Aquinas College Year 8 student Sean Curragh, 12, was first home in the under-16 division with Year 7 student Hugo McCarroll, 11, second in the 10k race at last Sunday's Mount Joggers and Walkers event.
Both boys ran smart times with Sean clocking in at 41m 34s and Hugo 45:22 in their first official 10k race.
Sean's time was third fastest out of 306 runners of all ages.
By Peter White
It has been a memorable week for the athletics programme at Aquinas College.
Last Saturday the Year 9 boys' team cleaned up the best schools at the Waikato and Bay of Plenty cross country championships in Hamilton, while a day later, two younger athletes made quite an impression at a major event at Mount Maunganui.
Year 8 student Sean Curragh, 12, was first home with Year 7 student Hugo McCarroll, 11, second in the under-16 division 10km race at the Mount Joggers and Walkers event.
Both boys ran smart times with Sean clocking in at 41m 34s and Hugo 45m 22s in their first official 10km race.
When the overall results from the 306 runners in the field were calibrated Sean's time was third-fastest overall and Hugo's was 21st.
Only winner Regan Bones, 24, and Brendon Keenan, 42, ran faster than Sean. Bones won the Mauao Half Marathon in February while Keenan is a seasoned ultra-distance runner who has represented New Zealand.
"I was pretty happy with it. I just tried my best and came out with that time but I was not expecting to go that fast. It was a pretty big surprise," Sean said.
"I wasn't really going into the race thinking I will try for a place. I just wanted to do my best and come out with a good result and that's what happened. I was stoked.
"We did most of it on the road down to the end of Marine Parade and then we turned back. My favourite part was probably just starting to go up the Mount and then coming back down and seeing the finish line."
Hugo had no idea how he would go with not having raced the distance before, but keeping up a strong pace over the full distance was no problem.
"I didn't really know how to pace myself so I just ran off and did my best," Hugo said.
"[Sean] and I started together but only went for about 10m before he took off. He was too fast to catch. I am happy with how it went. It was awesome."
Running is just one of several sports that Sean and Hugo are into.
"I have rugby training two nights a week and it has really helped me with my running and fitness," Hugo said.
"Maybe when I am a bit older I may look at half-marathon."
Sean is into football, surf lifesaving, skateboarding, basketball and surfing.
He said he got plenty of encouragement from the older runners around him.
"Two of them [Matthew Hausman and Corbus Botha] came up to me at the end and said 'great race'. I had a chat to them which was good."
The AIMS Games in September is the next big challenge for Sean and Hugo.
"I am really excited for it. I did it last year and came out with a good result," Sean said.
"I got 16th [in cross country] so I am going to try my best and come out with an even better result."
It will be Hugo's first AIMS Games and it can't come soon enough for him.
"I am really excited. It should be fun," he said with a big smile.
TEAM EFFORT: The champion Aquinas College Year 9 boys' cross country team. PHOTO: ANDREW WARNER
Meanwhile in Hamilton six runners from Aquinas College won the Year 9 boys' cross country race against the top 18 schools from Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Reece McCarthy, Tom McCarroll, Brayden Dew, Fergus Glubb, Jakob Eberlein and Joseph Vincent took on and defeated the pride of secondary school runners from the regions.
The top three runners for Aquinas in Reece, Tom and Brayden all finished in the top six to win with an aggregate of 12 points, well ahead of second-placed Hamilton Boys' High School (31) with St Peter's School third (45).
Aquinas College sports co-ordinator Danneke Dorrington said the performance at Hamilton Gardens was outstanding.
"We rate this really, really highly. It is an amazing achievement as we have a roll of about 800. These guys were hand-selected from our cross country event," she said.
"They trained really hard. It is full reward for dedication and passion for running. Maybe we will look to take these guys to nationals and look forward to them doing well for a few more years to come."
