Report by Don Willoughby

Many Hawks members took part in the 44th NZSSCC held on the old Ascott Green golf course near QE2 Christchurch. In the words of Dick Quax whose son ran 5th in the senior boys race the undulating course was “hard and fast”. With 900 entrants from 130 schools any top 10 places were hard earned in very large and competitive fields which attracted the nations top teenage distance talent.  Best Hawks run came from St Peters School  Charli Miller who won the 3km junior girls race with the biggest  winning margin of 18 seconds in 10.43. Led by Charli in the 3 person teams race St Peters took a silver medal with excellent back up runs from Jemina Antoniazzi  in 12^th in 11.30 and Holly Williams 36^th. Baradene won gold with 29 with St Peters  next on 48 and well clear for the silver. The senior boys raced over 6km and what a race it was with the narrow Hamilton Garden result reversed when Sam Tanner Bethlehem sprinted with 200 to go and beat Isaiah Priddey Hamilton Boys into second with favourite last year’s winner Nick Moulai 3^rd . In the 3 person teams race Hamilton Boys scored bronze with Patrick Dowd 28 and Cnnor Tristram 41 giving Ham Boys 71 behind Westlake Boys 28 and New Plymouth Boys 67. It was a super run by Isaiah who sets off for Bahamas next week. Sam Montgomery St Peters School ran a solid 19^th in the same race. The Waikato Diocesan senior girls were national champions in the 3 person teams race led by a super run from Grace Ritchie over 4km for 9^th with Aimee Ferguson Rototuna on the same time in 10^th. Grace was well supported by excellent team running from Hannah 16^th and Emily Irvine 33 to total 58 and finished ahead of Wanganui Collegiate on 81. Many other club members also took part and their time and place can be seen on the Athletics NZ website.

On Sunday the regional 5 x 2km relays were held on the same course and a number of Hawks members figured prominently as outlined below. The WBOP senior boys were led off by national champion Sam Tanner and his 5.52 clocking was the fastest time for the day. Sam Montgomerie ran a quick lap 2 in 6.02 Connor Tristram 6.16 handed on the Isaiah Priddey who cruised the last lap in 6.06 to give WBOP a crushing 37 second win. Charli Miller led out the junior girls and her FT 6.57 was the quickest of the juniors and led her team to third. WBOP also scored a third in the senior girls and Grace Richie 7.10 and Leah Fergusson 7.08 made excellent quick legs for their team.