NZ Secondary Schools XC 2015 Results

By Mudlark – aka Don Willoughby

The NZSSCC was held on the Mosgiel golf course south of Dunedin over the weekend and many Hawks members took part for their schools. Entries were down a little owing to the southerly location and although a bitterly cold front had swept through southern NZ a few days before dumping a heavy snowfall, race day was sunny but crisp and heavy underfoot. This event is considered one of the hardest to win on the national school calendar as it usually covers the full spectrum of distance athletes from 800m up.

Isaiah Priddy was the stand out Hawks athlete winning the junior boys 4000 by 5 seconds in 13.47 and leading the Hamilton Boys team to medals – watch his interview here. With Sam Montgomerie in 14th and Connor Tristram in 28th, the 3 person team picked up a silver medal while in the 6 person, a further silver medal was won. In the Year 9 boys 3000 Lochie Montgomrie picked up an excellent 6th. His 11.01 was just 14 seconds behind first and showed potential.

Harry Ewing from St Peters School ran a superb race in the senior boys 6km for 20.32 and a bronze medal in a very competitive large field. Matt Scott (St Peters) was 45th in a field of over 200.

Emerson Deverell (Kings College but a Cambridge resident and Hawks athlete) placed 6th in the Senior Girls 4000. Not a natural mud runner, Emerson’s run was pleasing. Harry and Emerson are both in line to represent the NZSS Cross Country team in the Australian Nationals in Melbourne on the 29th August. Grace Ritchie (Waikato Diocesan, 28th) and Arianna Lord (St Peters School, 35th) also took part in the senior girls.