School cross-country change excites

SECOND WIND: Following a whirlwind trip around the globe, Whanganui athletics guru Alec McNab has caught his breath and thrown himself into yet another busy schedule.

WHANGANUI'S athletics guru Alec McNab has caught his second wind after a hectic April touring the globe lending his considerable coaching and administration skills to New Zealand teams on international duty.

The Athletics Wanganui president, Athletics NZ life member and Wanganui Collegiate School head coach and master has only just returned from his latest task as head of delegation for the New Zealand team at the ISF World Schools Cross-country in Hungary. McNab headed a group of 24 athletes (including two of his own proteges Christian Conder and Jane Lennox) and four coach/managers.

"I am now back in New Zealand after a much needed break following the World Schools Cross-country. It was great fun, but demanding," McNab said yesterday.

"April was a pretty hectic month and I really welcomed the short break after the ISF Schools event."

McNab's schedule included:

- April 1 -4 North Island Schools managing a team of 36 athletes

- April 7 -12 Oceania Polynesian Championships in Tahiti as team manager of 19 athletes

- April 13 - 26 ISF World Schools Cross-country in Hungary as head of a delegation of 24 athletes and 4 coach/managers. Meanwhile, McNab said the cross-country season is in full swing with a packed club and national programme tabled.

"School age athletes are preparing for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships to be held on a new and exciting course in Rotorua on Saturday, June 18," McNab said.

"The New Secondary Schools Athletic Association has instigated a major new innovation with a regional relay race to be held at the same venue on the Sunday morning (June 19) following the traditional school-based cross-country. The relay teams will be selected from 14 regions and will have five runners in each team with each running 2km legs. There will be three grades for both boys and girls, with the same age divisions as in the cross country the previous day.

"The grades are Year 9, under-16 and under-19. The major difference is that unlike the championship on the Saturday where the runners represent their individual schools, the relays are selected as a regional team and therefore have the best runners from the region in their team.

"This is an exciting addition to the New Zealand Schools Cross-country weekend.

"It has been a most successful component of the Australian Schools Championships for many years. It will almost certainly bring more athletes to the weekend and will give athletes the opportunity to represent their region as athletes."

McNab said Whanganui will be fielding teams and next Thursday's Whanganui Secondary Schools Cross Country at Wanganui Collegiate (Thursday, May 26) will be a major selection race for Rotorua.

"Relays are a popular part of the sport. The Wellington Colleges Relays held last week again attracted big entries and has been an important race for Wanganui Collegiate athletes.

"The teams of 2016 made an encouraging start to the campaign with the Collegiate junior and senior girls teams winning their grades. Caitlyn Alabaster and Jane Lennox were fourth and fifth in their respective junior and senior grades."