The likes of Uhlenberg, for example (featured in the June 3 edition of College Sport) is in hot early-season form and will probably contest the senior boys' 3000m or 1500m in Timaru next month.
Taucher stresses enjoyment as a key factor when training the boys. They are a tight group and seem to thrive on the hard work of three morning runs a week plus other sessions. Sacred Heart, with its 22ha of grounds, offers good grass running plus the nearby Mt Taylor if hill work is the call. But the often steep roads around St Heliers and Glendowie offer good options for training, as do the trails such as Tahuna Torea.
They are preparing for cold in Hungary next April, although it will be spring. They prepared for the June Dunedin cold and it paid off.
"We were blown away, really," Taucher said. "We knew we had a good team and hoped we might be among the medals. But everything worked out and the planning came together."
The competition promises to be strong in Budapest, although Taucher says he really has oil on the Australians only.
"They were selected at the Australian national champs two months ago. I was leading the New Zealand team that went over. They look decent so I think we can match up with them. We are quietly confident."
Sacred Heart has carved a reputation for producing quality athletes in recent years. Sprinters such as Dalton Coppins, Joshua Hawkins and Bailey Stewart have stood out, but 15 years ago Dylan Mordaunt was a top cross country runner and one of his school records still stands.
"We've had a really good crop of either sprinters or distance runners doing well at national level since about 2009," Taucher said. "We've won at least one senior boys' national title each year since then."
The team will represent their school but will wear the black singlet in Hungary.
You can make a donation to the team, who need $42,000 (roughly a quarter of which has been raised thus far), for their trip to Hungary at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helpshcwinworldsecondaryschoolscrosscountry
? The cross country team are leading the way in what has been a vintage year for Sacred Heart sport.
Water polo, a perennially strong sport at the east Auckland school for 30 years, saw the premiers win the Auckland and North Island schools titles, with 12 players making national representative sides.
In football, which now counts more teams than rugby at Sacred Heart, there were five Auckland league champions, including Danny Hay's first XI, and they were runners-up at the nationals and Knockout Cup. Hay then coached the New Zealand under-17s to the World Cup and the team included Connor Probert, Dylan Bull and Lucas Imrie.
Five rugby teams won their Auckland grade titles and there were at least 32 Auckland representative players through the ages.
Athletics and triathlon (including duathlon and aquathon) had their share of SHC winners, too. The athletics team returned with eight medals from the North Island championships.
Coming up
Today
Baseball
Junior pool one, 4pm, Crossfield Reserve: Selwyn v One Tree Hill, Tamaki v Glendowie.
Pool two, 4pm, Lloyd Elsmore Park: Pakuranga v Howick, St Kentigern v Botany Downs.
Cricket
Premier girls' semifinals, 4pm: Baradene v EGGS at Melville Park, St Kentigern v Glendowie.
AFL
Junior Hawks Cup (Waitakere) at Rutherford College.
Junior Hawks Cup (Counties Manukau) at Papatoetoe Sports Centre.
Thursday
Special Olympics Swimming
Counties Manukau Ribbon Day, at Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Leisure Centre, Mangere.
AFL
Junior Hawks Cup (Auckland) at St Paul's College.
Junior Hawks Cup (North Harbour) at Onepoto Domain, Takapuna.
Saturday
Cricket
Premier boys (two-dayers, day two, 10.30am)
A-grade Championship: Westlake BHS v MAGS, Rangitoto v St Kentigern.
Plate: King's v Sacred Heart, Rosmini v Auckland Grammar.
Shield: Liston v Takapuna Grammar, Avondale v Macleans.
Waka ama
Auckland SS junior regatta, Orakei Basin, from 7am.
