Sport shorts
Neve McKenzie won the national under-19 road race. Photo supplied.
Neve at the double
Marlborough cyclist Neve McKenzie, pictured speeding towards the finish line in the road race, is a double national champion after winning both the under-19 road race and time trial at the Elite Road National Championships in Timaru.
On Thursday, Neve claimed the time trial title over the 14.8km course by an 18-second margin, in a time of 25.01 minutes.
The following day she went back-to-back, winning the road race in a sprint finish by five seconds. The 69km race, contested over three circuits, remained tight until the final climb, where Neve proved the strongest.
Neve’s brother Finn also competed, finishing 10thin the under-23 men’s time trial. In the elite men’s road race former Marlburian Ethan Batt, now riding in China, finished 29th, while Lachlan McNabb, soon bound for another season in Europe, came 39th in a world class field.
Rower calls time
Wairau rower Tristan Gregory-Hunt has called time on a successful career, which earned him national honours. Health issues prompted him to hang up his oars after 14 years on the water.
He began his career with the Hawke’s Bay Rowing Club, then rowed for the Victoria University club in Wellington, gaining a place in the NZ University team which took on Australia. In 2016 he moved to Marlborough and hooked up with the Wairau club, winning his first national medal in 2017, in the club single.
The following year he joined the Central RPC squad as an elite lightweight and had a stellar career thereafter, coming close to making the cut for the Tokyo Olympics. In 2020 Tristan won gold in the men's premier single sculls at the South Island champs, then followed up in 2023 with victory in the men's club singles sculls and silver in the men's eight.
Dr Dave does it
Dave Edgar has claimed the Triple Crown of New Zealand long-distance swimming, crossing Foveaux Strait on Saturday in nine hours 52 minutes. Dave started at 8am from his foothold on Stewart Island, touching down on the Mainland around 5.50pm.
Although the swim distance was 28km, point-to-point, with prevailing tides and sea conditions Dave covered 32.6km.
He said he saw no sharks as he surged through the 14 degree water.
To achieve the Triple Crown, swimmers must cover the length of Lake Taupo, cross Cook Strait and complete the Foveaux Strait journey.
Old Boys basketball
Two Marlborough Boys’ College Old Boys basketball teams relished taking on their Nelson counterparts in the inaugural Old Boys Cup tournament, played in Nelson on February 1-2. Teams played three pool games before meeting to decide final standings. Both MBCOB teams won two out of three pool games and then met each other in a play-off for third and fourth, the Blue team prevailing.
MBCOB results: Nayland 93 MBC White 69, Nelson College OB 95 MBC Blue 74, MBC White 70 ABC North 56, MBC Blue 105 ABC Tasman 53, MBC White 68 ABC South 62, MBC Blue 78 ABC World 64, MBC Blue 95 MBC White 67.
Final standings: 1 Nayland, 2 Nelson College OB, 3 MBCOB Blue, 4 MBCOB White.
Marlborough players Toby Baker, Blake Love and Leon Wightwick were selected for the under-23 Tournament team while Matt Pigou was chosen in the All Star Tournament team.