On Friday 16th March, Rutherford College held their first Cross Country in over five years. Over 450 students took to the 2km course at the Te Atatu Pony Club. The junior girls took to the course first tackling the many obstacles in place including horse jumps and a small but challenging uphill climb.

Leading from the start, Emily Muspratt always looked in control however she was closely followed by both Isla Annan and Emily Wickens. The three crossed the line with only seconds separating them but it was Muspratt who came away with the win followed by Annan and Wickens. Taking the lead early on, Aidan Millar never looked back and was the clear winner of the Year 9 boy’s race. Behind him was a very strong Jesse Allen and Hugo Sue who both fought hard for second place, but on the day it was Allen who claimed the silver medal.

In the Year 10 boys’ race, Ruben Boyack was a convincing winner in 5 minutes and 28 seconds. Michael De Guzman ran well to take the second place. Gabriel Buckmaster brought home the bronze medal with a suburb sprint finish. Paige Skinner added to her success in the Sporting Field with a decisive bit of front running in the Y10 girls’ race in a very respectable 7 minutes and 10 seconds. Kaya Smith narrowly missed out on a gold medal shadowing Skinner throughout the whole course. Casey Boyce finished strong in third place.

The final race of the day was the mixed Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 race. With a strong start, Nirav Kumar led the race with Nathan Bonner-Hutton tailing behind and keeping him on his toes. Tariq Pasarlai’s steady pace allowed him to secure a bronze medal in the mixed race. Kumar took the win followed by Bonner-Hutton. Vicky Varava was the clear winner of the girl’s competition claiming the gold medal with a time of 6 minutes and 8 seconds. Mollie Tagaloa claimed second place on the day with Brianna Watson comfortably claiming the bronze medal.

All students ran well and the School Community should be very proud of the runners. The championships are more than just about the top performers, they are about participation too in this very popular event. A huge thank you to all of the Marshals, Teachers and Senior Management who assisted in the running of the event.