Conor Smith will almost certainly win further, and more significant, cross-country medals and titles than the Malcolm Cup U13 victory he secured in Ballyclare on Saturday, but a first title always has special importance and marked the young Trillick lad down as one to watch for the future.
A significant St. Michael's contingent made the journey to Six Mile Water Park for the annual Annadale Striders promotion which was blessed with sunny if cold and windy conditions and drier than usual underfoot going. The U13's were first into action and Smith was a the front from the gun, establishing a gap of some thirty metres from McCaffrey of North Belfast and McKee of Dromore as the field headed into the stiff wind for the second time with Cathal Caufield and Jonathan Courtney both moving into the top six and Niall McKeever and Barry McAleer a little further back pushing for top ten positions.
By the time the leaders emerged from the wooded section of the course to come down the short hill to the finish funnel it was still Smith in front with a storming finish by McKeever having brought him up to second just inches ahead of Caufield with Courtney completing the quartet of blue vests filling the leading positions. McAleer finished 8th and further back there was valuable race experience for Carl O'Reilly, Gavin Dolan, Colin Logan, Sean McManus, Cormac McMahon, Niall Carson and John Dolan all of whom will be pushing for places in the Minor squad to defend St. Michael's Ulster schools title in February.
The U15 event saw a wide range of athletes covered by the IAAF qualification dates for Year nine through to eleven and it was one of the youngest St. Michael's competitors, last years Ulster Minor bronze medallist Finn Corrigan who lead home the Enniskillen contingent with a battling run to take third behind an impressive winner in McDermott of Dromore with Philip McQuaid just out sprinting Louis Leonard in the battle for 5th and 6th. John-Joe Strain took 8th ahead of another year nine lee Cullen with solid runs also from Conor McQuaid. Levin Caufield, Lee Cullen and Mark Dolan with the latter trio still in the first months of their two year period as U15 athletes.
Like the U15 race the tough three lap U17 event took in a cross section of athletes in Years eleven to thirteen and not surprisingly it was an athlete in the latter year grouping who prevailed in the shape of James O'Hare of East Down with Ulster schools Junior champion Niall Cullen back in 4th the first St. Michael's finisher, just ahead of the improving Michael Slevin and a most impressive effort from Gerard Britton in 6th. Colm Monaghan, Francis Maguire and Fintan O'Doherty also made the top ten with Niall McGoldrick just outside and good runs also from Cathal Delea, Ryan Elliott, Paul McGinnity, Brendan McBarron and Ryan Dolan, and these athletes will form the spine of St. Michael's efforts to reach the All-Ireland schools finals at Intermediate level for the first time in the spring.
Overall this was a most valuable competitive experience for all the St. Michael's athletes and with the first big schools event of the season looming in Newcastle this afternoon (Wednesday) and over seventy boys of all ages and ability levels regularly training this demanding sport has rarely been in better shape on the hill at Drumclay.
