LANSW Cross Country Championships Recap
The LANSW Cross Country Championships returned to Upjohn Park in Rydalmere for the first time since 2017, with athletes and spectators greeted with perfect conditions for running.
In conjunction with the Waratah Run Series Short Course Championships, multiple Little Athletics events took place on Saturday morning for U7-U17 runners.
A massive thanks as always should be extended towards the dedicated officials and parents who helped ensure the event was a success. Without these volunteers, none of our events would go ahead.
While there were many standout performances on the day, a few of the highlights are featured below.
U8 1km Championships
There were two close encounters in the U8 1km events, with both the Boys and Girls races featuring riveting contests at the finish line.
In the U8 Boys race, Max McIntosh from Ku-ring-gai LAC narrowly defeated Prospect LAC’s Adrian Rostami, completing the 1km event one second ahead of his competitor. Sutherland LAC’s Zwi Ratajczak placed third, with an impressive time of 4:10.
Meanwhile, fellow Sutherland LAC athlete Ronia Warszawska crossed the finish line only metres ahead of Balmain LAC’s Asuncoin Akeng Saddler, both completing the event in just over four minutes. Ku-ring-gai LAC’s Gemma Dixon earned a bronze medal for her performance.
U9 1.5km Championships
Hills District LAC had three finishers in the top seven of the U9 Girls event, with Olivia Scott-Rogers blowing away her competition with a speedy 6:06 in the 1.5km race. South Eastern LAC’s Sophia Rout and Cherrybrook LAC’s Claudia Wyatt placed second and third respectively.
Patrick McMahon from Canterbury LAC crushed the Boys event, running a formidable time of 5:31, with Kotara South LAC’s Jayden Taylor and Revesby Workers LAC’s Shea Cassilles only a few seconds behind.
U11 2km Championships
Another tight contest highlighted the U11 Girls event during the afternoon, with Brooke Carson from Illawong LAC emerging the victor with a time of 7:30 in the 2km race, narrowly defeating Macquarie Hunter LAC’s Emerson Leadbeatter by one second.
Meanwhile, three future stars claimed medals in the U11 Boys events, with Joseph Jayakody from Glenbrook LAC, Alexander Willcocks from Wyong LAC and Coen Godfrey from Tuggerah Lakes Mingara LAC taking gold, silver and bronze respectively.
