SL2013 Teams Update after Event 9

Post date: Jul 10, 2013 11:3:43 AM

(Looking for the Individual Results and race report from this event? Click here)

(Want to know what team you're on? Check by clicking here)

This week saw our teams swapping green forest for urban jungle, when they took on the challenge of a Sprint-O on the campus of University College Cork. The tall buildings, high walls, campus roads and uncrossable fences made the course feel at times like a maze, and careful map-reading and fast decision-making were required in an area where every second counts.

So how did our teams fare? A full break-down of the team scores for this week can be found here: Summer League Team Results.

Here's how the leader-board now looks after 9 events:

Out of nowhere, Team South have shot up the leader-board, from 7th place to 1st place! Did anyone see that coming? Team South have been absent for the last 2 events, where they failed to field a full team of 5 runners. Indeed this week they only had the bare minimum of 5 runners on their team, but every score counted to give them a team score of 7 points. Sprint-O is obviously their specialty. This meant that they could drop their worst score (43 points which they picked up in Doneraile), and are now topping the leader-board on 90 points. Well done to this week's Team South runners: Aidan Kelleher (3 points), Dave Sweeney (2 points), Christine Maunsell (-1 points) and speedy brother and sister Joe Bosonnet (6 points) and Sienna Bosonnet (-3 points).

Much to the relief of everyone on Team North-West, they finally managed to field a full team this week and have now completed 5 events as a team. The top Team North-West scores this week were earned by Rob McEvoy and Ailbhe Creedon on the Long course with 1 point each. Don O'Hanlon had another good performance this week on the Long course, earning the team 2 points. Padraig Barrett returned to earn 7 points on the Long course, and Caoimhe Cronin brought home 7 more points on the Short course, bringing the Team North-West total to 18 points for this week. This pulls them off the bottom of the table, but only just! They have clocked up some high (i.e. bad) scores (notably a 42 at Moanbaun Wood) and will need to work hard next week to improve their overall position on the table.

Team South-West have shown themselves to be one of the most consistent teams in the league, having completed 8 out of the 9 events so far. They have scored 24 points in the previous 2 weeks and this week was no different, where their team score was again 24 points. Top scorer this week for Team South-West was Elaine Sheridan, who picked up 3 points from her Long course run. Feargal O'Shea had his best run of the league so far on the Long course, scoring 4 points. The Kearney family also had a good week on the Short course, bringing home 4 points for the team. Pat Murphy (CorkO) secured 5 points from his Long course run, and Mary Curran rounded off the team's score with 8 points from her Long course run. Team South-West's 24 points helps to close the gap on the leaders, but they remain in 5th place on the table, with a total of 106 points.

With the summer holidays in full swing, many team members were again absent this week. The only other team to field a full squad was Team South-East, where the combined efforts of Jonathan Lucey (2 points and a personal best), Helena Cogan (5 points), Deirdre Creedon (6 points), Thomas Callery (11 points) and Aoife O'Sullivan (11 points) gave a team score of 35. Team South-East are actually our best attenders, having fielded full teams at all 9 of our events so far. This also means that they have had a chance to rack up some good scores, and this week's 35 points does not make up part of their best 5 results. They remain on 98 points overall, which puts them in 4th place.

So with just one competitive week to go in the league, it really is still all to play for next week at Curragh Woods. Every team should now be aiming to drop the score from their worst event and replace it with a better score from the Curragh Woods event. This will be easier for some than for others! Team South should try to improve on the 36 points that they are carrying from Walshtown if they are to lower their overall score and put pressure on the other teams. Team True North must get lower than 26 points if they are to have any hope of catching Team South. Team Magnetic North will have to score 19 or lower to reach the top. Team South-East would need 17 or lower, and Team South-West would need 10 or lower. After that we are into single figures - difficult to achieve, but not impossible! Team West would need 8 points or lower, and Team East would need 7 points or lower to leap up the table and clench the title. The Summer League team crown is unfortunately beyond the reach of Team North-West and Team North-East, so they will undoubtedly be battling to stay off the wooden spoon position at the bottom of the table.

See you there! And if you can't make Curragh Woods next week, don't forget our last event at Farran Forest Park on July 23rd, which is a fun event with prize-giving and BBQ afterwards.