The standout individual performance came from Christian Conder, who next month will wear his first New Zealand singlet when he runs for New Zealand Schools in the Australian Championships in Melbourne.
In finishing second in the combined Junior (under 20) and Youth race to the in-form junior Wellingtonian Marcus Karamonalis, Conder further highlighted his progress in the sport. After 3000 metres of the 5000-metre race Conder was comfortably ahead of his fellow Under 18 competitors and worked hard over the second part of the race to hold off challenges.
His time over the undulating course of 16 minutes 11 seconds, although 13 seconds behind Karamonalis, was better than all the other athletes including two who had finished ahead of Conder at NZSS in Dunedin.
These included Harry Ewing, who had placed third in Dunedin, and the fifth-placed Jared Lautenslager (Conder had finished 7th).
This performance in defeating team mates provides a confidence boost for Conder before the Australian trip.
It is interesting to note that the winner of the race, Marcus Karamonalis, had competed for New Zealand Schools in both Adelaide and Tasmania and has built an outstanding season on these earlier experiences.
The senior race was won by Matt Baxter, a former New Zealand Schools representative in Australia. The incentives and career path are clearly laid out for Conder.
Top 10 performances from Wanganui athletes include a fourth from Damien Wood in the men's walk, Briley Zimmerman (6th in the junior women's grade), Caitlyn Alabaster (7th in the Girls 14 Grade), Ashleigh Alabaster (9th in 12 Grade), Morgan Murray (9th in the Boys 12 Grade) and Sophie McCartney (10th in the Girls 12 Grade).
The club competing in all age groups highlights that cross country and athletics are very much family sports that allow athletes of all ages to travel and compete together on the same day at the same venue.
Last month I mentioned the World University Championships and I will be watching with interest the performances of the large New Zealand Team in Korea that has just got under way.
I mentioned the incentive that this provides for post-secondary schools athletes including Max Attwell, Geordie Beamish and Josh Ledger, who should include the 2017 World Universities as a major goal.
I should also have added William Smart to this list. Smart left Wanganui Collegiate School at the end of 2013 as a promising, if injured, sprinter.
Smart struggled through the remainder of the 2013-2014 season, rescuing a 200-metre bronze at the 2014 New Zealand Junior Championships.
He enrolled himself at a school in the USA that had a strong track and field record.
He worked hard stateside and by May this year he was back to just about his pre-injury 2013 form. I heard from him last week on his return to New Zealand.
The Ashhurst-based athlete is now training with leading Palmerston North sprinters and has high goals. These should include the next World University Championships.
