National Cross Country Individual Championships – Mission Estate Napier
Toby Gualter of the Olympic club was runner up in the Senior men’s race 10km with a strong performance finishing 15 secs a drift of winner Canterbury’s Connor Melton in 32.22.2. Gualter did his share of supporting the pace during the early laps and consolidated to take silver in the final stages. In June Gualter broke the Wellington Half marathon record, next week he returns for his final semester at North Carolina University in the US. Placiings by Eric Speakman 8th, Max Taylor 22nd, and Hiro Tanimoto 24th enabled a Wellington team bronze medal in the senior men.
Maia Flint the sole Wellington team rep placed acreditable 7th overall the Senior Women’s 10km
The Masters grades had a very successful day led home by Men 50+ winner Paul Hewitson leading in all in his division over the 8000m race in 29.17. Seth Campbell, Whana Gordon and Butch Borlase supported Paul to claim the Men’s 50+ teams gold medal.
Katie Jenkins and Bridget Douglas who took silver and bronze respectively as individuals were joined by Michelle van Looy 7th and Victoria Humphries 8th complimenting Jenkins and Douglas for the team Gold medal. In the Masters Women’s 35-49 top finisher was Ayesha Shaefi in 4th place. Top placed in Mens 35-49 was Eddy Charlton-Weedy finishing 5th in 28.49.9 .
Masters Men 65+ medals went to Todd Grieble and Tony Price placing 2nd and 3rd with 26.48.2 and 27.22.0 over the 6km course
An age grade medals went to Matt Meiklejohn of Trentham United with Bronze in Boys 14,
While no individual medals were achieved in the Under 18 Men or Women they both secured team medals. Poppy Healy was 10th, Lucy Hannah 16th, Maia Holden 20th and Issy de Hair 21st claimed the girls bronze with Conor Kemp 5th, Jag Willers 8th, Desmond Reddy 10th, and Logan Hopfler 21st medaling in the Under 18 men’s team
In the Under 20 Women Ava Sutherland was the lead finisher in 7th, while in Men’s 20 they managed a bronze team medal with Max Doherty 9th, Luca Evett 15th, Lorcan Rabbitte 16th and Wilson Li 18th.
National Cross Country Club Relay Championships
On day two of the New Zealand Championships the National Interclub Cross Country Club Relay event is held where clubs enter Mixed Relay Teams to contest the event of 4 x 2000m. The Wellington club of Olympic Harrier and Athletic Club performed exceptionally well across the range of events.
Mixed Masters 50-64 years
1st Olympic Harriers A • B. Borlase, M. Van Looy, D. Gordan, K. Jenkins
2nd WHAC – A • S. Campbell, V. Humphries, P. Hewitson, B. Douglas
Senior Social B relay
1st Trentham United – A • M. Meiklejohn, K. Wealleans, F. Robinson, T. Millar
2nd WHAC B • M. Waterworth, A. Carver, D. Clendon, A. Shafi
Under 16
1st Olympic Harriers – ‘B’ • J. Gregory, J. Moorhead, T. Pescini, H. Wade
Under 18
3rd Olympic Harriers – ‘A’ • L. Hopfler, M. Holden, C. Kemp, L. Hannah
Under 20
1st Olympic Harriers – ‘A’ • R. Mackay, E. Lowden, M. Doherty, A. Sutherland
3rd WHAC ‘A’ • W. Li, L. Davies, L. Evette, S. Anderson
Full results are available here
https://matstiming.anet.live/meets/39039
