Leanne Pompeani Claims Australian Cross Country Title

3 September 2024

Leanne Pompeani Claims Australian Cross Country Title

Battling gale-force winds, rain and a muddy course, after three silver medals in the senior women’s race Leanne Pompeani claimed her first senior cross country National title in Launceston on Saturday,

Here is a wrap-up on NSW’s leading performances:

Open events

In the women’s event a large pack ran together for the first half of the race before favourite, NSW’s Leanne Pompeani put the foot down.

“It was sort of the plan to go with the group for half or maybe 6km, then to make a definitive move,” Pompeani said.

Initially teammate Holly Campbell went with her, but over the last 2km, it would be Hobart’s Ruby Smee who would mount the major threat, finishing within 16 seconds at the finish.

Pompeani clocked 38:19 minutes for the 10km event, while Smee ran 38:35 for second with Holly Campbell third in 38:52.

Pomeani found the going tough.

“That was brutal and this was true cross country today,” she said.

“The conditions are like what you see in European cross country races. The wind was picking up each lap and on the last lap I felt like I was not even moving at all.”

But the inform athlete has been progressing well recently after five months injury in late 2023.

“I feel like I’m finding form now and there are plenty of things to come.”

Holly Campbell placed third (38:57) closely followed by a breakthrough performance from Jaylah Hancock-Cameron clocking 38:57 in fourth.

In the teams race, NSW held off Victoria 23 to 33 points, with ACT third on 44.

In the men’s 10km event Ed Goddard was prominent early, eventually placing ninth in 34:36. South Coast’s Luke Hince would be NSW’s first across the line, with an excellent seventh in 34:22.

NSW placed second in the teams event on 33 points, behind Victoria with 15.

Para Events

Second last year in the men’s under-20s, Orange’s Aaron Houston graduated to the open race this year and claimed gold in a time of 11:35 minutes. Last year’s open winner, Kyle McIntosh was third across the line, but a close second on percentages to Aaron clocking 11:43 with the percentages 32.45% for Houston and 32.09% for McIntosh.

In the women’s NSW’s first athlete in the senior race was Belinda Scott clocking 17:07. Layla Sharp won the under-20 3km event clocking 17:56.

Under-20s

After a day of hurricane winds, the rain finally came midway through the second last event, the women’s under-20 6km. For the last event of the day, the men’s under-20 8km, Athletics Australia deemed the conditions were deteriorating and reduced the distance from 8km to 6km.

In the women’s Isabella Harte would be the first NSW athlete home, clocking 25.23, followed by Keira Bauer, clocking 26:51. The NSW team was third on 24 points. In the men’s Randwick Botany’s Oliver Neate (22:05) was fifth and Archie Ridgeway (22:07) in eight. They led a NSW win in the under-20 teams event. They scored 40 points, to hold off Victoria on 46 pints and Queensland with 52 points.

Under-18s

These races which included the under-17s were very large fields. The men’s 6km race was won by NSW’s Kayden Elliott who clocked 21:24. NSW claimed the team title scoring 12 points, from Victoria (16) and Queensland (17). NSW were also strong in the women’s with Newcastle’s Annabelle Miller claiming the bronze medal in 16:14, just three seconds ahead of Meriden student Claudia Meaker with 16:17. They helped NSW to second in the teams title with 14 points, behind winners Victoria (9 points) and ahead of Queensland (26).

Under-17s

Behind the leaders early in the race, Trinity’s Matthew McLachlan sprinted home to gold in a close battle with Tasmanian Jack Woodberry, with both receiving the same time of 21:21 for the 6km event. The pair are athletes to watch in the future as they both defeated the entire under-18 field. McLachlan led home a NSW team win with 18 points ahead of Victoria (21) and Tasmania (26).

The women’s race was intriguing as unlike the men’s the under-17 women were scattered throughout the field, but have no doubt the under-17s knew exactly who their opposition was as the top-4 finished just seven seconds apart in places 7th to 10th. The great news for NSW was a victory to Piper Simpson in 16:38 ahead of SA’s Tessa Ebert (16:42), Victoria’s Madison King (16:43) with NSW’s Matilda Richards just two seconds off the podium in fourth with 16:45. However Matilda did win a medal as part of the gold medal winning NSW team with 11 points ahead of Victoria (15).

Under-16s

There has been major progress in the last 12 months from Hills steeplechase specialist Cameron Bloem competing in the under-16s 3km event. Finishing fourth last year, 26 seconds behind the winner ACT’s Kieran Shepherd, this year he moved up to a close second, to Shepherd who defended his National XC title. Bloem finished just three seconds behind - 14:28 to 14:31. Although NSW had tremendous depth in the event with Keedon Harrison in fifth (14:47), the teams battle was tight with NSW edging Victoria 10 to 11 points.  

In the girls under-16 3km we witnessed similar progress from South Coast’s Jessica Kaan who moved up from 15th last year in Canberra to fourth place, missing the podium by just four seconds. In the teams event NSW placed second (on 16 points) behind Queensland who swept the podium (6 points).

Under-15s

The under-15 boys and girls 3km were comfortably wins by NSW athletes with very dominate performances. In the boys, Australian 800/1500/3000m champion Evan Rowbotham added the cross country title claiming an 18 seconds victory ahead of Queensland’s Matthew Turner and NSW teammate Logan Hosking in third. NSW won the team title from Queensland 11 to 16 points.

In the girls Eliza Lawton started conservatively in the 3km race, but motored over the later stages to defeat all the athletes in the older under-16 race by 13 seconds. She won her own age group by over a minute. Good runs from Pippa Schwarz and race walker Sophie Polkinghorne, ensured NSW claimed the teams title on 8 points, ahead of Victoria with 18 points.

Under-14s

In the under-14s boys 2km, NSW athletes were locked in close battles for the gold and bronze medals. After missing the podium last year by just one second, Phillip Botonis (11:14 minutes) claimed victory this year by two seconds from Victorian Oscar Woodhouse. There was also nice progress from NSW’s Beau Adams who was seventh last year, but moved up to fourth in 2024, missing the podium by just three seconds.

They led home a close NSW win in the teams title – 10 points to Victoria’s 12 points.

There was a strong showing by NSW in the under-14 girls with Ronia Warszawska in third (12:05), one second ahead of teammate and MLC student Ruth Costello (12:06). Just six seconds separated the top-4 with a gap of 21 seconds back to fifth. With first and second places South Australia won the teams battle ahead of NSW - 8 points to 15 points.

Mixed Relays

An innovation for 2024 was the inclusion of mixed relays on Sunday. Conducted in nine age groups from U12 to masters, teams comprised two males and two females, each running 2km.

NSW medal winning teams:

U12 – 1st Sydney Athletics Academy, 3rd Run Crew

U14 – 3rd Run Crew

U16 – 2nd Fit3/Limitless

U20 – 1st Tri Running Group

Senior – 1st Sydney University B, 2nd Up and Running, 3rd Sydney University A

No NSW medals U18, and Masters 40, 50, 60.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: NSW athletes left to right Holly Campbell, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron and Leanne Pompeani (courtesy of David Tarbotton)