Callan Moody runs to victory in the Edmond Cup ahead of
Ariki clubmate Nathan Baxter at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo
by Criag Baxter.
Rain, hail, wind chill and the presence of two recent
champions was not enough to deter Callan Moody (Ariki) from
winning the Edmond Cup title at Wingatui on Saturday.
It has been a work in progress for Moody (21), a physical
education student, who won the junior title in 2006 and was
third in the senior race in both 2007 and 2008.
Pitted against him were 2007 champion Neale McLanachan
(Leith) and 2006 champion Stafford Thompson (Ariki).
Also in the mix were last year's runner-up and Otago road
champion Mike Wakelin (Hill City) and 2005 junior champion
Oliver O'Sullivan (Hill City).
All featured prominently within the leading group over the
first half of the 8800m cross-country event.
Entering the final of four circuits of the Wingatui
racecourse, the field had been spread far and wide, with the
leading group down to just four, consisting of national
junior 10,000m champion Tony Payne (Caversham), national
junior steeplechase bronze medallist Lyndon Brown
(Caversham), Moody and Ariki clubmate Nathan Baxter.
As they drove into the icy wind and hail up the back straight
for the final time it was Moody who stole an early advantage,
only to be joined by Baxter.
"I wasn't aware of Nathan at the time and he came up at me
and said, `It's just me and you now, Moody'," Moody said at
the finish.
"It kicked me back into life."
Moody and Baxter remained locked together until a sprint went
on 100m out from the finish with Moody getting the better
footing in the soft conditions to win by 2sec in 36min 39sec.
"I think anyone could have won this race," Moody said.
"You had to pick your line with the conditions, but I think
it was the flat course that best suited me."
The senior women's race was full of intrigue given it was
combined with five other age groups contesting 4400m
cross-country titles.
But rising through the ranks was the find of the season,
Barbara Roy (Otago University), who was first to cross the
line in the combined women's field and won the junior title
in 19min 40sec.
Roy (19) a first-year health sciences student, has been
impressive since arriving from Wellington to study at
university.
A Wellington age-group road and track champion, Roy finished
third in last year's national junior cross-country
championships, and Saturday's win was her first cross-country
victory.
Hot on Roy's heels was University clubmate Cassi Knight, who
was also able to celebrate her first success in cross-country
when she was first home in the senior women's section.
Unfortunately, Otago will see little more of Knight (20), as
she returns to the United States towards the end of the
month.
She has been an exchange student from Colby College, Maine,
for the university's first semester.
While Knight was in the colours of the Otago University team,
she has not been registered with the Otago centre, so the
senior title went to third-placed Kirsty Morris (Leith).
For Morris (23), a town planner who has been training with
Knight, it was her second success in the event, having won
the title in 2007.
She was relieved her race on Saturday was over.
"I lost feeling in my legs, hands and face," she said of the
cold conditions afterwards.
"I felt very exposed on the back straight."
Ariki won the overall men's title, with Hill City second and
Leith third, while Leith won the women's title ahead of
Caversham and Ariki.
Campbell Garry (Hill City) added the junior men's title to
his Otago secondary schools title he won just three days
earlier.
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