Rotorua riders dominate at RaboPlus Secondary School Mountainbike Nationals

Over 300 mountain bikers from 80 schools have descended on Levin to battle for the national titles in the 2010 RaboPlus New Zealand Secondary School Mountainbike Championship.

Hot off wining the both the Oceania and New Zealand National Under 19 Women’s Crosscountry titles, Alexa Peters continued her domination of this event to add another title to her collection. Peters (Rotorua Lake High School) rode a superb race to finish two minutes ahead of her nearest rival, Sophiemarie Bethell of Michael Park School, Auckland.

Along with Peters, two other Rotorua riders won their respective grades, proving the Rotorua really is New Zealand’s mountain biking mecca.

Rotorua’s Nigel McDowell (John Paul College) convincingly won the Under 16 Boys race, lapping much of the field. This came as no surprise to the youngster who recently cleaned up the field at the epic 72km Kona Colville Connection Race, where he was the first competitor across the line, despite being one of the youngest racing.

Today’s race panned out well for him.

“The race was good. I got ahead on the first climb so I was able to ride my own race.”

Another Rotorua rider, Alice West of Western Heights High School took out the Under 14 Girls title.

The Under 19 Boys race was fiercely contested with Feilding High School’s Matthew Waghorn coming out on top. The real battle was for second place, with Connor Corbett (Western Heights High) edging out Josh Russell-Gibbs (Palmerston North’s Boys High School) by just two seconds

Tomorrow’s event sees the riders compete in the hill climb in the morning with the downhill in the afternoon.

RaboPlus NZ Secondary School Mountainbike Championships, Levin:

Under 19 boys, 19.5km: Mathew Waghorn (Feilding HS) 51:19, 1; Conor Corbett (Western Heights) 53.22, 2; Josh Russell-Gibs (Palmerston North) 53:24, 3.

Under 16 boys, 16.5km: Neil McDowell (John Paul College) 46:59, 1; Sean Hambrook (Waimea College) 49:27, 2; Tim Filmer (Waimea) 50:06, 3.
Under 15 boys: Sam Gaze (Hamilton Boys) 46:30, 1; Brett Stokman (Taupo Nui-a-tia College) 46:55, 2; Craig Oliver (Rangiora HS) 47:23, 3.

Under 14 boys, 10.5km: Ben Oliver (Rangiora) 38:08, 1; Gareth Cannon (Tararua College) 38:31, 2; Mitchell Campbell (Kaiapoi HS) 39:09, 3.

Under 19 Girls, 16,5km: Alexa Peters (Rotorua Lakes) 1:05.16, 1; Sophiebarie Bethell (Michael Park) 1:07.38, 2; Charlotte Clouston (Kaipara College) 1:07.40, 3.

Under 16 Girls, 10.5km: Sammy Lane (Diocesan School) 45:08, 1; Caitlin Holmes (Waimea College) 47:06, 2; Amber Johnston (Roorua Girls HS) 50:06, 3.

Under 14 Girls, 7km: Alice West (Western Heightas) 34:06, 1; Ellen Plumtree (Hawera HS) 37:04, 2; Olivia Miller (Nayland College) 37:13, 3.