2017 National XC Champs The Domain Auckland Sun 30 Jul

Ruby Muir Senior Women's champ

Craig Lautenslager (Tasman) Senior Men's champ

Full Results
Team Results
ANZ Race Report
Dom Post Report
NZ Herald
Nelson Mail

Results
Men
Senior 10km: Craig Lautenslager (Tas) 32m 58s 1, Daniel Balchin (Cant) 33m 15s 2, Jono Jackson (Akld) 33m 32s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Auckland 2, Canterbury 3.
Masters 8km: Stephen Day (Wgtn) 27m 51s 1, Daniel Clendon (Wgtn) 28m 11s 2, Dan Nixon (Wgtn) 28m 27s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Auckland 2, Canterbury 3.
Masters 6km (65+): Graeme Adams (WaikBoP) 27m 35s 1, John Kent (Hatea) 27m 54s 2, Andy Harper (Akld) 28m 29s 3.
U/20 8km: Oli Chignell (Otago) 26m 44s 1, Joseph Clark (Akld) 27m 8s 2, Christopher Dryden (Cant) 27m 16s 3. Teams; Auckland 1, Canterbury 2.
U/18 6km: Samuel Tanner (WaikBoP) 19m 47s 1, Murdoch McIntyre (Akld) 19m 55s 2, Kalani Sheridan (Tasman) 20m 21s 3. Teams; Tasman 1, Auckland 2, Manawatu/Wanganui 3.
U/15 3km: Finlay Seeds (Trentham) 10m 12s 1, George Lambert (Wanganui) 10m 20s 2, MacCallum Rowe (Edmonton) 10m 26s 3.
U/13 2km: Jonah Seeds (Trentham) 6m 59s 1, Liam Davis (Cambridge) 7m 18s 2, Coen Anderson (ACA) 7m 22s 3.
U/11 2km: Connor Boulton (Pak) 7m 42s 1, Vinnie Wallwork (Pak) 7m 50s 2, Eddy Connolly (Cant) 7m 55s 3.

Women.-
Senior 10km: Ruby Muir (Wgtn) 38m 18s 1, Penny Peskett (Akld) 38m 23s 2, Kerry White (WaikBoP) 38m 54s 3. Teams; Auckland 1, Canterbury 2.
Masters 6km: Sally Gibbs (WaikBoP) 23m 34s 1, Fiona Love (Akld) 24m 15s 2, Paula Canning (Nelson) 24m 38s 3. Teams; Wellington 1, Auckland 2, Waikato Bay of Plenty 3.
U/20 6km: Sammy Burke (Otago) 23m 16s 1, Ainsley Thorpe (Akld) 23m 19s 2, Birdie Edwards (Tasman) 23m 30s 3. Teams; Auckland 1.
U/18 4km: Phoebe McKnight (Wgtn) 14m 34s 1, Charli Miller (WaikBoP) 15m 15s 2, Liliana Braun (Cant) 15m 15s 3. Teams; Waikato Bay of Plenty 1, Auckland 2, Manawatu Wanganui 3.
U/15 3km: Jemima Antoniazzi (Hamilton) 11m 34s 1, Joanna Poland (Oratia) 11m 42s 2, Ashleigh Alabaster (Wanganui) 11m 48s 3.
U/13 2km: Bella Earl (Hatea) 7m 34s 1, Myah Houthuijzen (Gisborne) 7m 40s 2, Olivia Hala (Tauranga) 7m 46s 3.
U/11 2km: Sophie Webber (Taupo) 7m 57s 1, Eryn Westlake (Oratia) 8m 6s 2, Jasmine Davis (Cambridge) 8m 14s 3.

Wellington had a good day at the Nationals in fact it was probably the best for many a year.  It all started with brothers Jonah and Finn Seeds (both Trentham United) who respectively picked up first place in the Under 13 (2km) and Under 15 Boys (3km) races . This is not a championship event and for these races and the previous U11 race entries came mostly from Auckland club runners.

Phoebe McKnight stole the show in the Women’s U18 4km race hitting the front early and simply getting into her work to leave the field in her wake. While the other young ladies in the field looked like they were tiring McKnight rarely slowed her pace. 

As expected fastest Masters Woman was the amazing Sally Gibbs (Waikato Bay of Plenty). Nobody could even get near her. The Wellington women ran a great team race though to comfortably pick up the teams title.

Stephen Day fresh from some impressive performances in local races faced a determined challenge from fellow team mates Dan Clendon and Dan Nixon. But he had no trouble keeping them at bay and led all the way to win his second national title this year.  With Day, Clendon and Nixon finishing 1 2 & 3 the team title was never in doubt. 

Ruby Muir was not even mentioned in the ANZ race preview. We know that she is as strong as but did she have the speed to fend off any sprint finishes.  Taking the lead early Muir opened up a respectable lead which by lap 3 did not seem to be closing. 

Pre race favourites including well performed Rosa Flannigan and Esther Keown either found the pace too hot or expected Muir to drift back. People around me were saying that Flannigan would make a move to close the gap. 

But it was 40 year old Aucklander Penny Peskett who struck out to haul her in and over lap 4 and lap 5 it looked like she might be successful but with 1km to go it became evident that this was not to be. At the finish Muir and Peskett were separated by 5 seconds.

You can understand why ANZ picked Jono Jackson and Dan Balchin as pre race favourites for the Senior Men's 10km race given they have both either won or finished in the first 3 for the 2017 championship events (Road and XC). 

Craig Lautenslager back from an athletic scholarship in the USA was mentioned (along with 8 others) as a possibility and rightly so. 

By lap 2 the field had split with the leading bunch made up of Lautenslager, Balchin, Jackson, Matthew Taylor, Nick Horspool and Scott Russell. 

By lap 3 the race was between Lautenslager and Balchin.  Lautenslager made his move at the back of the course driving up the rise to open a gap and ultimately an unassailable lead to the finish line. 

As hoped for locally the teams race was won by Wellington which according to Stephen Day is the first time in over a decade that it has won the team’s race. (See Stephen's comment which corrects this)

A couple of observations from Auckland.  The weather was great with the high risk of winter sunburn. Second when it comes to live race commentary the organisers could have done better if they had recruited Rees Buck.  Third, why does The Domain mud look like the colour of poo?

And finally the 2018 XC Champs will be held in Wellington, possibly at Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt although I doubt that a final decision on a venue has been made. 

Jonah Seeds U13 Boys 

Finn Seeds U15 Boys

Phoebe McKnight U18 Women's Champ 

Sam Tanner U18 Men's Champs adding to his Secondary Schools Senior Boys title

Sally Gibbs fastest in the Master's Women race

Stephen Day fastest in the Masters Men race 

Sammy Burke (Otago) U20 Women's Champs 

U20 Men's race start

Oliver Chignell U20 Men's Champ 

Wellington Competitor Photo's

Men U18

Liam Chesney

Add caption

Jack Hammond

Logan Slee

Sam Hyde-Smith

Masters Women

Renae Cresser and Deborah Platts-Fowler

Lindsay Barwick

Michelle Van-Looy

Masters Men

Dan Clendon

Dan Nixon

Ben Winder

Alasdair Saunders

Joe Fowler

Peter Stevens

Mathew Rogers

John Beale

Paul Barwick

Tony Price 

Phil Sadgrove

James Turner

Michael Wray

Paul Hewitson

Women U20

Michaela Walker

Claudia Layton

Amelia Harris 

Men U20

Callum Stewart

Seamus Kane

Hugh O'Donoghue

Joel Carman

Senior Women

Esther George

Ayesha Shafi

Senior Men

Kristian Day

Ryan McAlister and Dan Jones

Isaac Murphy

Naim Macdonald

Michael Du Toit

Scott Russell

Nick Horspool