North Island Cross Country Champs

 03 July 2004. Spa Park, Taupo.
 Full results here.
 Valleys results below.

Valleys victors at North Island Champs

Hutt Valley athletes have enjoyed a stunningly successful weekend at the North Island cross country championships in Taupo.

The Valleys United Team won five medals and returned home with the top club trophy, the first time the club has come up trumps at the North Island champs. The trophy is Valleys' second major club win of the year, coming after the club also took the national second division track and field trophy.

The Taupo result came on the same weekend as Hutt athlete Nick Willis posted a fast qualifying time for the Athens Olympics 1500m, and the Willis time provided motivation for the Valleys athletes.

Willis' result came through on the morning of racing at Taupo, and the Valleys team draped a sign over their team banner proclaiming `Nick Willis 3:32' - his 1500m time recorded in Rome.

It proved a good omen.

First up in the junior racing, Tim Robertson won a silver medal in the under 10 boys 1km race, then his sister Laura matched that achievement in the under 12 girls 2km run.

Mum Anna Robertson then stepped up and claimed the bronze medal in the masters women's 35-44 age group, a race over 5km.

Abdulahi Guled featured in one of the best races of the day, the under 20 men's 6km. The Naenae College seventh former was part of the leading group throughout the two-lap race, which also included Auckland's Ed Henshaw, Shafat Salad of Hamilton and Tim Hodge of Wellington. In a tactical battle, Guled and Hodge dropped their competitors one by one until, with less than a kilometre to go, it was a head-to-head battle by the two training partners. Hodge eventually showed the superior finishing sprint, but Guled's silver medal was another welcome addition to the Valleys collection.

And newcomer Cory Casey wrapped up the final Valleys medal by taking second in the under 15 3k race.