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Athletics New Zealand Media Release

29 July 2009


Saturday’s national cross country championships in Christchurch will
double as the Oceania cross country championships. It will be the first
time that Oceania have held their championships in New Zealand.
Australia, Cook Islands and Guam have sent representatives to race against
the New Zealanders athletes.

Andrew Davidson of Canterbury will be wanting to complete the quadruple
this cross country season adding the Oceania and national titles to the
North Island and Canterbury titles won in the last month.

Davidson outgunned 2007 champion Edwin Henshaw to win the North Island
race in Taupo and won the Canterbury title in 39m 27s, 43s ahead of Rowan
Hooper.

In the 2007 national championship Davidson was fourth and last year at
Waikanae he finished sixth.

Hooper, second for the last two years, to Henshaw in 2007 and to Ben Ruthe
last year year will be keen to cap off this season with the title.

Henshaw has returned from his Tulsa base in the States for the New Zealand
winter season of races. He won the North Harbour cross country and the
Auckland title by over a minute ahead of Stephen Lett as a lead up to
regaining the national title.

Timothy Rowe from New South Wales has crossed the Tasman to compete and
also from Australia are New Zealanders based there Shaun Krawitz and Luke
Hurring.  Krawitz was the 2002 New Zealand under 18 champion.

Stefan Smith of Wellington had a taste of the Halswell Quarry Park course
being used for the championships, opting for the recent Canterbury
championships where he finished third. Smith was also an impressive third
in the North Island championship.

Also expected to be in the front running will be Wellington champion Rees
Buck, Kim Hogarth of Nelson, Sam Dobson of Auckland, Dougal Thorburn of
Otago and six times champion Phil Costley of Canterbury.

The women's title should be battle between Fiona Crombie of Canterbury,
Rachel Kingsford of Otago and Hannah Lawrence of Auckland. Crombie won the
Canterbury title in 29m 32s, Kingsford was second in Otago and won the
North Island title while Lawrence, who has returned from her American
athletic scholarship, won the Auckland title.

Melissa Moon is back in form and improving with each outing. Moon is seven
times national champion and her past best performance was second in 2006.
At the North Island championships Moon was second half a minute behind
Kingsford. Sarah Biss of Waikato Bay of Plenty is enjoying one of her best
cross country seasons for some time. Biss the 1994 under 18 champion and
the under 20 champion in 1996 was fourth in Taupo and won the Waikato Bay
of Plenty title. Melinda Vernon from Australia will be competing. Vernon
won the 2007 Zatopek 10,000m in a deaf world record of 34m 28.85s.

The men 19 title should be a race between runner up last year Aaron
Pulford of Waikato Bay of Plenty and Harry Dixon of Tasman while Danielle
Trevis of Auckland, Nicki McFadzien of Canterbury, Olivia Burne of
Manawatu Wanganui, Christina Taylor of Southland and Barbara Roy of Otago
should feature in the W19 6km.

There will be an added incentive to win in Christchurch this Saturday as
the winners of the senior and junior races will be an automatic selection
to the world cross country championships in Poland in March. The other
podium placings will be pre-selected to join a pool to be considered with
the trial placings. A trial for the world championships will be held in
late January.

Richard Bennett, on his home course, should win the masters men while
Bridget Ray of Waikato Bay of Plenty, Wendy Cottrell-Teahan of Manawatu
Wanganui and Tracy Crossley of Canterbury should feature in the master
women's 6km.

Mohamed Ali of Waikato Bay of Plenty and Margot Gibson of Canterbury are
expected to head in the 16 grade races.

The championships start at 10am with the master men's. The senior women
start at 2.15pm and the senior men at 3.15pm.


Murray McKinnon

Communications Advisor

Athletics New Zealand

0274 806086

murray@...

Hello all.  I have a runner that is running 2:02-2:04 consistantly in the 800m. 
he is running 51.8 in the 400m.  he is trying to move up to the 800m because he
just isn't competitive at the 400m.  with his training he should be under 2min
but can't seem to get under that barrier.  the meets he has been running aren't
pushing him.  he has three meets left, july 11, 18 and 25th.  what ideas if any
do you have to get under his goal?  you can email me <ku_fan_2008@...>
with ideas, suggestions or questions.  thanks in advance.  Eric