Moon, Wyatt head Kiwi mountain running teams

Former mountain running world champions Melissa Moon and Jonathan Wyatt head the New Zealand team named yesterday for the championships in Italy in September.

Moon, of Wellington, won the world title in 2001 in Italy and again in 2003 in Alaska.

Wyatt is a six-time world champion, having won in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 in Wellington and last year in Switzerland. He recently married Italian cross-country skier Antonella Confortola, a bronze medallist at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin.

Wyatt will be joined in the senior men's team by national champion Glenn Hughes, 74th in the world championships last year and 12th at the 2000 world junior championships, Dougal Thorburn, Aaron Jackson, James Coubrough and Daniel Clendon.

Lara Phillips, of Christchurch, will join Moon and Rotorua's Sarah Biss in the senior women's team.

Phillips is the New Zealand champion and won the recent Rotorua marathon.

TEAMS

Senior men: Daniel Clendon (Wellington), James Coubrough (Wellington), Glenn Hughes (Wellington), Aaron Jackson (Auckland), Dougal Thorburn (Dunedin), Jonathan Wyatt (overseas based).

Senior women: Sarah Biss (Rotorua), Melissa Moon (Wellington), Lara Phillips (Christchurch).

Junior men: Michael Banks (Auckland).

Junior women: Samantha Blanch (Pukekohe), Melissa Murrihy (Taumarunui), Rochelle Sceats (Hastings).

- NZPA