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Athletics Hawke's Bay Gisborne Provincial Cross Country Championships Park Island, Clyde Jeffery Drive, Napier 11 July, 2009
Boys 12 winner shamus christison - photo Tim Creagh
Jeremy Forbes made a triumphant return to the local running scene on Saturday, winning the Senior Men's title in a commanding fashion. The very soft and sometimes slippery underfoot conditions at Park Island, did not slow the Hastings Harrier as he covered the 12km race in 45:40 to win by 6:32 from Napier's James Bell.
The Senior Women's title went to Napier Harriers Keiko Hashiba, from her club-mate Shayna Heywood. Hashiba covered the 8km race in 42:25.
The Junior Men's (Under 20) race was predictably dominated by NZ Junior Road Race Champion Eric Speakman. The Napier Harrier led the race from start to finish, winning in 28:38 for the 8km. The battle for second and third places was a closer contest as Hastings' Duncan Morrison battled with Gisborne's Michael Evans throughout, before finally pulling clear with a strong final lap and finishing 24 seconds ahead in 33:53 to Evans' 34:17.
NZ Junior Mountain Running Champion Rochelle Sceats was untroubled in winning the Junior Women's title, covering the 6km course in 24:28. the Hastings athlete who is shortly heading to the World Mountain Running Champs in Italy, displayed good strength in the testing underfoot conditions to lead Napier's Hannah Drury by 1:58, with Hastings' Greta Porter third a further 55 seconds back.
Hastings' Ross McIntyre cleared out from the start of the Masters Men's race and never looked back heading Gisborne's Tim Marshall by 3:47 with Napier Harrier Mark Speakman in third a further 47 seconds back. McIntyre's time for the 8km was 29:44.
The race was a lot tighter in the Masters Women's event with Hastings' Andrea Williams forced to dig deep to hold out Gretchen Morrison, 26:43 to 26:58 with Morrison's Gisborne clubmate just 13 seconds back in third place in their 6km race.
Other provincial titles went to Napier's Shamus Christison and Georgia Creagh (under 12's), the Gisborne's Campbell Parkinson and Georgia Harris (under 14's), and Grace MConnochie (under 16) and Hastings Matt Taylor (under 16).
Hawke's Bay Gisborne Provincial Cross Country placegetters
Under 12 Boys 2km: 1,Shamus Christison, NHC, 08:05. 2,Sean Morrison, HHU, 08:07. 3, Bradd File, GHC, 08:10.
Under 12 Girls 2km: 1, Georgia Creagh, NHC, 08:59. 2, Georgia Gowler, NHC, 09:36. 3, Jinny Lee, NHC, 12:26.
Under 14 Boys 4km: 1, Campbell Parkinson, GHC, 15:48. 2, Tayler Reid, GHC, 16:29. 3, Simon Stallard, HHU, 16:50.
Under 14 Girls 4km: 1, Georgia Harris, GHC, 17:18. 2, Holly Edmonds, NHC, 17:45. 3, Sophie Rose, NHC, 18:32.
Under 16 Men 6km: 1, Matthew Taylor, HHU, 22:46. 2,Brendan Speakman, NHC, 23:20. 3, Campbell Busch, NHC, 26:03.
Under 16 Women 4km: 1, Grace McConnochie, GHC, 16:25. 2, Aroha Brown, GHC, 17:12. 3, Monica Burnard, HHU, 17:27.
Under 19 Men 8km: 1, Eric Speakman, NHC, 28:38. 2, Duncan Morrison, HHU, 33:53. 3, Michael Evans, GHC, 34:17.
Under 19 Women 6km: 1, Rochelle Sceats, HHU, 24:28. 2, Hannah Drury, NHC, 26:26. 3, Greta Porter, HHU, 27:21.
Senior Men 12km: 1, Jeremy Forbes, HHU, 45:40. 2, James Bell, NHC, 52:12.
Senior Women 8km: 1, Keiko Hashiba, NHC, 42:25. 2, Shayna Heywood, NHC, 46:44.
Masters Men 8km: 1, Ross McIntyre, HHU, 29:44. 2, Tim Marshall, GHC, 33:31. 3, Mark Speakman, NHC, 34:18.
Masters Women 6km: 1, Andrea Williams, HHU, 26:43. 2, Gretchen Morrison, GHC, 26:58. 3, Karen File, GHC, 27:11.