New Zealand have taken the first stage of the Australia-New Zealand Challenge, winning 13 classes to 7 at the Oceania Middle Distance Championships.
For a time Australia looked like they might have a chance of becoming the first visiting country since 1994 to win a Challenge event, but New Zealand’s dominance in the junior classes, which were run late in the day, eventually settled the matter. It was a close-run thing, with three of New Zealand’s wins being by less than a minute.
Thirteen Australians took Oceania titles while Grace Crane (W21E) and Blair Trewin (M40) were the leading Oceania competitors in their classes. Major placegetters were:
M10 1 Torren Arthur W10 1 Alyssia Wymer
M12 1 Kylian Wymer; 3 Noah Poland W12 2 Joanna Hill; 3 Zoe Melhuish
M14 1 Matias Salonen
M18 3 Ashley Nankervis
M20 2 Henry McNulty, 3 Brodie Nankervis W20 1 Heather Muir
M21 3 Fedor Iskhakov
W35 1 Cathy Hogg
M40 1 Mikko Salonen, 2 Blair Trewin W40 1 Heidi Salonen, 3 Anita Scherrer
W45 2 Wendy Reid, 3 Isabelle Wymer
W50 2 Anthea Feaver
M55 1 Geoff Lawford, 2 Paul Pacque W55 1 Sue Key, 3 Julia Prudhoe
M60 2 Bert Elson, 3 Nick Dent W60 1 Lynne Dabbs, 3 Carol Brownlie
M65 3 Tony Simpkins
M70 1 Alex Tarr W75 1 Ann Ingwersen, 2 Jean Balwin, 3 Janet Tarr
M80 2 Gordon Howitt W80 1 Maureen Ogilvie
Competition continues with the World Cup sprint qualification from 1pm (NZ time) today, while the next Oceania Championship event is the sprint on Tuesday.