Wellington athletes perform well over the two day NZSS Cross Country Championships
Some strong individual performances and excellent Wellington team performances by school and regional Wellington Centre teams were achieved in both days of competition action at Massey University in the 49th National Secondary School Cross Country.
On Saturday in the individual races medals went to Madison Wos taking gold with a determined run in the Year 9 girls over 3km, Toby Ireland took gold for T11 Para athletes over 2km. In the year 9 boys race of 3km, Xavier James took a silver medal as did Desmond Reddy in the Junior boys over 4km. In the Senior girls in what was possibly the strongest field on the day Ava Sutherland lead in her team mate Kate McHardy to secure the bronze medal behind last year’s runner up and 2022 Junior title holder Boh Ritchie.
Scoring for podium places with School 3 person and 6 person teams saw Wellington GIrls College dominate the medal haul with senior [under19] and junior [under16] girls securing the 3 & 6 person golden double, and their year 9 team taking silver in the three person count. Likewise Wellington College gained a silver double in the Junior teams race for 3 & 6 person teams count and achieving a golden double with year 9 Boys for the 3 & 6 person teams scores.
On Sunday when athletes were selected to represent their regional centre teams to compete in 4 person x 2.0 km relay event the Year 9 teams took the Girls and Mixed team golds and silver in year 9 Boys. In Junior’s Wellington centre teams won gold in Boys and Mixed teams and silver in the Girls division. In the senior grades the Wellington girls team after having an early lead had to surrender to Waikato BOP’s exceptional Boh Ritchie and sette for silver, while the Senior boys took bronze.
Overall Wellington achieved five individual medals, ten School teams medals and eight Centre teams medals
Saturday Results:
Girls:
Senior 4km: Catherine Lund (Otago Girls’) 14:11 1, Boh Ritchie (St Peter’s) 14:28 2, Ava Sutherland (Wellington Girls’) 14:37 3, Kate McHardy (Wellington Girls’) 14:43 4, Teams 3 person: Wellington Girls’ 1, Whanganui Collegiate 2, St Cuthbert’s 3. 6 person: Wellington Girls’ 1, Whanganui Collegiate 2, St Peter’s 3.
Junior 3km: Imogen Barlow (St Kentigern) 11:01 1, Scarlett Robb (St Cuthbert’s) 11:04 2, Sarah Hellyer (Onehunga High) 11:10 3,
Teams 3 person: Wellington Girls’ 1, Whanganui Collegiate 2, Sacred Heart Wgtn 3. 6 person: Wellington Girls’ 1, Whanganui Collegiate 2, Sacred Heart N/Ply 3.
Year 9 3km: Madison Wos (Sacred Heart Wgtn) 11:29 1, Paige Dobson (Napier Girls) 11:29 2, Sophie Lampe (St Andrews) 11:33 3, Maddie Worrall (Diocesan) 11:38 4, Indie Williams (Diocesan) 11:47 5, Zoe Hilton (Upper Hutt) 11:53 6.
Teams 3 person: Diocesan 1, Wellington Girls’ 2, Baradene 3. 6 person: St Peter’s 1, New Plymouth Girls’ 2, Nga Tawa Diocesan 3.
Boys:
Senior 6km: Daniel Prescott (St Thomas of Canterbury) 19:02 1, Daniel Sinclair (Whanganui Collegiate) 19:07 2, Elliott Pugh (Bethlehem) 19:17 3. Teams 3 person: Auckland Grammar School 1, Westlake Boys’ 2, Whanganui Collegiate 3. 6 person: Westlake Boys’ 1, Auckland Grammar School 2, Whanganui Collegiate 3.
Junior 4km: Ben Oxford (Macleans) 13:01 1, Desmond Reddy (Rongotai) 13:11 2, Corban Holmes (Tauranga Boys’) 13:26 3. Teams 3 and 6 person: Westlake Boys’ 1, Wellington College 2, New Plymouth Boys’ 3.
Year 9 3km: Sam Ruthe (Tauranga Boys’) 10:06 1, Xavier James (Wellington College) 10:31 2, Max McGregor (St Peter’s Gore) 10:33 3.Teams 3 person: Wellington College 1, Auckland Grammar School 2, Tauranga Boys’ 3. 6 person: Wellington College 1, Westlake Boys’ 2, Tauranga Boys’ 3.
Para Athlete: Senior 2km: Luis Douglas (Havelock North) 7:34 1, Josh Rae (Papanui) 8:50 2, Lachlan Oakes (Papanui) 10:37 3,
Teams 3 person: Papanui High 1.Junior 2km: Toby Ireland (Hutt Valley) 9:08 1.
Sunday Results:
Regional Interprovincial 8km Cross Country Teams Relay
Year Nine Girls: Wellington 32:41, Auckland 33:35, East Coast North Island 35:20.
Year Nine Boys: Waikato Bay of Plenty 30:00, Wellington 30:39, Canterbury 31:36.
Year Nine Mixed: Wellington 33:54, Waikato Bay of Plenty 37:58.
Junior Girls: Auckland 31:38, Wellington 32:46, Canterbury 33:57.
Junior Boys: Wellington 29:06, Waikato Bay of Plenty 29:32, Taranaki 29:41.
Junior Mixed: Wellington 32:36, Southland 32:44, Aoraki 33:29.
Senior Girls: Waikato Bay of Plenty 31:42, Wellington 31:59, Southland 32:04.
Senior Boys: Canterbury 27:02, Waikato Bay of Plenty 27:08, Wellington 37:52.
Senior Mixed: Whanganui 29:43, Otago 29:45, Waikato Bay of Plenty 30:51.
Para Athlete 4km: Canterbury 22:09, Canterbury 22:50.
