Cross Country
On Friday the 17th of May, Craigieburn Secondary College sent a small but enthusiastic group of participants to the annual cross country at Woodlands Historical Park. This was the Mickleham Division, where students challenged their endurance over a two-lap course to complete either a 3km or 5km track.
In the first event of the day, Hayden Semmens calculated his race perfectly to win the senior boys 5km event. Hayden surged up the long hill on the second lap to open the gap on his competitors.
Sharni Pateman was our next participant over the 3km course. Sharni ran a smart race and was even in her pace. Sharni was still running strongly as she crossed the finish line. Sharni was well placed in her event.
Dawood Gencmen was the next Craigieburn Secondary College athlete to toe the starting line. Dawood was evidently nervous and had sore muscles from competing in numerous events in the Intraschool Athletics Sports the day before the cross country. As the race commenced, the usual ‘running too fast at the start’ trend was evident amongst the junior boys. However, Dawood was always close the front of the field and he used his strength and determination to cross the line in first place.
Our final competitor was Isabelle Daniels in the junior girls 3km. Isabelle was eager and very positive in her mindset all day leading up to her event. Isabelle’s mother and the rest of the Craigieburn team were there on the sidelines for support. Isabelle was able to smile her way through the undulating course and clearly enjoyed the race from start to finish.
On Wednesday the 19th of June, the Northern Metropolitan Cross Country Championships were held at the Kilmore Racecourse. It was an extremely cold morning that saw competitors run around a 1.8 km track typically used for horse racing.
Our school was represented by:
- Hayden Semmens, 15-16 Years, 5 Kilometres
- Dawood Gencmen,12-13 Years, 3 Kilometres
- Isabelle Daniels,12-13 Years, 3 Kilometres
All competitors experienced pre-race nerves and excitement before the start of their events. Race tactics were discussed as competitors contemplated the challenge of the course terrain and the start list. This was the second round of the competition and the athletes had already qualified to be eligible.
All the competitors from Craigieburn Secondary College performed extremely well and should be congratulated on their race results. Hayden Semmens was narrowly outside of qualifying for state level, Dawood ran a strong first lap and Isabelle Daniels had good rhythm and a consistent pace from start to finish.
At the end of the races, all the students reflected on the event. They should all be proud of their efforts. The team will now begin to focus on future activities like athletic sports and the cross country in 2025.
A special mention to Stacey McGrath (staff) and cross-country team members Sharni Pateman and Malak Asfoor who cheered the athletes through their races.
Mr Owen.