Josh Haggerty's fourth placing in the men's under 19 race was Southland's best result at the national club cycling championships in Hawkes Bay yesterday.
Wakatipu rider Tom Vessey finished third in the same race after a tightly contested bunch sprint that was won by Canterbury's Hamish Schreurs.
An early breakaway which included Southland's Matt Zenovich, who finished ninth, and Scheurs, managed to stay away for a lpa and a half before being caught by another seven riders, including Vessey. The bunch kept away from a chasing bunch which included Southlanders Tom Beadle, Kristoff Ford and Paddy Daly.
In the final lap some of the leading riders dropped away to set up the sprint finish.
The boys and girls under 17 races were both fast and furious affairs, with Southland's Laura Heywood, backing up from her bronze in the time trial, finishing eighth in the leading bunch, with Brooke Brazier in 22nd place.
Michael Culling was in the leading bunch in the boys race and was credited with 17th, while Nick Kergozou was feeling the effects of racing in Australia before arriving at Nationals.
Josh Carpenter was 12th in the under 15 boys.
Racing continues over the weekend with Georgia Timpany and Jen Muhl in the under 19 women and Laura Thompson and Kylie Young in the elite women today.
Brehan Cairns, Brad Tuhi, Dillon Bennett, Stu McDonald and Matt Dodds will ride for Southland in the combined elite and under 23 men's race over 178km tomorrow.
Story courtesy of Nathan Burdon and The Southland Times