Oli Chignell exceeded even his own expectations to finish fourth in the senior boys race at the national secondary schools cross country championships on Saturday.
The 17 year old John McGlashan College pupil was a second away from finishing third in the 6km race at the Gladfield Golf Club. His sprint to the line was not quite enough to beat Harry Ewing (17), of St Peter's School.
However, his time of 20min 33sec was enough to cement a spot in the 24 strong New Zealand team to compete in the Australian cross country championships, which encompass the secondary schools event, in Melbourne in August.
''I wasn't expecting that,'' Chignell said immediately after the race.
''The aim was a top 12 finish but I passed that by miles. I was close to third but that just completely went past my expectations. I think having that extra competition to run against just makes it so much better.''
Chignell, who won the senior boys title at the Otago secondary school championships on the same course a couple of weeks ago, avoided getting boxed in among the 207 other competitors at the start.
After the first 2km lap, Chignell was leading the chasing pack about 20m behind the six strong lead group.
Chignell upped the ante in the second lap and a couple of runners dropped off the lead pack, putting him fourth into the final 2km.
While he never seriously threatened winner Conal Wilson, of Auckland Grammar School, or runner up Daniel Hoy, of Westlake Boys' High School, his battle with Ewing over the final 2km went down to the wire.
''I passed him going up the short steep hill and got into third for a bit,'' Chignell said.
''But he just hung on to me. Then going down through the real boggy part, he took a better line than me and got a couple of metres.
''An extra 20m to the finish line and I would have caught him, because I was really motoring.''
Chignell knocked 53sec off his winning time at the Otago secondary school championships over the same course and said having run it before was an advantage.
Wilson won the race in 20min 10sec and joined his brothers Finn (2013) and Declan (2010 11) as winners of the senior boys race.
Hoy had to settle for runner up for the second straight year, after finishing behind Geordie Beamish, of Wanganui Collegiate, a year ago in Palmerston North.
Josh Rosie, of King's High School, defended his senior boys title in the 2km para race. He won in 8min 4sec, comfortably clear of Zachary Edwards, of Rangiora High School.
Gregor Findlay, of Mt Aspiring College, finished seventh among 146 runners in the junior boys 4km race.
He crossed the line in 14min 6sec and was one of four Otago runners who finished in the top 10, across seven races. Isaiah Priddey (Hamilton Boys' High School) won in 13min 47sec.
