Contact Schools National Triathlon Champs A Roaring Success

Contact Schools National Triathlon Champs A Roaring Success At Jacks

Jack’s Point in Queenstown played a superb host to the Contact National Schools Triathlon Championships today, with over 600 competitors racing in the idyllic surroundings on a testing course around the world renowned Golf Resort settled into the foot of the Remarkables.

The feature events of the day were the U19 Championship with both boys and girls races producing stunning results and worthy champions. Michael Perree (Kristin School, Albany) upset his more fancied rivals to win the boys race, finishing a comfortable 15 seconds ahead of Josh Kenyon (Taupo Nui-a-tia College) with a further 18 seconds back to Cooper Rand (Saint Kentigern College Auckland).

17 year old Perree was delighted with his performance.

“That feels awesome to be national champion, it really hasn’t sunk in yet but it feels great. My swim wasn’t so good today, I would have liked to have been further up the field but I guess I was happy enough. Once on the bike I just concentrated on a good cadence and getting to the lead as quickly as I could and then tried to hold on.

“Josh caught me early in the run and we ran together for a while before I made a surge up the hill on the second lap and managed to drop him and then it was a case of keeping my rhythm and holding on.”

The Brett Reid coached Perree was in his element around the stunning Jack’s Point location.

“Wow, what a cool venue, I’ve never raced anywhere like this before, the scenery was amazing and the hills were great, this is an amazing course for race.”

17 year old runner up Kenyon echoed those sentiments about the course.

“This is a great course, fantastic to race on. I just didn’t see the surge coming from Michael though and I couldn’t go with him.”

The girl’s race turned into a procession but what an impressive procession it was. Mikayla Nielsen (Correspondence School) backed up from her win at the Oceania and NZ U19 Championships in Wellington a fortnight ago with another impressive display, leading almost from start to finish to come home an incredible four minutes and one second ahead of defending champion Maddie Dillon (Kristin School, Albany).

“I think I was third out of the water and was struggling to feel my feet, they had gone a little numb. But I took the lead up the first hill on the bike and felt better the longer the race went on. So much of my improvement this past year is on the bike and that is thanks to the work I am doing with (coach) Mark Elliott.

“I love the venue though and the run was well suited to me with the grass and the hills, it suited my strength I think. I love cross country running and that felt a little bit like that today so yeah, I loved it and a national title feels fantastic.”

Trophies were also handed out for the schools with the best overall record across the U14, U16 and U19’s with the best finisher from each school in those races counting towards an overall score. In the boys St Kentigerns just edged Auckland Grammar on count back while in the girls Taupo Nui-a-tia College was a clear winner.

Teams racing as always proved a popular part of the programme with many athletes doubling up and racing in the short and sharp team’s format with school mates and teachers cheering them on.

Contact Schools Nationals
Jack’s Point
Queenstown
Please note: full results will be posted at www.schoolstri.co.nz in the evening of March 31st

Year 7 Boys
150m Swim, 7.5km bike, 1.7km run
1 Kaleb Wright Puketapu School 27:31
2 Bradley Cullen Hautapu School 28:04
3 Fletcher Sharman Clyde School 28:39

Year 8 Boys
150m, 7.5km, 1.7km
1 Matthew Manning Saint Kentigern College 22:46
2 Liam Cullen Verdon College 24:39
3 William Sutherland Waikaka College 24:44

Year 7 Girls
150m, 7.5km, 1.7km
1 Arlia Schurr Heaton Intermediate 28:32
2 Sienna Strachan Queenstown School 30:07
3 Molly Wheeley Limehills School 30:56

Year 8 Girls
150m, 7.5km, 1.7km
1 Mikayla Harvey Saint Kentigern College 25:06S
2 Ella Harris Cashmere Primary 26:49
3 Aimee Forbes-Brown Saint Kentigern College 27:11

U14 Boys
350m, 10km, 2.5km
1 Liam Ward Saint Kentigern College 36:04
2 Quinn Wallwork Pakuranga College 37:01
3 Rainer Pye Shirley Boys High 37:06

U14 Girls
350m, 10km, 2.5km
1 Jaimee Leader Palm North Girls High 39:55
2 Jessica Kikstra Christchurch Girls High 40:38
3 Honor Hamlet Huanui College 40:58

U16 Boys
500m. 15km, 3.4km
1 Kieran Coates Trident High School 48:27
2 Jonty Morreau Auck Grammar School 49:05
3 Jay Wallwork Pakuranga College 49:31

U16 Girls
500m, 15km, 3.4km
1 Alana Lythe Westlake Girls High 53:03
2 Elise Salt St Cuthbert’s College 54:55
3 Nicole van der Kaay Taupo Nui-a-tia College 55:43

U19 Boys
750m, 20km. 5.1km
1 Michael Perree Kristin School 1:05:31
2 Josh Kenyon Taupo Nui-a-tia College 1:05:46
3 Cooper Rand Saint Kentigern College 1:06:04

U19 Girls
750m, 20km, 5.1km
1 Mikayla Nielsen Correspondence School 1:10:03
2 Maddie Dillon Kristin School 1:14:04
3 Jaye Atkin Rangiora High School 1:14:48

Teams

Year 7 Boys
1 Medbury School 25:21
2Tokomariro High School 36:31
3 Woodlands Primary School 38:21

Year 8 Boys
1 Saint Kentigern College 22:38
2 Waikaka School 23:43
3 Saint Kentigern College 24:24

Year 7 Girls
1 Limehills School 29:58
2 Selwyn House School 30:05
3 Selwyn House School 30:06

Year 8 Girls
1 Saint Kentigern College 24:13
2 Cashmere Primary School 25:28
3 Clyde School 26:07

U14 Boys
1 Saint Kentigern College 36:08
2 Taupo Nui-a-tia College 36:20
3 James Hargest College 36:37

U14 Girls
1 Palm North Girls High 37:35
2 St Cuthberts College 38:18
3 Tauranga Girls College 39:12

U16 Girls
1 Taupo Nui-a-tia College 55:35
2 Saint Kentigern College 56:07
3 James Hargest College 57:19

U16 Boys
1Saint Kentigern College 48:34
2 Saint Kentigern College 51:25
3 Southland Boys High 52:28

U19 Boys (TBC under protest)

U19 Girls
1 Diocesan Auckland 1:12:58
2 St Cuthberts College 1:15:08
3 Columba College 1:15:25

For further information visit: www.schoolstri.co.nz

ENDS

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