No favourite for. cross-country title

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 34

No favourite for. cross-country title

By GLENN HASZARD The 1984 Canterbury senior women’s cross-coun-try championship is wide open this year in the absence of the province’s leading runner, Mary O’Connor. O’Connor was also absent last year, when the race was won by Sara Harnett (New Brighton), in an upset win over the favourite, Wendy Renner (New Brighton). Harnett went on to win the national championship and to represent New Zealand at the world crosscountry championship in New York in March. The women’s race at West Eyreton tomorrow will be held for the first time over Bkm, compared with 6km last year. Normally, this might favour Harnett, who has run sub-three hour marathons, but this season she has been out of action with an injury, while Renner has run three fast half marathons. When they last competed, in the Skellerup Steeples on

July 7, Renner won comfortably, with Harnett second. That race will have helped Harnett and there should not be much between them. A third New Brighton runner who will be able to match these two is Sue Bruce, who finished second to O’Connor in the first cross-country race of the year, the Jane Paterson, over 9km. She has been sidelined with injury since then but could make a bold showing. Others in the field with a chance are University’s Anne-Marie Tweedie, who is having her first race of the season, Nicola Evans (New Brighton), Donna McCartney (New Brighton), and Margaret Walker (Christchurch). Michael Gilchrist (Technical), who won the senior men’s title over 12km in 1982 and went on to finish runner-up in the nationals, should win his second senior title. His main rival, Tojn Birnie (New Brighton)/ who

won last year when Gilchrist did not start, has not entered. If Birnie does not enter on the day, the strongest rivals to Gilchrist should be Don Greig (New Brighton) and Bruce Rattray (Christchurch). John Sheddan (Olympic), who won the senior title in 1974, 1977 and 1978 and has represented New Zealand at cross-country, is not expected to repeat his form of last year when he finished second to Birnie. Brian Kennelly (University), who was third last year, is another who will surprise if he can repeat his effort of last year. The best of the rest include Kevin O’Sullivan (University), Chris Tobin (Timaru), Mel Radcliffe, Allan Sinclair and Neil Lowley (New Brighton), Colin McDonald (Technical), Jeff Elliot and Dave Macdonald (Olympic), Geoff Prendergast (Ashburton) and Eddie Gray (Greymouth).