2017 Summer League Results Update

On the Long course Conrad Daly will be crowned the 2017 Men's Long Course Champion at our prize-giving ceremony in Farran Forest Park on July 18th. Conrad has all the hard running behind him and if he wished he could enjoy a gentle stroll around Ballyannon Wood Wood safe in the knowledge that he can't be dislodged from his current position at the top of the leaderboard. When it comes to the runner-up spot things are a lot tighter. Dan McDonnell is presently sitting in second place with 19 points but Cian O'Mahony is a mere 5 points behind him. If Cian could achieve a podium finish in Ballyannon this would eliminate his 8th place finish in the Regional Park Ballincollig from his points total and he could potentially overtake Dan that is of course assuming Dan doesn't himself improve on his 6th place finish in Ballincollig which would strengthen his hold on the runner up title. Pat O'Donovan is presently sitting in fourth place with 27 points so any lapse in concentration by Cian in his attempt to catch Dan could open the door for Pat to move up the leaderboard. Pat also needs a podium finish to reach or better Cian's current points total. Eric O'Connor and Gerald Duffy are currently vying for 5th place in the league but another good run from last weeks event winner Jens Waechter could see him oust these guys from the prize winners list. Further down the table there is plenty of competition and room for movement in the results table. Presently, Ken O'Neill and Sean Murphy are tied for 7th place so a good run from either of them in Ballyannon Wood would break this deadlock.

In the Women's section Niamh Corbett having already achieved the optimal league points total of 6 has the Women's Long Course Champion title safely secured and she too could stroll around the wood tonight if she so desired. A lot of very consistent running from Sinead O'Donoghue also means that she has a firm hold on the runners-up spot. Her current points total of 10 can not be matched by any of the chasers no matter how well they run tonight. Trishia O'Mahony is presently sitting in third place with 17 points. She has a comfortable lead of three points over Elaine Sheridan who is sitting in fourth place. This means Elaine would need to be the fastest lady around Ballyannon Wood just to equal Trishia's points total. In theory this is possible but the bookies wouldn't give you very good odds on it happening. Una Buckley is lying in 5th place with 36 points and it would require some super fast and clean runs from the ladies below her to overtaken her. However, there could be a good contest for 6th place if all the contenders make it to Ballyannon this evening. Liz Deane is the currently leading this race but Sinead Wall and Mary Leneghan are in fast pursuit. Furthermore, Emily Cronin could also nudge her way into this spot if she makes it to Midleton this evening and runs well. Further down the table several members of the Stritch family can complete the league if they attend tonight's event.

It all makes for an exciting conclusion to the Long course league. There'll be two maps on tonight's course which will add to the challenge that awaits all our leaders and chasers. Ballyannon is a small but tricky wood and it is very easy to get disorientated or pushed off your intended route when you take the straight line approach to controls so all competitors will need to keep focused and run fast to meet their goals this evening. As with all our events you never know what visitors or other competitors might turn up on the night and scupper the plans of all those hoping to improve on their current league standing.

On the Short course Liam Twomey is the current league leader with 26 points however the Bosonnet sibling have been hunting him down over the past few weeks and a good run from either Chiara or Isaac could see them deny Liam the Short Course Championship title. Chiara is currently in second place with 33 points and needs to improve on her 9th place finish at the Fota House and Gardens event to reduce her points total. Lets hope she doesn't have another GAA match this evening. Similarly, Isaac who is presently in third place with 34 points also needs to better his 11th place finish from the Fota event to reduce his points total. If he matches the form he showed last week in Curragh Wood and achieves another first place finish he could potentially move to the top of the leaderboard. While the Bosonnets will be looking to chase our leader no doubt Liam will also be looking to improve his points total and reinforce his position at the top of the leaderboard. He needs to finish 4th or better tonight to be able to disregard one of his 5th place finishes to reduce his overall points tally. While the Bosonnets will be focused on catching Liam any slip up by them on the course tonight would provide Carmel Kearney with the perfect opportunity to capitalize on their misadventure. If she can run well and avoid any big mistakes she could reduce her points total from 36 but she need to finishes 7th or better to do this. Further back in the field their are a number of families who could finish the league if they attend tonight's event among them are the Meldrum, Cronin Moynihan and Larsson families. With the Short course title very much there for the taking it makes for an exhilarating finish to this league.

It remains to be seen if our leaders and chasers will react well to this added pressure. Be sure to check out the league tables to see where you lie and who you could potentially overtake if you have a good clean run tonight.

http://www.corko.net/summer-league-results

If your analysis means that it is now impossible for you to finish near the top of the league tables fear not as all those who complete the league will received a commemorative league finisher t-shirt. We already have 55 league finishers and a further 22 individuals can complete the league and earn their stylish league finisher t-shirt if they attend tonight's event. Remember t-shirts are ordered specifically for league finishers so if you are among the list of current league finishers be sure to let me know your desired size. We'll have some samples available to try on at tonight's event. 

Hopefully these results might motivate you to push hard and run fast in Ballyannon Wood this evening. Remember orienteering is a body brain work out so while being aggressive on the speed front one must also remember to engage the brain and navigate well to avoid any frustrating mistakes along the way.

Hope you can join us for the thrilling finish to our Summer League.