Athletics: Whanganui success at New Zealand Cross Country Championships

Daniel Sinclair (left) in action at Taupō.

On a damp final day in Scotland, it was good to catch up with the live stream of the New Zealand Cross Country Championships from a sunny and crisp Spa Park in Taupo. The venue looked stunning and provided an outstanding and demanding cross-country venue.

It was even better that the first athlete I saw on screen was Whanganui’s Sally Gibbs winning her 60-64 age grade. Gibbs highlighted her quality by finishing third of all Master’s women competing from the 35-39 grade upwards in the combined race.

Gibbs finished the six kilometres over the Spa Park hills in 24 minutes 26 seconds. Bex Sharratt provided the other Whanganui individual medal by finishing second in the 40-44 age grade.

Unfortunately, with live streaming the camera tends to follow just the leading runners and it is only at the start and a few further glances of the field later that it is possible to follow the progress of other runners. I have had to rely on the results and calls from athletes the next day to get a more complete picture.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Sinclair, who had finished second in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in June, ran over 8km for only the second time in the under-20 grade (the New Zealand Schools was run over 6km.

Sinclair, who is hoping to peak at the end of the month when he runs for New Zealand in Canberra for New Zealand Schools in the Australian Championships, finished a highly credible fourth. Completing the 8km in 26 minutes 29 seconds only seven seconds off the podium.

Sinclair had a conservative start but encouragingly came through well in the second half of the race suggesting that the longer distance had not presented a problem.

Sinclair will be joined in the New Zealand team in Canberra by Whanganui Collegiate School teammate Amy McHardy who finished seventh in the under-18 women’s race running in Wellington colours.

McHardy continued her close battles with Louise Brabyn in Taupō reversing the order on the same course in Taupō at the North Island Championships (Brabyn finished tenth ) McHardy was a member of the winning Wellington Centre Team while Brabyn joined with Manawatu-based runners to take team silver for MWA with 15-year-old Greta Darke finishing as fifth runner just missing a team medal on her Athletics New Zealand Cross Country Championship debut.

Toby Caro was the leading Whanganui runner in a strong, under-18 field in ninth place in 20 minutes 22 seconds for the 6km race – the fastest he has run that distance over cross country.

He was part of the bronze medal MWA team (Alec Ball, 10th – Feilding – and his two Whanganui teammates, Oliver Jones - 20th and Matthew Sinclair - 33rd).

On return to New Zealand on Tuesday evening, I received the further good news that following Caro’s performance and the withdrawal of an existing New Zealand team member Caro has been added to the 24-strong team and will be joining his Whanganui Collegiate School teammates Sinclair and McHardy in Australia later this month.

The team aspect of cross country is important and probably is one that needs greater emphasis. At New Zealand Schools, it is the competitive nature of teams competition that adds both flavour and depth to the fields.

Runners such as Matthew Sinclair and Oliver Jones (mentioned above) gain reward for competing and team awards also encourages larger entries. Perhaps if the scoring team numbers were reduced from four to the New Zealand Schools’ three there might be entry from all 11 centres.

Adding the possibility of representing both club and centre within one race, could offer a whole larger dimension and further increase entries across grades.

The mixed club relays on Sunday will, I am certain, grow in popularity. Whanganui Harriers finished fourth in the Masters’ Grades with the team of Scott Witney, Di Matthews, Rob Conder and Mignon Stevenson

Other Whanganui runners who finished in the top 20 at the weekend that have not been mentioned above include:

• Aiden Billing (Under 14 boys) 15th
• Hannah Byam (Under 16 Women) 14th
• David Sinclair (Under 16 Men) 17th
• Brendon Sharratt (Masters’ 40-44) 15th
• Paula Conder (Masters’ Women 45-49) seventh
• Di Matthews (Masters’ Women 55-59) fifth.

Last week I mentioned the disappointment for Eliza McCartney not being invited to the London Diamond League. She responded in the best way possible by producing her third best-ever vault at Schifflange, Luxembourg with what was her best vault for four years.

Her winning 4.85 vault would have won in London and comes at the right time prior to this month’s World Championships in Budapest.