Birnie stylish in cross-country

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 26

Birnie stylish in cross-country

Tom Birnie (Bascik New Brighton) retained his Canterbury cross-country championship senior men’s title in fine style at West Eyreton on Saturday. Sue Bruce, from the same club, had her first win in the women’s senior ranks in Canterbury, after finishing second to Mary O’Connor (University) in the championship on the same course last year.

The biggest upset of the day was John Brownie’s win in the veteran men’s race. The former New Brighton runner, now running for Olympic, has had some major placings in his few years as a veteran, but on Saturday a pre-race plan worked out with Neville Reid worked like magic. Dave Rowell (University), the Skellerup steeples veteran winner, led out as expected. Acting on his plan, Brownie stayed with him and when he sensed Rowell was struggling he "just got ahead and went like heli.”

Jim Macdonald (Olympic) also came through on the last of three laps to catch Rowell, who said afterwards that the muddy and hilly course was not to his liking.

In the senior men’s race Phil Clode and Pat Meffan (University) led out, with Bruce Rattray (Christchurch) and a former top junior, Richard Ayson (Bascik New Brighton) leading the rest At the end of the first lap Clode, the Canterbury 1500 m track champion, was still in front, but behind him Tom Birnie and his young clubmate Grant Hardy were closing, as the rest of the field sorted itself out.

Birnie took the lead in the third of four laps and increased his lead until halfway through the last lap, when Hardy began to close again. Rattray drifted to seventh on the first lap, but recovered to take fifth. Meffan also drifted at the end of the first lap then recovered for fourth. Clode held on well for third. Ayson was having his first race for more than a year and showed some of his natural talent before fading to finish tenth.

Bruce led all the way to win the senior women’s event. She was tracked by Anne-Marie Tweedie (University) who held a comfortable lead over the rest of the field.

Pauline Daly (Cashmere) and Sara Harnett (New Brighton) both started cautiously and came through to join Denise Fantham (Toe H), having her first race since the Takahe-to-Akaroa relay nearly a year ago. Fantham, who has recovered from glandular fever, ran better than she has ever run, going with the early pace and lasting very well. Daly, Harnett and Fantham all had a chance of taking third place, but in the end it was Daly, formerly of Otago, who got the upper hand, with Harnett fourth, Fantham fifth, and Margaret Walker (Christchurch) coming through well to take sixth. Two runners who didn’t seem to like the tough conditons were Doreen Dryden (Timaru) and Joan Ray (Toe H), both of whom were prominent early in the race. Prue Taylor (University), runner-up to Judith Stewart

(Ashburton) in the veteran women’s championship last year, was too strong for the other veteran women this year. She took an early lead, then fought off a strong challenge from Marie Stokes (Sumner). Stewart never reaHy fired well in the heavy conditions and finished fourth, behind Taylor, Stokes and Alison Dahl (Sumner). Results.— MEN Senior (12km): Birnie, 44:33, 1; Hardy, 44:44, 2; Clode, 45:04, 3; Meffan, 45;19, 4; Rattray, 45:37, 5; R. Mulcahy, (United), 45:52, 6; K. O’Sullivan, (University), 46:10, 7; D. Gardner, (Waimate), 46;38, 8; B. Deliow, (United), 46:44, 9; R. Ayson; (New Brighton), 46.53, 10; B. Baxter, (Christchurch), 47:03, 11; D. Sword, (North Canterubury), 47:03, 12; G. Donaldson, (Christchurch), 47:04, 13; B. Meder, (University), 47:15, 14; D. Drummond, (Toe H), 47:18, 15. Team, University. Veteran (9km): Brownie, 36:25, 1; Macdonald, 36:41, 2 and first over 50; Rowell, 36:52, 3; Taylor, 37:00, 4; G. Eng, (University), 37:11, 5; K. Whiteman, (Olympic), 37:26, 6; J. Shivas, (Olympic), 38:12, 7; D. Neill, (Olympic), 38:37, 8 and first over 45; B. Palmer, (North Canterbury), 38:41, 9; L. Blair, (United), 39:05, 10; D. Sharrock, (Ashburton), 39:10, 11; S. Pavett, (University), 39:14, 12 and second over 50; J. Connor, (University), 39:23, 13; and third over 50; S. Hill, (TechnicalO, 39:35, 14. Team University. First over-60, S. Opie, (St Martins), 40:41. Under 20 (8km): D. Hum-

phreys, (New Brighton), 29:46, 1; J. Greenwood, (United), 30:23, 2; D. Calder (Avon), 31:30, 3. Team, New Brighton. Under 18 (6km): R. Lindroos, (United), 22:45, T; R. Lambert, (New Brighton), 23:14, 2; J. Crighton, (Timaru), 24:43, 3. Team. New Brighton. Under 16 (4km): J. Cameron, (Avon), 15:08, 1; P. Washbourn, (Avon), 15:31, 2; 5. Bastiaanse, (North Canterbury), 15:41, 3. Team, Avon. Under 14 (3km): F. Glass, (Toe H), 12:58, 1; J. Martin, (Papanui), 13:06, 2; P. Burgess, (United), 13:15, 3. Team, Papanui. Under 12 (3km): R. Pinn, (Toe H), 14:26, 1; T. Penney, (Toe H), 14:48, 2; C. Harris, (Olympic), 14:51, 3. Team, Olympic. WOMEN Senior (8km): Bruce, 32:46, 1; Tweedie, 34:15, 2; Daly, 34:45, 3; Harnett, 34:54, 4; Fantham, 35:04, 5; M. Walker, (Christchurch), 35:25, 6; C. Bardsley, (Sumner), 35:35, 7; D. Dryden, (Timaru), 35:50, 8;’ K. Claridge, (New Brighton), 36:13, 9; D. Lauder, (New Brighton), 36:20, 10; N. Elliot, (New Brighton), 36:21, 11; M. Hassan, (North Canterbury), 36:51, 12, Team, New Brighton. “ : . Veteran (8km): Taylor, 37:04, 1; Stokes, 37:36, 2; A. Dahl, (Sumner), 38:13, 3; J. Stewart, (Ashburton), 38:40, 4; C. Boulden, (Sumner), 38:55, 5; B. Wood, (Sumner), 40:29, 6. Team, Sumner. Under 20 (6km): K. Barrett, (Christchurch), 28:30, 1; R. Hocking, (Christchurch), 29:32, 2; J. Summers, (Christchurch), 29:42, 3. Team,

Christchurch. Under 18 (6km): Depree, 26:48, 1; Barrie, 27:02, 2; A. Parfitt, (University), 31:03, 3. Team, University. Under 16 (4km): J. Stokes, (New Brighton), 17:18, 1; T. Croft, (North Canterbury), 17:37, 2; S. RoHo, (North Canterbury), 18:00, 3. Team, Toe H.

Under 14 (3km): K. Humphreys, (Q.E.), 13:40, 1; S. Lock, (Q.E.), 14:15, 2; C. Plan, (Toe H), 14:52, 3. Team. Q.E. Athletic.

Under 12 (3km): K. Martin, (Papanui), 14;32, 1; V. Stenhouse, (Q.E.), 15:33, 2; A. Sword, (Q.E.), 15:34, 3. Team. Q. Athletic. Canterbury teams for N.Z. cross-country championships, on August 3, are: Senior women O’Connor, Tweedie, Hassan, Fantham, Harnett, Bruce, Lauder. Junior women: Depree, P. Nicholls, (University), Parfitt, Barrett, Croft, Rollo, Barrie, Stokes. Veteran women: J. Miles (over 50), Stokes. Senior men: Birnie, Hardy, Clode, Meffan, Rattray, Gardner, Ayson, Baxter (Christchurch), I. Lauder (Toe H), B. Meder (University), D. Drummond (Toe H), R. Holland Ashburton), D. Burridge (University), E. Drayton (University), ... S. Watts (St Martins), R. Mulcahy (United), M. Mitchell (Sumner), D. Macdonald (Olympic), J. Elliot (Olympic), I. Bartrum (Technical).

Junior men: J. Davies (Sumner), Humphries, Lindroos, Lambert, Greenwood, M. Drummond, Calder, C. Weaver. Veteran men: Rowell, E. Jackson (over 60), Pavltt, Opie, Brownie.