Timaru girl beats harrier champion

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 23

Timaru girl beats harrier champion

National women’s crosscountry champion. Mary O’Connor (University) had to be content with second fastest time in the Anglican Block relays at Spencer Park on Saturday She was beaten on time by Mana .Morgan, aged 13, of Timaru, running m her first race in Christchurch this season s! ° ran ,„ is the 1979 Canterbury under-13 cross-country and road running champion and has performed well in inter-secondarv school events on the track and cross-country. Her time for the, testing skm course was 21 minutes one second, 13 seconds ahead of Miss O Connor, who led her team to an easy win the four-lap relay for women. Miss O’Connor was trailed throughout her lap by Aendy Mollison, running unofficially.

It now seems that Miss O’Connor will have no room for complacency if she is to retain her titles this year, with iikelv challenges coming from 'Misses Moran, Mollison, Ann-Marie Keown (University), Debbie Tipper (Avon) and Sue Bruce (New Brighton).

While the University women retained their fastest'time for the fourth successive year, the club’s attempt to win tlie : double were thwarted when Olympic I nudged out University’s 'men bv over a minute after a team change which brought them to the back mark with University and made a race of the open relay of five laps each of 7km. Brian Kennelly took University to the lead on the first lap in a struggle with John Sheddan 'Olympic) but Mike Johnstone had no chance of holding off Alan Thurlow, who gave Olvmpic a commanding lead which it held to the end.

I Third fastest team was Christchurch A, followed by University B with national junior road champion Dave ' Burridge as a very worthy anchor man, taking thiid-fastest time for the day. Burridge is from Northland, and was running in his first race in the south.

Some of the interest of the race was robbed by the absence : of New Brighton’s top runners, but a good sign was the high placings of some of Canterbury’s J younger men, especialiy Dave (Brook, aged 19, of Christchurch, who seemed to revel in the sand ■J to take a brilliant fourth fastest (time. Other youngsters to show 11 out were Barry Hart on the last lap for Olympic I, Bruce Rattray (Christchurch A) and Grant McEwan (University B). The relays were run on handicap. with Toe H taking line honours after giving starts of up to 26 minutes. It had a big margin over second-placed Ashburton B. ■which comfortably headed home University B. Burridge caught Technical Vet runner Preston Stead about 100 m from the tne and Stead had no; show of holding him out. i The Toe H team comprised M. Fraser, R. Dally’, J. Smith, M. Summerlee and S. Scarlett. I First across the line in the: women’s relay was St Martins B; (Ann Rigg. Lou Clark, Jill Corrigan, Lois Richmond). Results were:— MEN Handicap teams. —Toe H C, off 26mins, 2:08:07, 1; Ashburton B,

off 29mins, 2:06:21. 2; University B. off 41 minutes, 1:54:53, 3; Technical Veterans, off go, 2:46:01, 4; University Vets B, off |7mins. 5; Christchurch D, off 22mins. 6. Fastest teams.—Olympic I, ‘1:52:06. 1; University A, 1:53:26.

2; Christchurch A, 1:53:31, 3; University B, 1:54:53. 4; Toe H A, 1:56:33, 5; University C, 1:59:51,

Individual times. —Kennellv 21:28, 1; Thurlow 21:51. 2; Burridge 21:58, 3; Sheddan 21:59, 4; D. Brook (Christchurch) 22:13. 5; G. Donaldson (Christchurch) and B. Hart (Olympic) 22:21. equal 6; B. Rattray (Christchurch: 22:23, 8; G. McEwan (University B> 22:28. 9; W. Kennedy (Christchurch) 22:34. 10; M. Johnstone (University; 22:42, 11; B. Hunter (University) 22:44, 12; G. Anderson (Timaru) 22:51, 13; D. Macdonald (Olympic) 22:53. 14; A. Sinclair (Ashburton) 22:56. 15; I. McGregor (Olympic) 22:55, 16; J. Stark (University) and B. Taylor (University) 22:59. equal 17; G. Whiting (Ashburton) 23.01, 19; C. Kitchingman (Olympic) 23.02, 20.

Veteran men’s teams. —Christchurch A 2:08:43, 1; University A 2:12:58, 2; Olympic I 2:15:08, 3. Fastest times.—V. Sykes (Christchurch) 24:01, 1; C. Dillimore (Olympic) 25:31, 2; R. McLean (Christchurch) 25:41, 3; D. Cameron (St Martins) 2.->:49. 4; iR. Perry (Christchurch) 25:52, 5; A. Williams (United) 25:56, 6; I. Sim (University) 25:57, 7; H. Marquet (St Martins) 26:00, 8. (Note: results only from veterans running in veteran teams.) Boys.—Under 18: D. Ellis (Christchurch) 18:48, 1; A. Holdlison (University) 19:26. 3. Team: stock (United) 19:23. 2; G. MolUnitcd. Under 16; P. Baxter (United) 19:51, 1; D. Drummond (Toe H) 21:01, 2; K. Fox (United) 21:06. 3. Team: United. Under 14: S. Nalder (Cashmere) 21:51, 1; K. Daly (Rovers) 22:40, 2; D. Stephenson (Toe H) 23:24, 3. Team: Toe H. WOMEN Handicap teams. —St Martins B, 1:49:27. I; Rovers, 1:52:09, 2; Avon, 1:31:59, 3. Fastest teams. —University A (M. O’Connor, A. Keown. D. Jelley, L. Hunt), 1:30:24, 1; Avon, 1:31:59, 2; Olympic 1 1:37:30, 3 .

Individuals.—M. Moran (Timaru) 21:01. 1; O’Connor 21:19, 2; R. Miles (Olympic) 21:22, 3; Keown 21:36, 4; D. Tipper (Avon) 21:42, 5; M. Hadlev (New Brighton) 22:16, 6; S. Harnett (NewBrighton) 23:00, 7; A. Devine (Avon) 23:03, 8; S. Davies (Avon) 23:08, 9; M. Walker (St Martins) 23:09, 10; L. Hunt (University) 23:17, 11; S. Miles (Olympic) 23:38, 12. Girls.—Under 18: D. Robinson (Toe H) 24:57, 1; J. Holland (Ashburton) 26:05, 2; M. Jewell and L. Geerkens (Avon) 26:24, equal 3. Team: Avon; Under 16: J. Ballisat (Avon) 23:49, 1; K. Farrant (Avon) 24:24, 2; M. Kyle (Cashmere) 26:07, 3. Team: Avon. Under 14: R. Hocking (Christchurch) 23:47, 1; C. Clarkson (Toe H) 26:14, 2; S. Mackay (Cashmere) 26:23. 3. Team: Avon.