Rotorua's Jenna Hastings shines at three-day secondary schools mountain bike champs

Jenna Hastings, pictured competing at the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro earlier this year, dominated the School Mountain Bike Championships. Photo / Cameron Mackenzie

Rotorua enduro specialist Jenna Hastings has excelled in multiple disciplines at the School Mountain Bike Championships in Wellington.

Hastings, from John Paul College and still an under-17 rider, won the downhill at Upper Hutt on Friday, and the enduro on Sunday at Wainuiomata.

"It went pretty well over the weekend," said Hastings.

"Both the downhill and enduro were heavily peddly and I tried to push through it and keep going. I loved all the roots in the enduro, which was a lot like at home in Rotorua."

After the coronavirus-hit year, Hastings is looking forward to a heavy schedule of racing over the summer.

The competition was a Cycling New Zealand Schools event organised by PNP Cycling Club and Wellington MTB Club.

Riders enjoyed a track in excellent condition at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt for the downhill with the 1.1km grade five course requiring more pedalling than most downhill tracks.

Canterbury's Ethan Rose, a super-talented under-20 rider from Darfield High School, was fastest in the downhill, second to talented North Canterbury rider Jacob Turner in a photo finish in the cross-country, and victorious in the enduro.

In the downhill, Rose took five seconds off his seeding run to clock the fastest time of 1m 57.24s.

"I knew I had some left in the tank from the seeding run so I'm pretty happy with the result. It's good to get points on the board early for the school."

Rose was a second faster than John Paul College's Cameron Beck and Turner from Rangiora High School in the boys' downhill.

Hastings clocked 2m 14.42s to be fastest in the girls' downhill, half a second clear of fellow under-17 rider Rebecca Hufflett (Nelson College for Girls) with top under-20 rider, Jess Blewitt in third.

Riders faced windy conditions at the Waiu Trail Park in Wainuiomata for the cross-country, at the facility run by Wainuiomata Trails Trust comprising more than 45 hand-built tracks set in the regenerating native bush and wetlands.

There was a real rivalry between Turner and Rose, with the two riders clearing out from the field and remaining locked together going into the final corner.

Turner, who has been competing in local cyclo-cross racing amid reduced mountain bike events, helped give him the edge in the sprint finish, with both riders given the same time.

It was a special win for Finn MacKenzie in the under-15 boys', after his Marlborough Boys' College teammate missed the event after he had a serious accident last week.

The under-20 girls' champion Amelie MacKay benefitted from a joint start with the under-17 field as she was able to hold onto to the main group for the first few laps. Mia Cameron (Taupō Nui-a-tia) took out the win in the younger grade after pre-race favourite Hufflett was taken out in a crash.

The afternoon's team relay had strong participation across all grades. Cashmere High School from Christchurch dominated the results.

The three-day competition concluded with the three-stage enduro at Waiu Trail Park, which attracted 450 riders.

Under-15 rider Erice Van Leuven (Raphael House, Wellington) was fastest girl in the morning event, with a total time of 17m 10s, and Luke Wayman (St Bede's College) was best of the Under-15 boys in 16m 5s, only one second ahead of Jack Collins, an under-14 rider from Cashmere High School.

The senior riders came out to play in the afternoon and Hastings was dominant among the girls with a combined time of 16m 13s, and Rose was fastest boy in 14m 52s.

The top school trophy was awarded to Cashmere High School with a commanding lead over John Paul College and defending champions Marlborough Boys' College.