Waterford athletes will make the long journey to Ballyhaise, Co Cavan on Sunday for the All-Ireland Novice Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, as well as the boys’ and girls’ U-13, 15, 17, 19 races, with the first race the Girls’ U-11 at 12 noon sharp.

Lots of athletes from Waterford clubs will compete in most grades and hopes are high that athletes such as Shane Quinn, Beth Walsh, Kate Veale, Paddy Flynn, Rhuain Mitchell, Sinaed Flynn, Niamh Ryan, Paddy Hogan will all figure prominently at Juvenile level.

Club teams may also make an impact in the inter-club section, juvenile and novice.

To get to Ballyhaise you can travel to Dublin and then take the Navan Road (N3), on through Navan, Virginia and pass by Cavan town and turn right a few miles on. The course will be signposted there.

Four Waterford athletes have been selected on the Irish teams for the European Cross-Country Championships in Brussels on December 14th. Included are brother and sister David and Lorraine McCarthy. The two others selected are both from Ferrybank and they compete in the junior race, namely, Paddy Flynn and Shane Quinn, winner of the All-Ireland U-18 in Tramore recently. Two others from Ferrybank are reserves at junior level – Patricia Barry and Paddy Hogan

Continue this week in Dungarvan at 7.15pm and 7pm from the RSC with registration from 6.15. Any competitors from the city league who are contemplating running in the Baldy Man Run on 28/12/08 in Tramore in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society might like to raise sponsorship for that charity. Cards available at RSC each Thursday.

On Sunday December 14th there are two road races in the county and both start at 11am. Both are over 4 miles and one is in the city and the second near The Marine Bar outside Dungarvan. The city race starts at the RSC and proceeds go to Waterpark National School. The race at The Marine Bar is in aid of the South East Cancer Foundation’s new Solas building. Entries for both will be taken at the start at each venue from 10am.

On Sunday December 28th the Annual Baldy Man Run over 8km will be in Tramore at 12 noon. Entries at Majestic Hotel from 10.30. This year the proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Society Waterford Branch. Sponsorship cards are available from Fintan Walsh and can be got from him each Thursday at the Winter League at the RSC or from the Alzheimer’s Day Care Centre Passage Road, Waterford.

Last Monday week David McCarthy, WWAC, had a very good run in the American Collegiate National Cross-Country Championships in Indiana where he competed for Providence College Rhode Island and finished 19th overall. Another Irish athlete, Alan Ledwith, was an excellent third overall, with McCarthy the second Irish athlete home.

Last Sunday in Killeagh, Co Cork the Munster B Juvenile and Masters Cross-Country Championships took place and Waterford athletes figured among the medals individual and team.

In the juvenile races there was a win by David Early, WWAC U-15, while Rena Behan KCK was second U-9. Third placings went to Peter Behan, U-11 and Michael Behan, U-13 and James Fogarty, U-19 – all three from KCK. Jerome Power, WWAC, also had a third at U-9. The KCK boys U-15 team won the team title.

Other good placings were secured by Padraig Hallahan, 5th U-19, Thomas Devine, 7th U-15, John Fennell again, 7th U-17, and Erica Kiely 6th U-15.

For WWAC there were also high placings by the following: Chloe Fennell, 4th U-11, Aine Flynn, 8th U-9, Rachel Wyley, 8th U-11, Tholm Reddy, 9th U-13 and Una McGrath, 12th U-15.

In team competitions WWAC were second in the girls’ U-11 and 3rd in the girls’ U-9.

An Gaeltacht’s best performance came from Eileen Veale, 6th U-9. Aoife Hamilton was 10th U-11 and for Tramore AC Jamie Stone was 10th U-9. In the Inter-County team competitions Waterford won the boys’ U-15, were second in the girls’ U-11 and 3rd in the girls’ U-9, boys’ U-11 and boys’ U-13.

At the same fixture Diane Behan, WWAC was first in the Masters over 35 and her clubmate Harry O’Brien was 3rd o-45. In the women’s masters team title WWAC were second club over-35 and third 0-45, as well as third in the men’s o-45.

Waterford AC were second in the Inter-County Men’s over-45 and third in the women’s o-35 and 0-45.