The North Island Secondary Schools cycling championships based in Cambridge, in which 7 Palmerston North Boys High teams, 2 Palmerston North Girls High teams and 2 Palmerston North Intermediate Normal teams competed in a team time trial and road race over the course of this weekend.
Stand out performances were the PNBHS Junior A squad consisting of Chris Denholm, Campbell Stewart as Captain, Connell Leahy and Josh Kendall winning the junior boys team trial classification with a time of 24:3, winning by 22 seconds. A comfortable win with a top quality improvised speech at prize given by Campbell Stewart. While the Boys High Junior B’s coming in with a solid 5th and the Junior C’s a reputable 7th.
In general the junior team punched well above their weight and is a good sign of what is too come. The seniors had considerable weight on their shoulders following the success of the previous years, and after the with drawl of so many seniors this year due sickness and prior overseas arrangements, the seniors knew they had big shoes to fill and being such and inexperienced team they were backed into the corner from the start coming in at a modest 6th. While the senior B team going in with no expectations, came out with a respectable performance coming in at 14th
The Palmy girls Senior A team consisting of Kate Stewart, Ruby Perry, Kelsi Eccles as Captain, and Charlotte Brenkley worked well as team and came out with a respectable 10th in an estimated time of 28:15. The Junior A’s had a team of only three consisting of Emily Shearman, Simone Davie and Amelia Horne finished in a respectable 7th
Michaela Drummond represented Freyberg High School and was in a composite team in which some of the best U15 girl riders were present. These riders were Lakein Cottam from New Plymouth and Jessica Reid from the Waikato, with this team coming in a respectable 8th.
The little guys of Manawatu Cycling, from Palmerston North Intermediate Normal punched well above their weight and caused quite a stir within some of the Auckland teams with the girls’ team consisting of Gorgi van Lienen, Libby Arbuckle, Anna Robson and Megan Gardner coming at an impressive 2nd position and the boys team made of Flynn Yates, Harrison Kinghorn, Daniel Kendall and Adam Martin coming in at a very respectable 4th place.
It is safe to say that everybody is well settled here in Cambridge and everyone is well looking forward to the road race tomorrow, more results to come tomorrow J
By Jaycob Humphreys