St Aidan's show just why they are the tops

ATHLETICS/Leinster Schools' Cross Country Championships:With Ireland due to host the European Cross Country championships in 2009, some of its younger athletes got the chance to try out the course when the Leinster Schools CC championships were staged at Santry Demesne yesterday.

Located just behind Morton Stadium, the testing terrain produced some fine runs, with St Aidan's CBS underlying their credentials having been crowned All-Ireland Intermediate Champions last year.

The Whitehall establishment claimed best school in the boys category, while Micheal Mulhare led from the front from the start to take the senior boys race which was run over 6,000 metres.

The Portlaoise CBS student had headed a three-man group which had included St Aidan's duo Larry Brady and Mark McDonald.

In the closing stages, the Coolmine CS pairing of Liam Tremble and David Flynn replaced them near the head of the leading group but Mulhare maintained his lead to win out.

The senior girls 2.5km race, meanwhile, was dominated by identical twins Charlotte and Rebecca Ffrench O'Carroll in a strong field, with Charlotte winning the chase to the line.

The Leaving Cert student from Loreto, St Stephen's Green won a silver medal at last summer's European Youth Olympics in the 3,000 metres.

After the All-Ireland Schools Cross Country championships in Loughrea in March, FFrench O'Carroll will look to the World Youth Games in Poland where she hopes to make the qualifying time for the 1,500 metres.

Tara Jamieson, meanwhile, captured the intermediate girls title, with Shane Boggs outrunning club-mate Jake Byrne to capture the boys' intermediate race.

BOYS: Senior 1 - M Mulhare (Portlaoise CBS), 2 L Tremble (Coolmine CS), 3 David Flynn (Coolmine CS). Teams: 1 St Aidan's CBS 56 pts, 2 Coolmine CS 78 pts, 3 St Kieran's Kilkenny 119 pts. Intermediate 1 - Shane Boggs (St Finian's, Mullingar), 2 Jake Byrne (St Joseph's, Rochfordbridge) 3 Emmet Jennings (Oatlands). Teams: 1 St Kieran's, Kilkenny 78 pts, 2 Knockbeg College 87 pts, 3 St Aidan's CBS 96 pts. Junior - 1 S Attride (Knockbeg College), 2 T Moriarty (St Paul's, Raheny), 3 K Dooney (CBC Monkstown). Teams: 1 St Fintan's, Sutton 91 pts, 2 St Benildus College 121 pts, 3 Belvedere College 122 pts. Minor 1- C Turner (St Aidan's CBS), 1 T Lanu Lynn (Mullingar CBS), 2 G Power (Mullingar CBS), 3 G Power (Presentation Carlow). Teams: 1 St Aidan's CBS 48 pts, 2 St Kieran's, Kilkenny 101 pts, Coláiste Eoin 117 pts). Overall best boys' school - St Aidan's CBS Whitehall. GIRLS: Senior 1 - C FFrench-O'Carroll (Loreto St Stephen's Green), 2 R Ffrench-O'Carroll (Loreto, St Stephen's Green), 3 S Huet (Loreto Foxrock). Teams: 1 Loreto, St Stephen's Green 15 pts, 2 St Dominic's, Cabra (29pts) , 3 Loreto, Foxrock 35 pts. Intermediate 1 - T Jamieson (Dominican, Wicklow), 2 N Kearney (Loreto, Dalkey), 3 M Mulhare (Col Chriost Rí, Portlaoise); Teams: 1 Dominican Wicklow 31 pts, 2 St Dominic's, Cabra 51 pts, 3 Loreto, Foxrock 57. Junior - 1 I O'Donnell (Santa Sabina, Sutton), 2 L Byrne (Coolmine CS), 3 S McGinley (Our Lady's, Templeogue). Teams: 1 Coolmine CS 60 pts, 2 Loreto, Foxrock 63 pts, 3 Scoil Dara, Kilcock 65 pts. Minor - 1 S McDonnell (Eureka Kells), 2 A Keys (Our Lady's, Templeogue), 3 C Conroy (Mount Sackville). Teams: 1 Coláiste Iosagáin 35 pts, 2 St Dominic's, Cabra 73 pts, 3 Loreto, St Stephen's Green 88 pts; Overall best girls' school: St Dominic's Cabra.

The top 15 finishers and the first three teams in senior, intermediate and junior events qualified for the All-Ireland championships to be held in Dartfield Equestrian Centre, Loughrea on March 8th, starting at noon.