Double gold medal success for Southland in Napier

Southland's Dwight Grieve and Debbie Telfer have both won gold medals at the national cross country championships in Napier.

Southland’s Dwight Grieve and Debbie Telfer both won gold medals competing at the National Cross-country Championships in Napier.

By Lance Smith

The Mission Estate vineyards made a unique venue for the National Cross-country champs on Saturday.

A small contingent of Southlanders made the trip to Napier to line up with the best runners in the country. The reward was two golds and a silver, with medals coming from opposite ends of the age grades.

Starting at the top (age and first up race) was Debbie Telfer’s win in the 6km Masters Women 65 grade.

Such was her dominance that she won by 3 minutes and would have medalled in the MW60 and 55 grades. This was the Invercargill club member’s third national crosscountry win in a row, taking the MW65 grade last year and MW60 the year before.

Debbie Telfer on her way to winning a national cross country title in Napier.

Dwight Grieve gave Southland a master’s double with a gutsy win in the MM45 race and finishing third over all age grades.

The Fiordland representative sat with a leading bunch of 5 or 6 for the first part of the 8km race then attacked on the final 2km lap to drop all but two, with both competitors ahead of him in the MM35 grade.

Grieve’s winning margin to the next MM45 was almost a minute.

Dwight Grieve, centre, on his way to winning gold in Napier.

Siena Mackley repeated her silver from last year to finish an impressive second in the 5k U18 race. While a New Zealand championship is important, the nationals were a stepping stone and final hit out prior to representing New Zealand schools at the Australian all-school champs in a couple of weeks.

The Queenstown 16-year-old and eventual winner, Brynne Gordon of Canterbury, ran together most of the race with the Cantabrian opening a gap in the last few hundred metres.

Next time the pair meet will be as team mates, with both selected for Australia.

Siena Mackley picked up a silver medal at the national cross country championships.

Gore’s Millie McFadzien is also in the team to Australia, but a family bereavement caused her to withdraw from the New Zealand championship.

Rounding out the Southland performances were Abby O’Boyle’s gutsy 12th in the U16 4km, Benny Britton with a top 30 placing in the SM 10k and Kelvin Meade 8th in the highly competitive MM40 grade.