Yesterday saw an exciting day of bicycle racing in and around Ashhurst at the Manawatu Schools Cycling Championship, with 85 students from fifteen schools racing across eight grades. 
Competition in the Intermediate (Y7/8) grade was so hot that the prestigious Van Wagtendonk Trophy for the school with the most overall points had to be decided on a countback of participants. The eventual winner was Palmerston North Intermediate Normal over Koputoroa with Huntley in third place.
The Intermediate girls overall individual winner was Koputoroa’s Henrietta Christie with PNINS rider Zoe Croton second and Danielle Porteous also from Koputoroa third. PNINS riders dominated the boys event, Max Taylor taking it out from Adam Francis and Fergus Washington Smith.
The U15 boys grade saw Wellington Rongotai College’s George Jackson, current U15 National Road Race Champion, win overall in front of two PNBHS boys, Adam Martin and Dineth Rajapaske. Horowhenua College U15 girls rider Sophie Bloxham won another close contest over Amy Horn (also Horowhenua College) and PNGHS local Kelly Levin. Competition in the U17 boys and girls and U19 boys was tight, with the overall winners in these grades not being decided until the final race of the day, and in some cases not until the final sprint. 
The U17 boys saw Chris Denholm from PNBHS defending his 2013 title from school mates David Martin and Carlos Lopez-Lozano. The U17 girls title was an all PNGHS affair with Libby Arbuckle triumphing over Simone Davie – one of her team mates from the record breaking U17 girls WCNI pursuit team, and Gorgi van Lienen.
The U19 boys was likewise a PNBHS whitewash which saw Alex West narrowly winning over rising star, Joel Yates, who has recently been selected to represent New Zealand in the Australian National Race Championships in early July, and a resurgent Josh Kendall. A disappointingly small field of three in the U19 girls saw local triathlete Jaimee Leader winning from Wanganui’s Michaela Walker and PNGHS Renee George.
For full results click here