In good running conditions and on a testing course in Gisborne the Athletics Hawke’s Bay Gisborne cross country champs were hosted by the Gisborne Harrier Club on Saturday afternoon.
In a closely contested race Napier Harriers Lucas Duross held off his club mate Kristian Day to take out the senior men’s title over 10k in 38min 17sec with 1 second back to Day. Third place was secured by Napier’s Campbell MacDonald in 46min 31sec.
Ruby Muir, also Napier Harriers, easily won the senior women’s race, also over 10k, in 42min 37sec. Laura Nagel could not make the trip due to a minor injury. With Laura there it would have made a more interesting race with Ruby.
Lucas, Kristian, Ruby and Laura have all been selected to run the National Cross Country Champs in Auckland on 7 August.
In the men’s master’s grade run over 8k Steve Morrow from Gisborne Harriers won this grade in 32min 31sec from Phil McKay Hastings in 35min 03sec with Napier’s Craig Mathers taking out the 3rd position in 36min 07sec.
Gisborne Harriers had a clean sweep in the ladies masters grade run over 6k with Nadine McKinnon placing 1st in 30min 45sec, Katie Edwards 2nd in 31min 13sec and Nicole Iremonger 3rd in 40min 06sec.
Napier Harriers replicated this clean sweep in the Boys 16/18 and under grade with first year runners William Little placing 1st in 24min 54sec from Ronan Lee being only 28sec behind over the 6k distance in 25min 22sec with Alex Langley taking out the 3rd position in 27min 31sec.
Gisborne’s Briana Irving, one of the top 14 year olds in the country won her grade over 4k in 16min 38sec followed by Napier Harrier’s Alia Wentz in 18min 37sec with Hastings United runner Ruby Brett filling the 3rd spot in 19min 49sec. Ollie Marshall, Napier Harriers, won the boys 14 and under race, also over 4k in 15min 54sec with club mate Jonathon Moore taking out 2nd in 19min 36sec.
In the 12 year and under races run over 2k Chloe Kapene from Gisborne won the race in 9min 16sec followed by Napier’s Stella Marshall in 9min 26sec with Gisborne’s Tui Ruiflok placing 3rd in 9min 39sec. In the boy’s race Charlie Roil from Hastings continued his good form to win in 8min 28sec from Napier’s Harry Brenton-Rule in 8min 40sec who had a close tussle with his club mate Oliver Berry to finish only 2sec behind in 8min 42sec.
Written by Wayne Smith
