Whanganui's success in the national cross country scene has continued with four local standouts selected for the New Zealand Schools team headed to Australia in August.
The New Zealand Schools Cross Country was held at Spa Park in Taupo on Saturday, with the leading 12 senior athletes invited to join the squad heading to the Australian All Schools Championships on the Sunshine Coast in two months.
Wanganui Collegiate's Liam Back, who came 15th at the world school championships in Pairs in April, finished runnerup in the senior boys race, while Whanganui High School's Rebecca Baker was fourth in the senior girls.
Collegiate's Sarah Lambert was right behind Baker in coming fifth in senior girls, while Zach Bellamy was seventh in the senior boys.
Coach Alec McNab said all four runners have also been named in the 14-person "paper team", which allows them to access funding to make the Australia trip.
"Whanganui athletes therefore had 28.6 per cent of the total team."
McNab will talk more about Taupo in this week's athletic column.