media_artricles :: 2015 |
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Nero, Hagley crowned Cross Country championsTrinidad Guardian :: 04.12.2015 T&T’s top woman distance runner Tonya Nero (Athletics Central) ran away the women’s 6K title at the 2015 NGC/NAAA National Cross Country Championships at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Sunday. Nero completed the three lap race in 24 minutes 18 seconds (24:18) to regain the title she last won in 2012. The Maracas resident finished ahead of Dawnel Collymore (Memphis Pioneers), 26:27, who had to settle for second for the fourth straight year. April Francis (Abilene Wildcats), 28:40, copped third spot. Nero, the 2012 NACAC Cross country silver medallist three years ago, showed she is the queen of distance running on grass as well as on the road. Earlier this month she won back-to-back South American 10K titles in Guyana and claimed the NACAC 10K gold in Martinique. In October she was second in the UWI SPEC Half-marathon. The University of Wichita graduate will be going for another crown when she defends her Run Barbados Half-marathon title in Barbados this weekend ( Dec 4-6). Matthew Hagley (Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force) similarly reclaimed the men’s 8K run in 28:31 to win the national crown he has captured in 2011. Hagley actually crossed the line in second place behind Guyanese Kelvin Johnson (T&T Road Runners) but as a non-national Johnson was ineligible for the T&T honours. Johnson was also first across the line in 2014. Veteran Curtis Cox (Simplex) was third to finish in 28:31. Iley Bruce (Dovers) retained the Boys under 20 6K (three laps) honours in 21:51 and relegated Ashton Gill (Cougars), 23:00, to the runner-up position for another year. Gill’s club mate Joshua James was third. James, the reigning national Secondary Schools Cross Country and 5K champion clocked 23:08. Xea Bruce (Toco Titans) and Rae-Ann Serville won back to back titles. Bruce (X) took home the Girls Under 12 One Km run (3:02) to add to the Under 10 crown won in 2014. She finished two seconds behind the boys’ winner Keston Chase (Cougars), 3:00. Serville was the overall winner of the Girls U14/U16 2K completed the one lap course in 8:00 to add to the Under 16 honours she achieved last year. Jalen Bristol led a Petrotrin Palo Seco in the Boys Under 16 2Km (one lap) event winning 7:00 ahead of his team-mates Tyla Austin (7:04) and Jordan Cooper (7:09). Runners from Cougars Athletic club copped several titles: Ethan Forde (B U14 2K-7:25), Derron Frank (B U16 2K-7:14) and Kershell Mc Intyre (G U18 4K-17:58). Cougars also secured the Girls U14/U16 and B U14/U16 teams prizes. RESULTS NGC/NAAA Cross Country Championships 2015 1K 2K-1 lap 4K-2 laps 6K-3 laps 8K-4 laps |
Enlarge Image Matthew Hagley, left, of The T&T Defence Force, Jehue Gordon, and T&T’s top woman distance runner Tonya Nero of Athletics Central, pose for this winning photograph following Sunday’s event. |
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