On the last day of Term 1, students braved the wind and rain to complete the school cross country at Te Atatu Pony Club, with the top three finishers in each age group qualifying for the College Sport North Western Zone Cross Country that took place on Tuesday 16th May at Moire Park in Massey.

There were eight students in total, with some qualifiers unfortunately missing out due to being away on camp. The courses were set at 3km for the Junior Girls, 4km for the Junior Boys, and 5km for the Intermediate Boys, and with all the heavy rain we have experienced in the lead up to this event, the mud on the course offered up an extra challenge for students to navigate.

With 168 students in total competing in the event, it was great to see our Rutherford Kotuku scattered amongst the field of runners. In the Junior Girls division, Amy Thomson finished 7th overall, with Grace O’Sullivan and Myra Tan putting in incredible efforts to cross the finish line strongly. In the Junior Boys division, our three competitors finished in the top 22, with Szymon Gruszczyk 11th, Deven van der Merwe 17th, and Jamie Thomas 21st overall. In the Intermediate Boys division, Dylan Chapman and Blake Singe held their own in the 68-strong field, and finished the race with smiles on their faces.

It was a great day, and we were very thankful for the sunshine! Well done and congratulations to our students who took part, thank you for representing Rutherford so strongly and proudly.