Joe Beamish (John McGlashan) produced a ferocious sprint over the last 80m to win the senior boys cross-country title at Wingatui yesterday.
He had a titanic battle with Jonah Smith (Kings) throughout the 6km race in muddy and cold conditions at the annual Otago championships.
It was the first win by Beamish (17) in the event. He finished runner-up in the under-16 race last year.
Beamish is a member of Prof Richard Barker's training squad and is starting to reap the rewards for the high mileage he is running each week.
The pair broke away from Ant Trainor (Kings) on the second of the three laps and had a 26sec advantage with a lap left.
Smith pushed the pace early on the final lap and Beamish was desperately hanging on to him.
When Smith fell going through a gate in thick mud halfway round the final lap Beamish jumped him and quickly had a 10m lead.
Smith displayed tenacity and fought back and the pair were together entering the race course for the final 400m.
It was a good day for John McGlashan College runners who won three of the four boys titles.
The diminutive Oli Chignell floated across the muddy ground to win the boys under-14 race by 27sec from school-mate Rory Ferguson, in 10min 53sec.
Josh Browne won the boys under-15 title by 19sec from Ben Wardhaugh (Otago Boys') in 14min 16sec.
Fynn Thompson (Wakatipu High School) won the boys under-16 title by 36sec from Hamish Cooper (Otago Boys') in 13min 33sec.
John McGlashan won the boys under-14 teams race but the other three team titles were won by Kings.
Anna Kean (Otago Girls') took control of the senior girls race at the end of the first lap and led Sian English (Columba College) and Caitlin O'Brien (St Hilda's) by 8sec.
She lengthened her stride early in the second lap and increased the lead to 22sec halfway through the final lap and won by 36sec from English in 15min 14sec.
The girls under-16 title was won by Meg McKay (St Hildas) by 36sec from schoolmate Maddie MacAllister in 12min 22sec.
Hanna English (Columba) won the girls under-15 title in 12min and Jessie Murphy (Kavanagh College) the girls under-14 title in 11min 30sec.
Otago Girls won the senior girls title but the other three team titles were won by St Hilda's.
