Gibbons and Foolkes Place Well Stateside

  
The US collegiate cross country season continues to produce some excellent performances from Irish athletes. The big Irish contingent at Western Kentucky University were in action at the ASU Invitational in Arkansas this weekend, and the meet resulted in another fine win by Olga Cronin, a member of East Cork, and her third consecutive win.  Her winning time for the three mile race was 14:53, just one second ahead of Valerie Lynch from the Carraig na bhFear club.  Claire Gibbons from Leevale finished third in 15:36.  Jason Foolkes of McNeese State University and Leevale, had two races in quick succession, finishing second in the McNeese State Duel at Lake Charles over 5k in a time of 15:12, and then winning the Stephen F. Austin Invite over 8k in a time of 25:53.  The Br. John ‘Paddy’ Doyle Meet of Champions, hosted by Iona College at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York, saw Vinny Mulvey compete in his first race of the season.  He finished a close sixth with a time of 24:46 for the 8k course.  Enda Johnson from Brown University was 28th in 25:22, with Limerick man Thomas Carey, who has transferred from Boise State to Iona for his final year, finishing 40th in a time of 25:36.  Siobhan Lenihan from North Cork, who is in her first year at Arkansas Technical University, won her first race of the season at the Hendrix Invite, clocking 19:46 for the 5k course.