Mountainbiking: Rotorua's Pene wins junior title

Downhill mountainbiker Ihakara Pene was the best of the Rotorua riders on the final day of the Oceania Mountainbiking Champs.

The talented youngster won the under-15 boys division in a time of 3m 53.70s beating Hamilton's Cole Lucas by 13.70s followed by Rotorua team-mates Jack Hale and Simon Janssen, third and fourth respectively.

In the elite men's division, Alexandra's Matthew Scolles won in a time of 3m 07.20s followed by Kawerau's Matt Walker and New Plymouth's Wyn Masters. The first Rotorua rider home was Des Curry, who was 11th in a time of 3m 19.79s.

The elite women's division was won by Lower Hutt's Sarah Atkin 3m 50.91s followed just 0.86s behind by Rotorua rider Gobby Molloy and just under 20s behind by Auckland's Sophiemarie Bethell.

Australia's Brent Smith managed to edge out Rotorua rider Jake Robinson by just 0.33s in the under-19 men. Smith's time was a slick 3m 16.41s - Rotorua's Louis Hamilton was third in a time of 3m 18.18s.

Kaiapoi's Carl Goodwin won the under-17 men's division in time of 3m 26.77s with Hawkes Bay rider Izac Anderson second and Palmerston North's Jack Humphries third. Kale Edwards in 11th was the first Rotorua rider home in a time of 3m 49.99s.

Whakatane's Carl Edmondson was the first senior man home in a time of 3m 23.17s, followed by Tauranga's Asher Ellery and Rotorua's Steven Pattle.

The master 1 men's division was won by Nelson's Jamie Nicoll with Derek Winwood finishing second ahead of Rotorua's Adam King coming in third.

In the master 2 men, Christchurch's Darryn Henderson was just over a second faster than Rotorua's Dave Hamilton and Wellington's Michael Williamson.

Kiwi rider Tania Carson won the open women's division in a time of 4m 17.42s from Hamilton's Kaytee Campbell and Christchurch's Pippa Holdom.

Auckland's Sophie Tyas beat Wanaka's Phoebe Coers in the junior women's race winning in a good time of 4m 02.70s.

 

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