Travel woes add to race challenges

RUNNERS-UP: The Wanganui Collegiate senior girls teams won silver in both three and six-to-score team events. Kitty Cleary (left) (six-to-score ), Jane Lennox (three and six-to-score), Ruby Redmayne (six-to-score), Alice Bird, (three and six-to-score), Jazmin Phillips (three and six-to-score), Kayla Hanright (six-to-score). PHOTO/SUPPLIED

THE challenges faced by Wanganui athletes competing at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country at the weekend were not confined to the actual races on the Gladfield Golf Course.

The outstanding undulating course was demanding as the 850 runners from throughout New Zealand turned much of the 2000m lap to mud and the cold, if sunny, conditions were not to the liking of many North Island-based athletes. The logistics of travel in midwinter with stormy conditions on Cook Strait, snow in southern Canterbury and heavy rain provided its own challenge. Fortunately we missed the snowstorms with a window of fine weather through Friday until Sunday afternoon meaning that we dodged the worst of the weather. We also dodged the rain at home although the majority of the group who travelled by air to the North Island had to be billeted by families on Sunday in Palmerston North until able to return to Wanganui until Monday. The smaller group of athletes who made the long trip by road and ferry returned without trouble on Monday.

The top Wanganui individual performances came from Christian Conder and Jane Lennox who finished seventh in their respective boys and girls grades. Conder was in a particularly strong field and held with the leaders throughout the first of three laps. At that stage the leading pair Conal Wilson (Auckland Grammar School) and triathlete Dan Hoy (Westlake Boys High School) broke clear. Wilson surged to the lead over the final lap to join his brothers Declan and Finn as senior champions, a unique achievement. Last year Wanganui Collegiate's Geordie Beamish emulated his brother Hugo to win the coveted title but the win this year is the first time three siblings have won the title.

Jane Lennox decided to run up a grade and was rewarded with a heady performance. Lennox relished the undulating course and the extra kilometre of the girl's race was also in her favour as she improved her placing through the second lap.

Both she and Conder were rewarded with selection for the New Zealand Schools team going to Melbourne.

Lennox's performance helped her Collegiate team repeat the silver-medal performance in the three to score teams event. Alice Bird who had a very rare poor run in 38th position was well supported and encouraged by her teammate, Jazmin Phillips, in 39th. Bird and Phillips' determination to finish brought a silver medal in the three-person team event and this performance provided the platform for a silver medal in the six-to-score team event. The other scorers were Kitty Cleary, Ruby Redmayne and Kayla Hanright. With only Club Captain Cleary leaving next year is encouraging for this group. The senior girls have now had back-to-back silver medals and will strive to top the podium next year in Rotorua.

Caitlyn Alabaster in 11th position was the leading Wanganui athlete in the Year 9 Girls event over 3 kilometres. Rebecca Baker of Wanganui High School was 22nd. Alabaster was joined by Libby Abbott 24th and Sophie Redmayne in 28th to claim Wanganui Collegiate's 18th team title and first at Year 9 level in a three to score event. They headed Auckland School Baradene by 9 points with the strong St Cuthbert's combination a further 9 points in arrears. The three Collegiate athletes were joined by Anna Robbie, Miaa Brandon and Sophie Dinwiddie, closely followed by non-scorer Charlotte McKinlay to become Collegiate's 19th title-winning team, emulating the girls of 2012 to win the six-to-score event by two points from St Cuthbert's. These were outstanding performances by seven athletes coming from a cohort of only 23 Year 9 students. The field may have been smaller than in more conveniently located venues but there were no less than 42 schools competing in the grade.

The Junior Girls (under 16) six-to-score rounded off an excellent day for the Collegiate athletes by taking bronze in the six-to-score event. The scorers were Mia Gemmell, Brittney Matthews, Grace Godfrey, Kate Wells, Rebecca Brown and Emma Abraham.

Jack Gay ran well in the Year 9 Boys finishing a creditable 23rd and, other than Conder and Lennox, was the best placed individual Wanganui athlete.