Cross country kids shine
The Tasman relay team. Photos supplied.
Forty-three Marlborough youngsters attended the 20th annual inter-regional cross country staged at Ascot Park in New Brighton, Christchurch last Friday.
This event is for children in the years 5-8 age group with girls and boys competing to be crowned the best cross country runners in the central region, which consists of Wellington, Canterbury, Tasman and South Canterbury.
The Marlborough runners were part of the 116-strong Tasman contingent, among a total of 415 participants.
Marlborough’s runners competed admirably with numerous top 10 finishes.
Leading the way was year six athlete Reeva MacDonald who went one better than her silver medal last year, claiming gold with an outstanding run. Reeva took the lead at the start of the second lap of the 2km race and never looked back, prevailing by five seconds.
Also making the podium in the year 6 boys division was Ollie Gaudin, who came from lying fifth after the first lap to claim silver medal, unable to reel in the strong runner from Canterbury but only four seconds back.
Reeva and Ollie were the only runners from the Tasman team to reach the podium in the individual programme. Other Marlborough athletes to claim top 10 finishes were Taylor Rayner, 7th, Mikayla Hillgrove, 8th, in the year 5 girls, Louis Guthrie, 7th, year 7 boys and Honor McKenzie, 6th, year 8 girls.
As a result of these performances and being the first Tasman runners home in their age groups Taylor, Sam Molineux, Reeva, Ollie, Louis and Honor were chosen to run in an eight-strong Tasman relay team to race against the other regions. Tasman put up a great fight to pick up a bronze medal, but were unable to match the power of Wellington and Canterbury.
The full Marlborough contingent: Ruby-Lou Battersby, Mikayla Hillgrove, Eleanor Linklater, Harriet Lunn, Charlie MacDonald, Katie Power, Taylor Rayner, Lily Vallely (yr 5 girls); Zack Brent, Levi Brown, George Laugeson, Mason Lloyd, Sam Molineux, Oisin Smith (yr 5 boys); Charlotte Cornelius, Reeva MacDonald, Martha Murchison, Eira Smart (yr 6 girls); Charlie Clarke, Alex Frater, Ollie Gaudin, Denver Hart, Max Murphy, Maxime Remond (yr 6 boys); Georgie Griffiths, Niamh McConnell ( yr 7 girls); Braeden Brent, Arlo Grogan, Louis Guthrie, Charlie Taylor, Willem van der Velden (yr 7 boys); Jemma Anderson, Lily Atkinson, Madison Lunn, Emma March, Honor McKenzie, Poppy Stoker (yr 8 girls); Archie Brae, Tate Carpenter, Henry Molineux, Jock Murphy, Sam Murphy (yr 8 boys).