New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross-Country Championships: Rotorua's Hannah Gapes claims senior title

Rotorua's Hannah Gapes, 17, wins the senior girls' title at the 47th New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships. Photo / Supplied

Rotorua's Hannah Gapes was the convincing winner of the senior girls' title at the 47th New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships in Hawera.

The 17-year-old John Paul College student led from the start around the challenging mud-logged showgrounds and farmland circuit, quickly establishing a 30-metre lead in the first 500m of two 2000m laps.

At the end of the first lap, she had built a lead of 25 seconds, extending to 57s at the finish (15m 40s) in the most dominant performance of the day.

It caps a stellar six months for the year 13 student who won the New Zealand Secondary Schools 1500m title and Athletics NZ Junior Women's 5000m title over summer while running personal bests on the track from 800m to 5000m.

Paige Satchel was the last John Paul College pupil to claim a New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country title, winning the year 9 girls division in 2012.

John Paul College team-mates Poppy Martin and Jessica Lamb finished a creditable 32nd and 50th respectively in the senior girls' race. Training partner, junior Anja Crombie, was 67th representing AGC Tauranga.

Lakes High School's Bella Wyatt finished 48th in the junior girls' race.

Gapes and Lamb combined in the Waikato Bay of Plenty senior girls' team to take the bronze medal in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Regional Relay Championship behind Auckland and Otago/Southland.

Gapes, Martin, Lamb, Crombie and Wyatt are all members of the Lake City Athletic Club junior women's squad preparing for the Athletics NZ National Club Road Relay Champs in early October on the famous Takahe to Akaroa Relay in Christchurch.