JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Kyra Marett, left, and Olivia Ewing, both pictured wearing Cycling South Canterbury colours when racing in the NZ Age Group road champs in April, were standout performers for their schools, Geraldine High and Roncalli College respectively, at the South Island schools road champs in Christchurch.
Students from South Canterbury schools snared seven gold medals at cycling’s South Island road championships in Christchurch at the weekend.
Students representing six South Canterbury schools, according to results from Cycling NZ, scored spots on the podium as the region returned with a haul of 16 medals with eight golds, five silvers and three bronze medals.
Craighead Diocesan School’s Olivia Ewing provided the start turn, dominating the under-16 girls’ individual events with golds in both the individual time trial and road race.
There were gold and silver doubles for Ewing’s schoolmate Zoe Spillane (under-20 girls) Timaru Boys’ High’s Jesse Johnston (under-16 boys) and Reef Roberts (under-20 boys) and Roncalli College’s Sophie Best (under-15 girls).
Other medal doubles went to Geraldine High School’s Kyra Marett with a road gold and time trial bronze while Best’s sister, Emily, won two bronzes in the girls under-13 grade.
The remaining title won by a South Canterbury student was Waihi School’s Wilburt Talbot’s victory in the boys’ under-14 time trial.
The Timaru Boys’ High team of Roberts, Johnston, Josh Young, Conor Toomey and Zach Brookland won the other medal with a silver in the under-20 boys’ team time trial.
In the overall schools competition, Timaru Boys’ High finished fifth with 19 points, one ahead of Craighead Diocesan. Christchurch’s Rangi Ruru girls school won the Hayden Godfrey Challenge Cup with Cobham Intermediate second, Christ’s College third and Christchurch Boys’ High fourth.
Results of South Canterbury students:
Individual time trial
Gold: Wilbur Talbot (Waihi, under-14 boys); Sophie Best (Roncalli, under-15 girls); Olivia Ewing (Craighead Diocesan, under-16 girls); Jesse Johnston (Timaru Boys’, under-16 boys); Zoe Spillane (Craighead Diocesan, under-20 girls);
Silver: Reef Roberts (Timaru Boys’, under-20 boys).
Bronze: Emily Best (Gleniti, under-13 girls); Kyra Marett (Geraldine, under-17 girls)
Team time trial
Silver: Timaru Boys’, under-20 boys.
Road race
Gold: Olivia Ewing (Craighead Diocesan, under-16 girls); Kyra Marett (Geraldine, under-17 girls); Reef Roberts (Timaru Boys’, under-20 boys).
Silver: Sophie Best (Roncalli, under-15 girls); Jesse Johnston (Timaru Boys’, under-16 boys); Zoe Spillane (Craighead Diocesan, under-20 girls);
Bronze: Emily Best (Gleniti, under-13 girls)
