Victoria University Wellington [VUW] Club dominate Senior titles
The Victoria University of Wellington Club cemented their place as the club that has shown the greatest competitive development in the Winter events over the last few years. The Wellington cross country champs were successfully staged within 2 hours with four distinct race distances for the various age grades. Under 10’s ran 1km, 12 & 14 years old completed 2km. The older Masters grades of Women 50 + and Men 60+ and youth grades completing 4km. Open Men, Women, Under 20 Men, Masters Men Under 60 and Masters Women Under 50 all ran 8km.
Eric Speakman led the comprehensive VUW team effort claiming the Senior men’s title ahead of Palmerston North visitor Isaac Murphy and first year VUW senior Joshua Fitzgerald, and Men’s Under 20 winner Lorcan Rabbitte who came through in fourth. The Senior bronze medallist went to Nathan Tse. Max Taylor 7th and Matt Croxford 10th gave VUW half of the top ten finishers in the 8km race. Tom Strawbridge who finished 18th in the race ensured the club took the teams title with top six to count.
Maia Flint [VUW] continued her very successful season dominating the women’s race with 90 second victory over Andrea Peat [WHAC] and Deb Lynch [Olympic]. Flint’s club mates Issy Coombes 7th, Rain Milne 9th, Charlotte Carpenter 10th completed the club quartet as a strong team with top four athletes counting in all grades except Open Men.
The 4km race line honours went to well performing school athlete Joe Martin [Scottish] in a well-executed tactical race ahead Olympic club pair of Desmond Reddy and Logan Hopfler. Women’s honours in the 4km race went to Jessica McKenzie [Hutt Valley Harriers] for the WU18 title and Maddison Wos [Trentham United] was 2nd in the race taking Gold in Under 16 division, while Poppy Healy [WHAC] crossed 3rd to take silver in WU18.
In other age grades there was a notable family double with Kapiti sisters Mia in the Girls 14 and Lucie Thomson in Girls 12 years taking top honours.
The strong turnout by the Olympic club was rewarded with team titles for Under 18, Under 16 and Under 14 Girls, Women Masters 50+, Under 16, Under 12 and Under 10 Boys. Wellington Harrier Athletic Club [WHAC] took team titles for Masters Men 60 and Men 70 and Boys Under 14
Leading Results were:
8km:
SM; Eric Speakman (Victoria) 25:30, Isaac Murphy [Palmerston North]26:16, Joshua Fitzgerald (Harrier Athletic) 26.23, Nathan Tse (WHAC) 26:34.
SW; Maia Flint (Victoria) 30:55, Andrea Peat (WHAC) 32:23, Deborah Lynch (Olympic) 32:37.
MM; Hiro Tanimoto (Scottish) 26:48, Ryan Woolley (Scottish) 27:16, Edd Charlton-Weedy (Trentham) 27:34.
MW; Mel Brandon (Scottish) 33:20, Catriona Thurston (Olympic) 34:36, Sally McGrandle (WHAC) 36:10.
MU/20; Lorcan Rabbitte (Victoria) 26:31, Wilson Li (WHAC) 27:19, Max Doherty (Olympic) 27:39.
4km:
WU/18; Jessica Mckenzie (Hutt Valley) 14:56, Poppy Healy (WHAC) 15:05, Issy de Hair (Olympic) 16:09.
MU/18; Joe Martin (Scottish) 12:48, Desmond Reddy (Olympic) 12:56, Logan Hopfler (Olympic) 13:20.
GU/16; Madison Wos (Trentham) 15:02, Olivia Mcdowell (Olympic) 15:07, Emma Lowden (Olympic) 15:15.
BU/16; Alexander MacBeth (WHAC) 13:34, Jack Gregory (Olympic) 13:55, Tom Pescini (Olympic) 14:08.
MM 60+; Peter Stevens (Scottish) 14:37, Paul Hewitson (Scottish) 15:04, Graeme Butcher (Masterton) 15:59.
2km:
GU/14; Mia Thomson (Kapiti) 7:02, Isobel Thurston (Olympic) 7:19, Kiana Wealleans (Trentham) 7:21.
BU/14; Ovin Angammana (Olympic) 7:09, Kingsley Mcguigan (WHAC) 7:11, Lucas Kendrick (WHAC) 7:16.
GU/12; Lucie Thomson 7:12, Lucia Harfitt 7:19, Emily Williams 7:48.
BU/12; Andrew Thurston 7:20, Nikos Kapoutsis 7:24, Sanjith Aditya Ragunath 7:38.
1km
Boys U10; 1 Cooper Williams (Olympic) 4:07 2 Carter Burtt (Olympic) 4:16 3 Matthew Jenkins (Olympic) 4:17
Girls U10; 1 Taya Hines (Trentham United) 4:49, 2Poppy Penny (Trentham United ) 5:15, 3 Jessa Blundell i(Trentham United ) 5.18
Lead photos courtesy of Rowan Greig
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