PREVIEW: 123rd NSW Cross Country Championships

Published Tue 06 Oct 2020

6 October 2020

PREVIEW: 123rd NSW Cross Country Championships

Finally, after a two-month delay, due to COVID, we have the go ahead for the 123rd NSW Cross Country Championships, to be held this weekend. The event will be returning to West Dapto, who hosted the NSW Short Course Championships in July.

Entries for the event from under-11 to 80+ masters have been huge, attracting 800* competitors. 37 of the 45 Short Course champions have entered for this weekend, so will it just be rerun of the Short Course with the same winners? In the youth events the distance increases slightly, meaning the short course winners will start favourite, but this is not so for the older juniors, open and masters events where in some events the distance has doubled.

*note to ensure the competition is held in a COVID safe matter, it is held over two days and spaced out, ensuring the 500 limit at any one time won’t be exceeded.

OPEN MEN

NSW 5km Short Course winner, Rorey Hunter (Bankstown) won’t start in the 10km State Cross Country on Saturday. Second to Hunter was steeplechase international James Nipperess and although not his ideal distance, he has shown good form over the 10km, clocking 28:55 at the 2019 Zatopek. Nipperess, a Canberra-based physio, seems to know he will have a fight on his hands.

“It’s going to be a ding dong battle,” said the Sydney University athlete. “I can’t wait to get stuck in and have a good hard hit-out and represent the all-white as best I can.”

Dual Olympian and former national 10.000m record holder, Ben St Lawrence (RunCrew), will definitely have a liking for the longer distance after placing third in the short course, just 10 seconds behind Nipperess. Brad Miloservic (Girraween) and Matt Hudson (RunCrew), who were sixth and eighth, respectively at the Short Course will be better suited for the longer distance, but the key athlete to watch, if not co-favourite, will be seventh placegetter at the Short Course and defending champion Ed Goddard. Definitely a typical 10k-half marathon range athlete, highlighted by his fourth at the World University Games over the 21.1km distance.

Another to watch will be RunCrew's Tom do Canto in the 30-34 race , combined with the open event.

The team battle will be very interesting. At the Short Course Bankstown won with 23 points, ahead of RunCrew (34p), Sydney Uni (47p) and UTS Norths (50p). With a number of key team members not entered it looks a different picture this weekend. Matt Cox comes in for Bankstown, but they have lost Rorey Hunter and Josh Johnson. RunCrew are boosted by the addition of Kieren Tall who could push for a podium finish. Sydney University are slightly weakened, but the UTS Norths team remains together.

OPEN WOMEN

Based in the central western NSW town of Warren, Paige Campbell (Sydney Uni), will start favourite to add the NSW Cross Country title to her Short Course win in July.

“I have been building some good base fitness through the winter and am excited for the summer ahead,” Campbell said. “The cross country will provide a good hit out for all the athletes and I am sure everyone is in really good shape. I will look to enjoy the racing opportunity.”

We will have to wait until the track season to see Rose Davies (Newcastle Runners) challenge NSW’s leading domestic runner Paige Campbell, as Davies, 20, will miss Saturday’s race. She has been in terrific form over the winter with time trials of 15:27 (5km) and 32:46 (10km) and should this summer be capable of pressing for an Olympic track 10,000m berth.

Marnie Ponton (Bankstown), who won this title 12 years ago, is always a threat indicated by her incredible 44th place at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. In July she was just nine seconds behind Campbell. Third at the Short Course, Keely Small, might find the 10km a little far away from her speciality, the 800m. Sarah Marvin (Sydney Uni) and world cross country competitors Lexy Gilmour (Sutherland) and Aynslee Van Graan (RunCrew) could all be pressing for a podium finish.

In the juniors, para and masters events, 36 of the 44 Short champions have entered for this weekend.

JUNIOR EVENTS

Girls

U20 Imogen Gardiner (UTS Norths)

U18 Sarah Schiffmann (Macq Hunter) in the U20 event

U17 Emma Olson-Keating (Balmain)

U16 Imogen Stewart (Illawong Revesby)

U14 Fleur Cooper (Mosman)

U13 Charlotte ODowd (UTS Norths)

U12 Mia Guillergan (Sydney Athletics Academy)

U11 Adelaide Pittis (Orange Runners)

Boys