It takes a special mindset and commitment to win an All-Ireland Schools senior cross-country title, and Anna Gardiner has achieved the rare distinction of winning it twice.
For 60 years now it’s been one of the premier schools’ competitions in the country, Gardiner’s defence of the senior girls’ title at Tymon Park in Tallaght on Saturday afternoon another indication of her exciting potential.
Gardiner doesn’t turn 18 until later this month, her victory in the colours of Assumption Grammer School in Ballynahinch also reminiscent of another Down student from the school to achieve this double feat, Ciara Mageean winning the title back in 2009 and 2010.
First staged in the grounds of Garbally College in Ballinasloe in 1964, Saturday’s event drew just under 1,000 athletes across the eight races, representing schools from all 32 counties; nothing was won easy, although Gardiner was a class apart, finishing the 3.5km race in 12:59, giving her 18 seconds to spare over runner-up Lucy Foster from Down High School Downpatrick, with Meabh Eakin from Ballymakenny College in Drogheda third in 13:27.
For Gardiner, who also runs with East Down AC and has already won All-Ireland club titles at Under-18 and Under-20 this season, it completes an rewarding cross-country season which also saw her finish seventh at the European Championships Under-20 race in Brussels last December.
Loreto College secured the team title, Grace Byrne leading them home in sixth, ahead of Sacred Heart Tullamore.
The senior boys’ race was a closer contest, Cormac Dixon from Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole timing his effort to perfection to take the victory in 19:00, four seconds ahead of Noah Harris (ETSS Wicklow), with Sean Lawton of Colaiste Pobail Bantry another four seconds back in third.
St Aidan’s CBS won that coveted team title, ahead of St Micheal’s Enniskillen and St Colman’s Fermoy.
Emily Bolton from Mount Sackville Secondary School Chapelizod and Odhran McBrearty from St Columbas Stranorlar claimed the intermediate titles, and from the outset of the day the competition was fierce, Darragh Whelan from Castletroy College just getting the better of Ethan Bramhill of Greystones Community College in the minor boys’ race.
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