Frank King, Whitirea Walker, Len Wade, Mahlee Gray, Ryder Turner and Stuncee Rapana cheer on their friends at the finish line. Photos Sigrid Christiansen
Sunshine appeared for the first time in weeks last Friday, for the interschool cross country held at Rangitoto School.
Principal Pip Were said the event had attracted many skilled young runners.
“We have schools from all around the district coming here to compete in three different level races: a junior, intermediate and a senior race.
“Children have been selected from their respective schools to attend today. So, we’ve got some pretty classy runners coming … to battle it out on the field.”
The host school’s students had been working hard, Pip said.
“We had our own cross country last Friday between the showers of rain and [today] we’ve got some very hearty kids coming to give it their best shot.”
Mel O’Hearn was the Rangitoto staff member responsible for much of the behind-the-scenes organising, fundraising and ticket sales. She wanted to thank the school parents for their support.
“We have a good school community that are very supportive. They always get on board to help us out at these kinds of events.”
Both Mel and Pip said the children were excited about the races – feeling “pretty pumped” but with “lots of butterflies.”
One of those excited students was junior girls’ winner, Tegan Grainger from Piopio Primary whose race was particularly eventful.
“At the beginning I almost slipped over,” she said.
“And then when I was running down the hill, my eyes got all watery because the wind was flying into them.
“Around the corner where all the trees were, there was deep mud. And I walked through that so I could get my breath back.”
“I jogged the rest. Then when we had to go out by the road, there was heaps of gorse and I stood on some of it.
“We came out, and then I sprinted from the peg … 200 metres away. And then I came up the chute. And almost ran past the girl that had to put my number on.”
Tegan said she’d known she would place, because the next runner had been around 300m behind her.
The other winners were:
Junior boys: Taimana Edwards from Te Kūiti Primary; Intermediate girls: Lily-Rose Morehu from Te Kūiti Primary; intermediate boys: Deekin Ratima from Piopio College; senior girls: Maggie Purdie from Te Kūiti; senior boys: Jack Were from Rangitoto School.
Te Kūiti Primary won the teams category for both girls and boys in the intermediate and senior age groups, while Piopio Primary won both junior girls and boys.
Piopio Primary, Piopio College, Te Kūiti Primary, Te Wharekura O Maniapoto, Pukenui, Centennial Park, Pukenui School, Rangitoto School and St Joseph’s took part.
