (Dunshaughlin), Ciaran Leech (Na Fianna), Mark Daly ( Na Fianna).