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The Napier Harrier Club held the final race of their open handicap series on Saturday afternoon. Heading into this final race most grades were still wide open, and several athletes took full advantage and pushed to the front.
First up were the under 12's, where Jack Crichton took a slender 1 point lead over Fraser Pearson and Jinny Lee into the race. Inespicably both Crichton and Lee failed to front. Angela Sunnex won the race by a slender 9 second margin from Mark Butzbach, with Georgia Creagh running fastest time for third across the line. Travis Keighly started the day in seventh place in the series and his fifth place finish got him up to 48 points and tied for the lead with Pearson who had crosseed the line in seventh place, but after the count back was made it was Pearson who had done just enough to snatch the series victory.
A similar drama unfolded in the boys 14/16 yrs race where Brendan Speakman failed to show and ended up missing out on the series win, also on a count back, to Pearson's older brother Jason. Jason Pearson, who started from 'Go', just held out a fast finishing Campbell Busch by 11 seconds for the race day win. Busch recorded the fastest time over the 5km, with second fastest Kaden Hall finishing in third place a further 14 seconds back.
In the girls 14/16 yrs race Kelly Sunnex capitalised on a generous handicap to easily win the 5km race by a massive 2 minutes 47 seconds, which was also enough to promote her from second in the series to the win. Second home and recording the fastest time was Annie Creagh, with Holly Edmonds 20 seconds further back.
Kim Creagh started the day leading the Women's handicap series, with Gina Finlayson 1 point behind and Shiela Smidt a further point back in third. The handicapping was tight in this race with the whole field finishing within 2 minutes 16 seconds, but Smidt's 19 second victory over Finlayson was just enough to gain her the series win. Fastest time in this 5km contest went to Ni'ia Hothersall.
John Craven won the combined Senior/Masters Men's 10km race. His winning run rocketed him from fourth in the series to the series win. Mark Speakman had held the lead going into the days racing but with sporting commitments elsewhere the series was left wide open. Lance Pearson started the day in second place in the series, but was unable to replicate the performace of his children and slipped to fourth, while Niall McCormack managed to leapfrog Speakman, but could not hold out Craven. Stephen Lindsay ran third fastest time fo the day to cross for second place, with Frank Busch crossing 28 second later in third.
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