Nowra state cross country championships Sat. 23rd June.

It was a cold and sunny day - perfect for cross country. The Nowra course is well worth the travelling, and you can stop off in Fitzroy Falls for a half hour break to stretch your legs and see some spectacular scenery en route.

Our under 16 boys and under 18 girls got GOLD, our under 14 boys SILVER and our under 12 boys and 35+ women (with 3 mums of juniors) got BRONZE. The under 18 boys were a respectable 4th.

One Strider deserves a very special mention - Josh Phillips won an individual medal - a GOLD one - he is now under 14 boys NSW Cross country champion!!!!!!!! A first for any Junior Strider :) Well done Josh!!!!

Under 14 boys at the start of their 2K



Under 16 boys and our under 18 girls at the start



Under 18 boys before the start of their gruelling 6K





And the under 18 boys are off.............



Taiki Nakaya in the under 18 boys. Can you tell how lovely the course was?????



Some of our under 16 boys and under 18 girls



Under 14s race. Josh is back in the pack pacing himself. He ends up state champion.

Sophie Wickham in the under 18 girls 4K (she is an under 12)

Benji Wilson and Daniel Cooper win bronze in the under 12 boys.  Daniel is wondering where team mates Bec and Billie Highnam are?

Under 14 boys win silver. Josh - on the far left won the entire under 14s race. Lachlan, tall Strider far right, was 4th in the state.

Far right, Striders women get bronze in the 35+. Jean King Smith, Jai Di Tomasso, Caroline Yarnell and Jenny Wickham.

West Metroplitan (West Met) Saturday races.

See the link on the right for more info. These races are great for getting that edge with good competition during the winter. They are timed so you can do them after any Saturday sport you may have.

Lachlan Cooper travelled far for this. It must have been good training for him
as he ended up 4th in the under 14 boys state cross country championships.

Laclan Cooper in the rain.






Start of a West Met race. I think the one in the blue and white top is one of ours.

Jess Vernon afetr her West Met race.

Shouldn't Declan be further ahead of his mum, Jean?



Junior Striders over the long wet Queen's Birthday Weekend

6 juniors and 3 parents train in torrential rain on the Queen's Birthday - we NEVER skimp on the warm up!

Declan aged 12 7th in the under 15s soft sand classic mile race at Manly.
He's from the Blue Mountains - none of our Manly Juniors took part!!!

Queen's Birthday hill training in the rain - 10 minutes of continuous repetitions.

Here are some pictures from the Senior Striders Awards Night - Friday May 25th.

We had a Juniors table of 11: me and Tony, Michael and Edita Grinbergs, Josh Phillips with mum, dad and sister and Hannah Gibson with mum and dad. It was certainly a great night, starting with our table winning the running trivia quiz and getting 10 bottles of wine! Then Edita and Hannah got their awards - winter 2011 and summer 2011 / 2012 Junior Striders of the year respectively. Pat Farmer gave a great talk, we had some very sumptious food and Tony and I were given an award for creating Juniors!

Left to right: Michael, Josh, Danielle, Rietta, Wally, Mac. Hannah, Caroline, Tony and Edita





Caroline and Tony spout about Juniors



Pat Farmer and Hannah Gibson - Hannah wins the perpetual trophy for summer athlete of the year

Edita and Pat Farmer. Edita won the perpetual trophy
for winter athlete of the year 2011.



Josh Phillips and Pat Farmer.
Josh was nominated for the Maria Cruishanks award.

Caroline and Tony with a happy Hannah

Miranda State Cross Country Relays 02/06/2012

We had 10 teams of four in these relays on a wet, windy and wonderful Saturday. Under 12s and under 14s run 2K each and the rest run 3K. There were as many as 16 teams in some races, so a LOT of competition. We won three sets of GOLD medals: under 12 boys, under 14 boys and under 16 boys, and two sets of BRONZE medals: under 12 girls and under 18 girls. Our other 5 teams ran very well and scored a lot of points for the club.

The sight of the day was Lachlan Cooper crossing the timing mat 1st overall in the 2K race for the under 14 boys, after Josh Phillips led the race on first leg most of the way. Unfortunately noone has provided me with a photo of that yet!!!

See below for photos of the under 16 boys - winning gold every race so far this winter season!

The start of the 3K race for under 16s and above

Gus Wong from under 18 boys ahead of Adam Halmy in the under 16s - 1st leg.

Daniel Francken striding out - 3rd leg under 16 boys.

The scene post 2K race at the Striders tent.

Post-race relaxation for the under 14 boys gold medal winning team

Left to right on the podium in the photos above and below -

Sophie Gocher, Edita Grinbergs and Amy Polikowski

winf bronze in the under 12 girls 2K relay.



Under 14 boys on the podium getting their gold medals

 





Josh Phillips chases Eliott Metcalf in the first leg of the 2K ra





The under 16 boys on the podium!! Gold medal winners!