Team Sprint Competition launches

The idea of running a Secondary School Team Sprint Competition – along the lines of the highly successful Corporate Pursuit – is an idea that has been bandied around in Cycling Southland circles for many years. 

Finally this year, following the excitement of the Junior World Track Championships, and some incredibly impressive rides in the Roller Racing / Ultimate Ride Off competition, we got cranked up to host such a competition – and with the enormous amounts of fun had by all, coupled by colossal improvements by the new comers, and some extraordinary performances, the ball looks set to keep rolling and we hope to make the competition bigger and better next year!

With some early morning training sessions for some, steep learning curves for others, and huge amounts of merriment and happiness across the board in the month before hand, race day finally dawned (rainy and cold – a good day to be indoors!), and the 17 Secondary School teams, from as far afield as Queenstown, Lumsden and Riverton, nervously awaited their turn to set their best time in the seeding Time Trial.

Fantastically, all teams rose to the occasion to set a personal best in this first round, with some smoking hot times in the mix– most notably the James Hargest A Team recording a 55.66 in the Boys Grade and the Southland Girls’ High School Junior 2, recording a 1:02:61 in the Girls Grade.  The scene was set for some fantastic show downs in the second round.

After a short break, we headed straight into the round robin competition and the continued improvements, despite the accumulating fatigue, is a good advertisement for the power of team work and competitiveness!

While Aurora cleaned up the mixed competition, James Hargest were all over the Boys Division 1 competition, coming in first and second with their “A Team” and “Dream Team” respectively, to take the Senior Boys Title, while Southland Boys’ High Schools “Crank it” took out third overall, ahead of the James Hargest Warriors, taking out the Junior Boys Title in the process.

In the Division 2, Southland Boys’ High School “Grizzlies” took the win ahead of Wakatipu 2, with the Aparima “Easy Riders” heading off Wakatipu 1 for seventh place, ahead of Northern Southland College’s “Go Hard” in ninth.

The Girls Competition was dominated by Dave Beadle’s Southland Girls’ High School Teams. The speedy Southland Girls’ Junior 2 finish the day unbeaten to claim the overall win and the Junior Girls Prize, ahead of Southland Girls’ High School Junior 4.

Southland Girls’ High School Senior 1 took out the Senior Competition ahead of Aparima Colleges “Wagon Wheels”.  It was absolutely awesome to have so many out of town teams as part of the competition and we hope to have everyone back next year with more teams to boot!

1 James Hargest A Team (Anton O’Connell, Scott Anderson, Joe Archer, Brayden Wharepouri)

2 James Hargest Dream Team (Jeremy Presbury, Guy Redpath, Ben McLeod, Josh Price)

3 Southland Boy’s High School Grizzlies (Josh van den Arend, Hamish Matheson, Daniel
Kennard, Chris Withers)

4 Wakatipu High School 2 (Callum Burns, Lukie McQuaig, Bailey Peroux)

5 Aparima College Easy Riders (Aron Young, Harley Harris–McRae, Daniel Watson, Sam Logie)

Junior Boys

1 Southland Boys’ High School Crank It (Hayden Strong, Ezrom Goodsir, Sam Colder, Bradley Knipe)

2 James Hargest College Warriors ( Caleb Hope, Tom Sexton, Jack Pedlar, Matt Nunn)

3 Wakatipu High School 1 (Jacob Flanagan, Nick Foley, Dylan O’Connor)

4 Northern Southland College Go Hard (Dylan Moore, Dylan Reed, Jack Beaumont, Nikolai Whelan)

Mixed Teams

1 Aurora College Aurora Lights (Dylan Bragg, Caleb Hollis, Tegan Oakley, Taine Kelland)

Senior Girls

1 Southland Girls’ High School Senior 1 (Ella Wilkins, Brooke Brazier, Ilanda Forbes)

2 Aparima College Wagon Wheels (Christine Grove, Leah Thompson, Devon Winders, Hannah Wilson)

Junior Girls

1 Southland Girls’ High School Junior 2 (Alex Bodle, Laura Moffat, Emma Cumming, Lucy Timpany)

2 Southland Girls’ High School Junior 4 (Madison Miller, Emma McLeay, Makayla Smith)

3 Southland Girls’ High School Junior 3 (Sheree Horne, Gabbi McLeay, Brooke Hargest)

4 Southland Girls’ High School Junior 1 (Emma McLeod, Ellie Dowling, Tayla Lumsden)

5 Northern Southland College Rumble (Schnece Duncan, Racheal Beer, Claudia Orchard)