Latest news with #Division5
Los Angeles Times
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Daily Pilot Boys' Volleyball Dream Team: Sage Hill's Jackson Cryst could do it all
Jackson Cryst has likely always been the big man on campus. The 6-foot-10 outsider hitter took the Sage Hill boys' volleyball program to new heights during an unbelievable two-year stint that was no tall tale. While much remains ahead for Cryst, who is joining reigning national champion Long Beach State to continue playing volleyball, his high school career closed three weeks ago with the highest of highs. Sage Hill, largely because of Cryst, went down in history as one of the inaugural boys' volleyball state champions, as the Lightning beat San Francisco International 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 for the CIF State Division III title. Cryst had 23 kills, three service aces and 1½ total blocks in the state final, the last game in an extended winning streak that spanned more than six weeks. The season-saving streak began on April 17 with a five-set win over Portola that got the Lightning back to the .500 mark after an 0-5 start. Sage Hill (22-11) grabbed an at-large bid into the Southern Section's Division 4 bracket, then made good on that chance by edging Santa Barbara in five sets for its second consecutive CIF title. After winning back-to-back CIF titles and earning divisional player of the year honors in his two seasons at Sage Hill, Cryst is the Daily Pilot Boys' Volleyball Dream Team Player of the Year. Cryst insisted that winning championships was not a byproduct of 'the Jackson show,' saying that he learned about how to lead a team and make others around him better. Junior Connor Gapp, who split his playing time between setter and opposite, and junior outside hitter Ryan Manesh became key contributors. 'I think that was a really surprising challenge that I wasn't ready for, that I'm not just going to be able to jump my way and hit my way out of everything,' Cryst said. 'That helps in crunch-time matches, but volleyball is the ultimate team sport. I can't hit a ball without someone setting it, and you can't set it without someone passing it, so I think it was really incredible to actually be able to understand that. Now, if I can apply that to a higher-level team, then it makes the game so much more fun to play, and then also we're just so much more effective at winning volleyball matches.' Arriving at Sage Hill as a junior transfer from Long Beach Millikan, Cryst had an immediate impact on the fortunes of the Lightning. Sage Hill needed all of Cryst's eye-popping 54-kill performance to come out on top in a five-set Division 5 final against San Marino for the program's first CIF championship in 2024. 'Jackson is a great leader,' Manesh said. 'It's truly a blessing to be on the same team as him because the amount of volleyball knowledge that he spreads and preaches to us, it's so helpful to our game. … I remember our five-set match against [Simi Valley] Royal, he was talking to us about what Karch Kiraly, the greatest volleyball player of all time, told him. … 'Before the fifth set, he said Karch Kiraly told him, 'Nobody wants the easy 3-0 experiences. The best champions, they live for the five-set matches,' and that helped push us to the win against Royal. Just inspirational words like that, the knowledge that he has, the skills. He's 6-foot-10, but his ball control is insane.' As a two-sport athlete, Cryst also played in the post for the boys' basketball team. Sage Hill advanced to the Division 3AA quarterfinals in his junior year, and this past season, they were the runner-up in the same division. So much of that was challenging. First came frustration with transfer sit-out periods. Then as a senior, the physicality and the time commitment of a senior basketball season that extended into the early part of March with regional playoff qualification was eating away at a volleyball season already underway. Cryst credited D'Cean Bryant, Sage Hill's boys' basketball coach, with helping him to understand the life lessons involved while navigating those situations. 'I think that he was really right there with me through all that, and not in a way where he's just trying to make me feel better, but in a way where he's telling me what I need,' Cryst said of Bryant. 'This last year, too, where I'm committed to college for volleyball, and I'm in basketball season, going well into volleyball, and I'm frustrated. I'm voicing to him that I'm extremely frustrated. 'I'm a volleyball player. Why am I doing this? I'm getting double- and triple-teamed in games, getting beat up.'' Bryant's message was one of honoring your commitments and being where your feet are. 'He was like, 'I don't know when this is going to serve you, but it's going to because at a certain point in your life, you're going to have to do something that you don't want to do. How are you going to respond to that? Are you just going to show up and not be there, not really do it, or are you going to be all-in to whatever you're doing?' It's a character thing, and I think that did really serve me well,' Cryst said. Jordan Hoppe, who took over as the Sage Hill boys' volleyball coach this year, called Cryst a 'student of the game' and also referred to some of the athleticism he displays on the court as incomprehensible. He said he has seen Cryst do the splits. 'The athletic ability, being 6-10, is something you only see in a few athletes to ever live — I think Wilt Chamberlain being number one,' Hoppe said. 'I think it's a good comparison because I think Wilt was one of the most athletic 7-footers to ever play basketball. I think Jackson is not only arguably the best player in the country, but he's arguably one of the most athletic players in the country, even at 6-10, which is even more remarkable.' Craig Pazanti Huntington Beach Huntington Beach (36-5) enjoyed a season to be proud of, even if it fell short of the ultimate goal. The Oilers spent the season looking up to Mira Costa as the nation's top team, but they earned multiple bites at the apple in the postseason, meeting the Mustangs in the Division 1 section final and the Division I regional final. Huntington Beach went undefeated in the Sunset League, securing its first league title since 2016. The Oilers advanced to their first CIF final since 2021. Ben Brown OH | Corona del Mar | Jr. What can Brown do for you? For the Sea Kings, the answer was a lot. Brown, who transferred from Elmhurst York in Illinois, paid immediate dividends for CdM (24-7), which came one match shy of reaching the Division 1 final. The All-CIF Division 1 and Sunset League first-team selection compiled 451 kills, 144 digs and 42 aces. Henry Clemo OPP | Newport Harbor | Jr. Clemo packed a punch from the right pin and the service line, rarely holding back on a swing. A fiery competitor, the junior opposite provided infectious passion that helped elevate Newport Harbor (27-12), which was one of three Sunset League teams to qualify for the Division 1 playoffs. Clemo was a first-team all-league honoree. Kai Gan S | Huntington Beach | Sr. After sharing the setting duties with Jake Pazanti as a junior, Gan handled the role in all rotations as a senior. Gan, a Harvard commit, shared the Sunset League MVP award with Logan Hutnick, his top option and an emerging star for the Oilers at outside hitter. The All-CIF selection churned out 1,454 assists to go with 175 digs, 54 blocks, 39 kills and 29 aces. Nick Ganier Jr. MB | Huntington Beach | Sr. Ganier Jr. had the effect of opening up the entire offense, as teams could not lock in solely on Logan Hutnick and Ben Arguello on the pins. When opponents made that choice, they paid a price for doing so. Ganier Jr., a first-team all-league selection, supplied 212 kills on a .403 hitting percentage and contributed to 68 blocks. Brogan Glenn L | Corona del Mar | Sr. A three-year starter for the Sea Kings, Glenn's passing contributions were vital with his team breaking in a new setter in Drake Foley. Glenn, a UCLA-bound libero who earned All-CIF and Sunset League first-team honors, provided 263 digs, 22 kills and 16 aces. Logan Hutnick OH | Huntington Beach | So. Huntington Beach fell one set short of its first section title in a decade, but Hutnick will surely be at the forefront of the revenge tour. Hutnick finished with 560 kills on a .318 hitting percentage, adding 204 digs, 72 total blocks and 30 aces. The All-CIF honoree had 22 kills, 13 digs and 2½ blocks in the Division 1 final. Position, Name, School, Year OPP Ben Arguello, Huntington Beach, Jr. L Aiden Atencio, Huntington Beach, Sr. MB Jack Berry, Newport Harbor, Sr. L Nathan Jackson, Edison, Sr. OPP Connor McNally, Edison, Sr. OH Kai Patchell, Laguna Beach, Sr. OH Hudson Reynolds, Pacifica Christian, Sr. OPP An Nguyen, Ocean View, Sr. OH JP Wardy, Newport Harbor, Jr. S Charlie Von Der Ahe, Newport Harbor, Jr. MB Billy Watkins, Fountain Valley, Jr.
Irish Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Blackwater's double delight as Under-11 teams collect Division 3 and Division 5 titles
If there's a club in the county that doesn't get the recognition their recent success deserves, it is probably Blackwater. Another fantastic year with their under-age teams across the board was further emphasised by double success in the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-11 leagues, winning the Division 3 and Division 5 titles with their 'A' and 'B' teams.
Boston Globe
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
10 high school sports takeaways from a Saturday held hostage by Mother's Nature's whims
Now on to the rest of Saturday's action. Advertisement 1. Milestones We saw a few round numbers Saturday, as Westfield senior Shea Hurley notched her 1,000th career strikeout in a quarterfinal matchup with Walpole that was Emma Paquette made five saves in a 9-8 Division 4 girls' lacrosse quarterfinal win over Pentucket to reach 200 career stops; and Duxbury senior Jack Sovik recorded his 100th career point with an assist in an 11-10 boys' lacrosse loss to Reading in the Division 2 quarterfinals. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 2. Walkoff win Eighth-seeded Gloucester hung with top-seeded Dighton-Rehoboth for seven-and-a-half innings in the Division 3 softball quarterfinals before Mia Ribeiro doubled for the Falcons and Skye Harrison drove her home for a 2-1 eight-inning victory. 4. Upset city Already tied for the lowest seed to reach the softball quarterfinals in any division, No. 10 Greater New Bedford kept its Division 3 run going by taking down No. 2 Norton, 5-0, behind Advertisement It wasn't technically an upset, but top-seeded Concord-Carlisle sent 5. Three stars Emma Horrocks , Dighton-Rehoboth — The senior catcher scored one of the Falcons' two runs, but she was most dangerous behind the dish, where she threw out six would-be Gloucester base stealers in the extra-inning triumph in the Division 3 quarterfinals. Chris Houle , Acton-Boxborough — The sophomore stopped 14 shots, including five in the fourth quarter, to hold off Andover, 12-10, and send the Revolution to their third-straight Division 1 boys' lacrosse semifinal. Addy Walls , Hopkinton — The sophomore pitched a two-hit complete game and drove in five runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam that broke open a 12-2 Division 2 quarterfinal win over Westwood. 6. Going, going, gone In addition to Walls's grand slam for Hopkinton, Westwood's Bridget Mulkeen plated both her team's runs with a two-run blast, and Georgetown's Ellie Barbarick launched a solo shot, her 15th of the season and 34th of her career, in a 4-3 Division 5 quarterfinal win over Maynard. 7. Daily lacrosse leaderboard Goals Jack Peno , Nauset, 7 Reese Bromby , Newburyport, 5 Teddy Glynn , Norwell, 5 Scarlett Mirak , Concord-Carlisle, 5 Thomas Quirk , Acton-Boxborough, 4 Avery Tahnk , Newburyport, 4 Lucy Winthrop , Ipswich, 4 Nick Casarano , Reading, 3 Dan Guinee , Andover, 3 Joey McCarthy , Norwell, 3 Jake McGuirk , Norwell, 3 Advertisement Matt Pantilla , Norwell, 3 Logan Poulin , Nauset, 3 Sophie Schiller , Hanover, 3 Connor Wicken , Reading, 3 8. Daily strikeout leaderboard Jillian Macfarlane , Maynard, 14 Liana Danubio , Norton, 10 Akira'ley Vasquez , Greater New Bedford, 10 Edy Latour , Dighton-Rehoboth, 9 9. College corner Andrew Middleton , a former Canton High star who graduated from Dexter Southfield and started his college career with two years at UMass, has entered the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining. The lefthanded pitcher struck out 29 in 11⅔ innings without surrendering a run before undergoing internal brace surgery. He plans to return for the 2026 season. Entering the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility left. LHP who led the NCAA in K/9 and was second in strikeout percentage for 4 weeks before undergoing internal brace surgery. On rehab path to be back for the 2026 season. Cell 617-352-3415 — Andrew Middleton (@AMiddles16) 10. QMJHL draft results The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League held its draft Friday and Saturday, and 24 Massachusetts products were selected. The first off the board was Rivers freshman Carter Meyer , who was taken with the 17th pick of the first round by the Quebec Remparts. From Winchester, the 6-foot, 160-pound center posted 70 points, including a NEPSAC-leading 41 goals as a freshman. He was expected to join the US National Team Development Program after impressing at a March evaluation camp. We have our first American player off the board! The — QMJHL (@QMJHL) In the second round, Charlottetown selected Belmont Hill sophomore Brady Sloper , from North Andover, a 6-4, 200-pound defenseman. Paulo Gualberto Jr. , a 5-10, 170-pound center from Sandwich who plays for Mt. St. Charles Academy, was taken in the third round, 48th overall, by Halifax. Arlington sophomore defenseman Kurt Beck was the first MIAA player selected, going in the third round (56th overall) to the Phoenix Sherbrooke. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound defenseman has also played with the Boston Junior Eagles. Au choix # 56, le Phoenix repêche le défenseur Kurt Beck du Boston jr Junior Eagles. — Phœnix de Sherbrooke (@PhoenixSherbroo) Catholic Memorial freshman Colin Yandle was selected in the ninth round, 164th overall, by the Moncton Wildcats. The 5-7, 128-pound defenseman hails from Dorchester and has also played for the Boston Junior Eagles. His uncle, Keith Yandle , who also played for Moncton, went on to suit up for 1,109 NHL games for the Coyotes, Rangers, Panthers, and Flyers. Advertisement Also selected from Massachusetts: Groton's Kaiden Donia , of Townsend, was taken with the 57th selection by Sherbrooke; Rivers's Sam Pandolfo , of Winchester, was taken 72nd overall by Quebec; Cushing's Joseph Covelluzzi , of Wakefield, was selected 76th by Newfoundland, Dexter Southfield's Noah Survilas , of Winthrop, was taken 90th by Moncton; Williston Northampton's Easton Anello , of Windsor, was selected 92nd by Cape Breton; Noble's Justin Lee , of Newton, was taken 93rd by Chicoutimi; Rivers' Finnegan Sears , of Medford, was selected 94th by Saint John; Lovell's Cooper Campbell , of Cohasset, was taken 108th by Drummondville; Holden's Jacoby Palmer , who plays for Long Island Gulls 15s, was taken 118th by Newfoundland; Mount St. Charles's Owen Kailher , of Duxbury, was taken 127th overall by Rimouski, Hillside's Stephen Pinette , of Dracut, was selected 140th by Baie-Comeau; NorthStar Christian Academy Isaac Davis , of Rockland, was taken 146th by Moncton; Belmont Hill's David Bosco , of Winchester, went 168th to Gatineau; Uxbridge's Caiden Pellegrino , who plays for the Providence Capitals, went 174th to Cape Breton; Dexter Southfield's Owen McHale , of Charlestown, was taken 178th by Chicoutimi; Thayer's Ty Hymovitz , of Needham, went 190th to Newfoundland; Boston's Cameron Holyoke , who plays for the Chicago Mission, went 200th to Moncton; Nobles' Kristofer Soja , of Ludlow, was selected 209th by Cape Breton; and Mount St. Charles's Gavin Callahan , of Hull, went 216th to Drummondville. 11. A loss in Belmont Longtime Belmont hockey coach James 'Skip' Viglirolo died at the age of 95 Tuesday. A three-sport athlete at Belmont, he went on to spend more than 50 years working for the town's Department of Public Works. Advertisement A member of the MSHSHCA and Belmont High halls of fame, he spent 25 years coaching Marauders hockey after playing at Northeastern and Suffolk. A Korean War veteran, the Belmont ice rink is named in his honor. The MSHCA mourns the loss of longtime association member & fmr. longtime Belmont HS coach, James 'Skip' Viglirolo. He was recognized for his contributions to hockey in MA & Belmont w/ his name adorning the old Belmont rink. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends. — Mass State High School Hockey Coaches Association (@MSHCA1) Brendan Kurie can be reached at
Boston Globe
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Eight high school takeaways from Thursday, as the quarterfinals take shape for every sport
Most brackets have gone to chalk — more evidence of the effectiveness of the power rankings formula — with no seed lower than 10 remaining in softball, nobody worse than No. 11 Ursuline left in girls' lacrosse, and No. 11 Shawsheen representing the worst seed still going in boys' lacrosse. But in baseball there's been plenty of upheaval, as eight double-digit seeds made the quarterfinals (13 double-digit seeds made the quarterfinals in all other sports combined) and two No. 1 seeds (Taunton and St. Mary's) have already fallen. No. 17 Natick and No. 16 Apponequet are still alive, as are 14 seeds Milford and Chelmsford, 13-seed Wakefield, 12-seed Franklin and two 11 seeds: Dennis-Yarmouth and Mount Everett. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 1. Reading list Advertisement From 2. Three stars Edy Latour , Dighton-Rehoboth — The sophomore lefthander pitched a two-hitter, allowing just one run with seven strikeouts, but it was her hitting that drew the headlines, going 4 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs in a 13-1 Division 3 second-round win over Medway. Advertisement Criss Luna , Charlestown — The junior not only started the game for the Townies on the mound and delivered a game-tying two-run single in the third, but seven innings later he produced a walkoff home run over the fence in left field in the bottom of the 11th, giving the Townies a 3-2 Division 5 second-round win over Bromfield. Next up, City rival English Saturday night. Related : Liam Williams , Westwood — The junior middie netted his second goal of the game with five seconds remaining to lift the Wolverines' boys' lacrosse team into the Division 2 quarterfinals. 3. Going, going, gone No home run was more important Wednesday than Natalia Leach's , which stood as the only run in Foxborough's 1-0 win over St. Mary's in the second round of the Division 3 softball tournament. Milford's Joe Butler and Ian Carter both cranked two-run shots in No. 14 Milford's 9-7 upset of No. 3 North Attleborough in the second round of the D2 baseball bracket. Also homering were Dighton-Rehoboth's Emma Horrocks , Attleboro's Lola Ronayne and Medway's Olivia Klaus . 4. Daily lacrosse leaderboard Goals Arann Hanlon , Nantucket, 5 Emily Hagan , Walpole, 5 Kelan Cardinal , Lynnfield, 4 Kendall Herrick , Medfield, 4 Sawyer McCutchen , Nauset, 4 Sophie Zeppieri , Medfield, 4 Points Hagan, Walpole, 9 Arann Hanlon , Nantucket, 7 Owen Considine , Lynnfield, 6 Herrick, Medfield, 6 Zeppieri, Medfield, 6 5. Daily strikeout leaderboard Delaney Moquin , Silver Lake, 13 Jimmer Donnelly , Millbury, 11 Patrick Higgins , Norwell, 11 Mylee Ramer , Bishop Feehan, 11 Connor Grieve , Braintree, 8 Edy Latour , Dighton-Rehoboth, 7 Madux Iovinelli , Lynnfield, 6 6. Coaching corner Looking to boost its boys' basketball program, St. John's Prep announced the hiring of Corey Lowe to replace David Clay , who stepped down earlier this year for personal reasons. Advertisement Lowe coached Newton South the last two years, flipping a 7-13 record to 16-4 in his second season, when he was named Dual County League Coach of the Year. Previously, he led the Bradford Christian Academy girls to a 20-3 record. Former Newton South coach (and Newton North alumni) Corey Lowe will take over the boys' basketball program at St. John's Prep. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff 'I am blessed to be able to be the next leader of the Eagles program,' said Lowe in a statement. 'I will put a lot of focus into the development of all players from our middle school up to the varsity team. Sharpening skills that will allow us to play fast, spaced, and aggressive.' Lowe, a 2006 Newton North graduate, played four seasons at Boston University and is still the program's all-time leader in minutes and 3-pointers. He played internationally in Latvia, Israel, and Brazil before injuries ended his playing career. Lowe takes over an Eagles program that went 2-18 last season and hasn't made the playoffs since 2019. 'I'm excited to get working with Corey,' Eagles AD Jameson Pelkey said in a statement. 'He has an outstanding background as a player achieving success at the highest levels in high school, college, and professionally.' We are pleased to announce that Newton native and former Newton South boys basketball coach Corey Lowe will be the new head coach of the Eagles' program, effective immediately. Read more: — St. John's Prep (@stjohnsprep) 7. Commitment corner Haverhill's Jordy Oriach has committed to play baseball at Georgia after a breakout season at New Mexico. The 6-foot-5-inch outfielder and 2022 Hillies graduate spent two seasons at Frank Phillips College before hitting .388 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs last season with the Lobos. Breaking: Jordy Oriach has committed to Georgia, he tells me. The 6-foot-5 slugger had a breakout season in his first year at the Div. 1 level at New Mexico, where he hit .388 with 16 HRs and 63 RBIs. One of the best stories in college baseball. Now, he's headed to the SEC. — Evan Applebaum (@EvanApplebaum2) Harvard men's basketball announced its incoming class, which includes Worcester Academy graduate Ryan Sullivan of Auburn. A NEPSAC AA All-League selection, the 6-foot-9-inch, 205-pound forward helped Worcester win three league titles. A four-year varsity baseball player, Sullivan also plays AAU for BABC. Advertisement 8. Upcoming events The Mass HS Volleyball All-Star game events will begin at 10 a.m. on June 14 at SLAM Volleyball in Marlborough. The Boston City League All-Star baseball game will be played Monday at 3:30 p.m. Rosters are expected to be announced Friday. The 47th annual Shriners All-Star Football Classic will be held June 13 at 7 p.m. at Hormel Stadium in Medford. The girls' flag football championship tournament will be held June 12 at Boston College. The ISL Underclassmen All-Star game will be held at Boston College on Monday. Brendan Kurie can be reached at
Irish Independent
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Bumper crowd for Louth GAA club's 5k
I was only after arriving when I met up with hurler Sean Byrne from New Muirhevna who said he was there to help with the stewarding and said they were expecting a huge crowd to take part. Next I got a word with ex footballer Pat Mackin from Knockbridge who played with the seniors for 20 years and said it was a lovely evening for the 5K and they were expecting more than 250 to take on the race. I then headed over for a chat with club chairperson and an old friend of mine Eugene Kirk from Grange who was there with his son Oisin. He told me he was very proud to be there to make sure the inaugural race went off without a hitch and was delighted that the four clubs had come together to help raise money both for the upkeep of the club and help with their brand new pitch which is in the pipeline too. He then introduced me to chairperson of the ladies team Shane Darcy who was in great form and was looking forward to the run. When I asked if any of his team would be taking part, he jokingly replied 'of course they are, if they're not then they're dropped'! I did manage to get a quick word with main organiser Fiona Carpenter from Lisroland View who was extremely busy that evening but did say the entire even had come together in a short period of time, around 3 months and was pleased all four clubs showed such enthusiasm towards the fundraiser for the upkeep of the pitch and the grounds. Not too far away I managed to get a quick chat with Raymond Kelly from Stephenstown who was on the race organising committee and is a manager of the Division 5 team and has been a Brides member for more years than he can remember. He is also a North East Runner and was really looking forward to making sure the event took place without any major incidents. Next I headed over for a chat with father and son Noel and Ruairí Carpenter from Lisroland View. Ruairí is a Louth Minor player and said neither would be taking part but were happy to be stewarding. They went on to say it's a great event for the Knockbridge community and there's a great buzz of anticipation around the ground. After this I met up with Andrew Cumiskey from Rathiddy but is better known as the main man from Frank's Carpets from the North Link Retail Park and is responsible for the Ladies u16 and u12 teams who told me there was a lot of preparation getting everything for the 5k but as the start grew closer he was really looking forward to it. Next I headed over for a quick word with two ladies Sharon Kelly and Deirdre McEnteggart both from Knockbridge. Sharon said she was certainly looking forward to the run and had got the bug after taking part in a 'Couch to 5k'after Christmas. Deirdre said she wasn't taking part but was there to cheer on all the kids during the race. After this I managed a quick word with Paul Quigley from Lennonstown Manor who is a North East Runner and said he wasn't sure how well he'd go after doing the Newry Half Marathon the previous weekend had found it a bit challenging, but was looking forward to the first Knockbridge 5k all the same. ADVERTISEMENT I then had the pleasure of meeting Mary McKenna from Little Ash and Kathleen McNally from Rathiddy who said they were there to help out and would be making sure the runners got their sustenance after they'd finished with plenty of tea and refreshments. Not too far away I met up with Caitriona McCaughey from Dundalk who was warming up and was looking forward to the race. I then managed to get a quick word with Rita Sweeney from Grange who said she was just there to help out and certainly didn't want me to mention how she had featured on the tv coverage during the big Louth win against Meath in Croke Park a few weeks ago! Making my way onto the pitch I then got a word with Padraig Smith from Lisroland View, Deirdre Mackin from Rathiddy, Susan and Lauren Fennell from Knockbridge who are all club members were looking forward to the race. They were then joined by Rachel Rice from Blackrock who told me she plays with the St. Brides ladies and was going to be leading the warm up exercises before the race actually got under way. I then headed over for a word with Orla Callan from Marlmount and Brenda Kieran from Rathbrist who told me their kids Theo and Ellie Callan, Adam, Joey, Georgia and Dylan are all at the school and have just started to play with the Brides, so they certainly weren't going to miss the fundraiser. After this I met Glen, Lisa, Jack and Killian Crowe from Seafield Road in Blackrock who said they were all looking forward to the run and thought it was a great idea as a fundraiser for the club. Not too far away I got a word with Conor McClenaghan from Haggardstown who said he is an ex player and ex student at the school and was definitely there to support the run and was really looking forward to it. Beside Conor I then caught up with Emma and Paddy O'Connor from Lisroland View who said it was a lovely evening for the race and they were going to be stewarding throughout. After this I met up with Sinead and Dermot McKeown from Blackrock and Louise Wynne from Lisheen Park who were looking forward to the start and wanted to say a word of thanks to Stephen Hillard from Pro Property whom they said was one of main sponsors of the event. As Rory McClean the teacher from St, Mary's School called everyone to order on the PA, I caught up with Deirdre Searson from Loughantarve from the camogie club who said she was a steward for the race but wanted a special mention for sister-in-law and niece Tara and Aoife McArdle who were running that evening and to wish them all the best. Next I met Una Sheils from Dunmahon who was there with niece Niamh Bailey from Knockbridge and told me they were there to support their local club and were looking forward to the run on such a lovely sunny evening. I then got a word with father and son Eamon and Emmett Kirk from Ballinclare. Eamon was armed with a camera and was there to immortalise the event while Emmett was there to help out to make sure the event ran smoothly. As the communal stretching got under way I managed to get a quick word with Lorna McLoughlin from Loughantarve who was with son Kyla and Marion Brabazon from Lisroland View who was with daughter Gia and said they were there to support the runners on such a lovely evening. Finally, before I departed I met Padraig Murphy from Avondale Park who said he was there with his son Patrick, a member of St. Gerards AC who was warming up for the race and agreed they had got a lovely evening for the first Knockbridge5K and wished the club all the best.
