Cathal Lombard qualified for the Athens Olympics in the 10,000 and in the process broke Mark Carroll's 27.46.82 10k National Record! Lombard had already qualified for Athens in 5,000m with his brilliant run 13.19.22 in Heusden last August. The Leevale man added the 10,000m A Standard to his running resume last night. Lombard placed third in 27.33.53 at the Cardinal Invitational held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Ironically, it is the same meet where Carroll had set hi record in 2000. Meb Keflezighi a naturalised American from Eritrea won the event in 27.24.10 followed by Kenyan Thomas Kiplitan in 27.32.30. Lombard moves from 8th to to the top of Irish All-Time list in the 10k.

Marie McMahon Davenport (10k) and Alistair Cragg (5k) punched their ticket to the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece bring the number of qualifiers to an even dozen.

Alstair Cragg (University of Arkansas) ran a world-leading 13:16.98, almost a half-minute clear of runner-up American Brendan Rogers in 13.44.52. The Clonliffe Harrier covered his last lap in 61.5! Cragg's time ranks him fifth on the Irish All-Time list behind Mark Carroll (13.03.93), Frank O'Mara (13.13.02), John Doherty (13.14.17) and John Treacy (13.16.81). Cragg turns 24 years old on 13th June and ran this remarkable time in April! St Malachy's Tom Frazer who competes for Butler University placed 12th in Section B of the 5,000m 14.11.71 and 40th overall.

Marie McMahon Davenport placed second in the 10,000m running a personal best time 31.28.72. Kenyan Sally Barsosio, an Olympian and World 10,000m champion won the race in 31.18.72. Davenport's previous PB was 31.59.29 set at the smae Stanford meeting in 2002. The Clare athlete remains in third on the All-Time list behind Sonia O'Sullivan (30.47.59) and Catherina McKiernan (31.08.41). Rosemary Ryan placed 18th in the race with a time of 32.59.58.

Sonia O'Sullivan showed fine form in winning the 5,000 in 14.58.43 ahead of American Shayne Culpepper in 15.01.36. O'Sullivan has already qualified for the upcoming Olympics in the 5,000 with her 14.55.50 run in Paris last August and in teh marathon with the 2.32.06 she ran in New York in November 2002. Curiously, the Ballymore Cobh AC athlete was entered with a Melbourne TC affiliation.

Daniel Caulfield (Dublin City Harriers) placed 6th in his 1,500m section and 32nd overall with a time of 3.42.97.

Complete Results of the 2004 Cardinal Invitational