The Hill City University No 1 team successfully retained its open women's title in the cross country relays at the Dunedin Pony Club grounds on Saturday.
Susannah Lynch (18), Sabrina Grogan (21), Bella Bloomfield (22) and Jessie Murphy (17) helped the Hill City University club secure the trophy for a fifth consecutive year.
There were some nerves, especially from Grogan, Bloomfield and Murphy, who waited for their turn in the 4 x 2000m event and witnessed junior triathlon international and national secondary schools representative Lynch take control from the start of her leg.
Lynch wasted no time taking the race to the remainder of the field with strong front running tactics to open up a 52sec advantage.
Lynch was only beaten to the changeover by Ruaidhri Brosnan, competing for the Ariki youth men's team, which had missed the start of its race. As the course was the same, his team opted to clock a time in the combined women's and social event.
Brosnan changed to Ben Lund 12sec clear of Lynch, who handed on to Grogan, and any nerves evaporated as Grogan was soon up on the shoulder of Lund.
Just 1sec separated the two runners as they changed for the third leg. It was a phenomenal run from Grogan considering she is beginning her first season as a competitive runner.
Nathan Harrison, the Ariki youth team's third runner, had to battle all the way to hold out Otago middle distance champion Bloomfield over the third lap, eventually changing to Fraser Reid for the final lap, just 5sec clear.
Murphy quickly ran down Reid on the hill section and poured on the pace to finish 1min 57sec clear of the boys team and clock the fastest individual time of 8min 13sec.
Team captain Bloomfield earned special praise after the race for finishing with her right leg smattered in blood after battling some of the terrain.
''That was commitment - to put her body on the line and run for the team,'' Grogan said, describing her team mate.
Hill City University No 1 clocked a combined 33min 15sec, 2min 19sec clear of the club's No 2 team. Ariki was third in 37min 30sec.
The Ariki youth men's time of 35min 12sec placed it third in its section which was won by Hill City University in 33min 39sec. Caversham was second in 33min 46sec.
In the open men's event held on the 4 x 2650m course, the Caversham No 1 team of Lorenz Kissling, Jonah Smith, Jake Jackson Grammer and Josh Baan overcame a strong start by the Hill City No 1 team to secure the title in 37min 29sec.
It proved a hard fought race with Caversham's first two runners, Kissling and Smith, surrendering a 19sec advantage going into the penultimate leg, run by national junior elite triathlon representative Jackson Grammer.
Jackson Grammer was quick to set about reducing the deficit and had overhauled it by midway through the course, handing national junior cross country and road champion Baan a 41sec lead heading into the final leg.
Baan powered his way around the course, clocking the fastest time of 9min 8sec.
Jackson Grammer clocked the third fastest time, with 9min 20sec, after Tom Spencer handed Hill City University early hope on the first leg, clocking second fastest time of 9min 18sec.
Hill City University, which caused an upset in winning the open men's title last year, ran on for third in 40min 4sec, behind second placed Leith in 39min 39sec.
