NZ Cross Country titles for Cross and Chignell

Lisa Cross and Oli Chignell won the senior titles at the New Zealand Cross Country Champs at a very muddy North Grenada Park in Wellington on Sunday.

Cross went straight to the font of the womens field from fellow Aucklander Penny Peskett and Otagos Rebecca Greene on the first of five laps in the 10km race.

Peskett (41) worked hard over the middle stages of the race to make up the 30 metre deficit and grab a five metre lead at the half way mark but 35 year old Robertson fought back to grab the lead and went on to extend the margin to win by 23 seconds.

The mens race was a fascinating affair with first Cameron Graves, then Peter Wheeler (both Auckland),and Oli Chignell (Otago) taking turns on the pace in the difficult conditions. Daniel Balchin (Canterbury) and Joshua Baan (Otago) were also in the leading bunch for the early stages of the race.

Baan was the first to crack, and then Graves fell off the pace when Chignell applied the pressure at the 6km mark.

As Chignell pressed the pace, only Wheeler was able to respond, but the diminutive 20 year old Otago runner who was a surprise winner of the 2017 Under 20 title was not to be denied and went on to win his second senior title (the first was the 5000m track in 2018) with a margin of 16 seconds, with another 26 seconds back to Graves who worked hard to overhaul Balchin.

The Under 20 titles went to Canterbury teammates Christopher Dryden and Navajo Prentice while Under 18 winners were Liam Back (Manawatu/Wanganui) and Aimee Fergusson (Waikato BOP).

Results:

Men.-

Senior 10km: Oli Chignell (Otago) 36m 6s 1, Peter Wheeler (Akld) 36m 22s 2, Cameron Graves (Akld) 36m 48s 3. Teams; Auckland 1, Otago 2, Wellington 3.

Masters 8km: 35-39; Nick Pannett (Akld) 31m 26s 1, Nathan Foley (Taranaki) 32m 23s 2, Tom Bland (Wgtn) 33m 51s 3. 40-44; Steve Rees-Jones (WaikBoP) 30m 10s 1, Stephen Day (Wgtn) 30m 46s 2, Brian Garmonsway (Wgtn) 31m 20s 3. 45-49; Todd Stephens (Wgtn) 33m 2s 1, Shane Reed (Manwtu/Wang) 33m 30s 2, Dean Chiplin (WaikBoP) 33m 32s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Auckland 2, Canterbury 3. 50-54; Anthony Broadhead (WaikBoP) 33m 18s 1, Peter Stevens (Wgtn) 33m 32s 2, Richard Bennett (Cant) 34m 20s 3. 55-59; Alastair Prangnell (Akld) 34m 10s 1, Graeme Butcher (Wgtn) 35m 1s 2, Richard Seigne (Cant) 35m 9s 3. 60-64; Geoff Anderson (Otago) 36m 13s 1, Tony Price (Wgtn) 37m 9s 2, Steve Bligh (Olympic) 48m 43s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Auckland 2, Canterbury 3.

Masters 6km: 65-69; Graeme Lear (Nelson) 28m 15s 1, Gavin Smith (WaikBoP) 30m 5s 2, John Thomson (Otago) 30m 46s 3. 70-74; Trevor Ogilvie (WaikBoP) 31m 9s 1, Brian Hayes (Wgtn) 32m 55s 2, John Skinnon (Wgtn) 33m 25s 3. 75+; Peter Ellis (Kapiti) 43m 47s 1, Ray Wallis (Aurora) 55m 18s 2.

U/20 8km: Christopher Dryden (Cant) 29m 52s 1, Connor Melton (Cant) 30m 5s 2, Kane Elms (HBG) 30m 28s 3. Teams; Canterbury 1, Wellington 2, Tasman 3.

U/18 6km: Liam Back (Manwtu/Wang) 21m 51s 1, Murdoch McIntyre (Akld) 21m 59s 2, Taonga Mbambo (Cant) 22m 7s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Manawatu Wanganui 2, Auckland 3.

U/15 3km: Joseph Morgan (Ham) 11m 42s 1, Charlie Hazlett (Port Hills) 11m 48s 2, Jack Julian (Olympic) 11m 50s 3.

U/13 2km: Jack Erikson (Pt Chev) 8m 41s 1, Max Poland (Trentham) 8m 46s 2, Joe Martin (Karori) 8m 47s 3.

U/11 2km: George Gray (Wgtn) 9m 8s 1, Max Tebbutt (Trentham) 9m 20s 2, Samuel Rickerby (Pak) 9m 23s 3.

Women.-

Senior 10km: Lisa Cross (Akld) 41m 38s 1, Penny Peskett (Akld) 42m 1s 2, Rebekah Greene (Otago) 43m 50s 3. Teams; Auckland 1, Wellington 2, Canterbury 3.

Masters 6km: 35-39; Carla Denneny (Wgtn) 29m 15s 1, Bridie Hart (Akld) 30m 13s 2, Sally Duffy (Wgtn) 30m 32s 3. 40-44; Johanna Buick (Cant) 28m 17s 1, Michelle Hopkins (Akld) 29m 31s 2, Nicola Hankinson (Wgtn) 29m 53s 3. 45-49; Paula Canning (Nelson) 28m 46s 1, Kate Jenkins (Wgtn) 30m 21s 2, Andrea Harris (Wgtn) 33m 26s 3. 50-54; Maggie Chorley (Cant) 29m 56s 1, Ariana Summers (Cant) 31m 7s 2, Jan Sheppard (Wgtn) 33m 54s 3. 55-59; Sally Gibbs (WaikBoP) 28m 36s 1, Carolyn Smith (Akld) 31m 6s 2, Christine Lear (Nelson) 35m 49s 3. 60-64; Margie Peat (Akld) 31m 17s 1, Michele Allison (Wgtn) 35m 4s 2, Karen Crossan (Akld) 35m 47s 3. 65+; Margaret Flanagan (Chch) 37m 5s 1, Kathy Howard (WaikBoP) 37m 5s 2, Joy Baker (Taranaki) 39m 2s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Canterbury 2, Auckland 3.

U/20 6km: Navajo Prentice (Cant) 26m 47s 1, Jayme Maxwell (Wgtn) 27m 58s 2, Georgia Shinn (Cant) 28m 45s 3.

U/18 4km: Aimee Ferguson (WaikBoP) 16m 36s 1, Rebecca Baker (Manwtu/Wang) 16m 42s 2, Sarah Lambert (Manwtu/Wang) 16m 53s 3. Teams; Waikato Bay of Plenty 1, Wellington 2, Manawatu Wanganui 3.

U/15 3km: Bella Earl (Whang) 12m 51s 1, Edie Kozyniak (Wgtn) 13m 4s 2, Eliza Squire (Wgtn) 13m 36s 3.

U/13 2km: Bridie Restieaux (Cant) 9m 19s 1, Phoebe Gray (Wgtn) 9m 32s 2, Samantha Lascelles (Cant) 9m 36s 3.

U/11 2km: Amy Hurly (NHB) 9m 23s 1, Liliani Cuevas-Haxton (Kapiti) 9m 24s 2, Annabel Tuck (Olympic) 9m 39s 3.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand