Chignell (17) finished second in the men's under 18 6km race at Halswell Quarry Park in 19min 4sec, just 3sec behind winner Samuel Mackay Wright, of Tasman, in the 57 strong field.
It was another good performance from the John McGlashan pupil, who won the Otago under 18 title in Waikouaiti in 19min 36sec last month.
Chignell also finished fourth in the senior boys race at the national secondary schools cross country championships in Dunedin in June, and became the youngest Edmond Cup winner in almost 100 years the same month.
His performance bodes well for later in the month when he competes in the secondary schools section at the Australian cross country championships in Melbourne.
Mel Aitken, the Otago senior women's champion, defended her national masters 35 39 title in convincing fashion, before finishing sixth in the senior women's race. Aitken (38) finished more than 2min ahead of second placed Natasha Mitchell, of Canterbury, in 22min 36sec to win the 6km masters race.
She clocked 30min 35sec on her way to sixth in the 8km senior women's race, won by Lucy van Dalen, of Auckland, in 27min 59sec. Former Otago runner Rachel Kingsford finished second, 20sec back.
Aitken and fellow Otago runners Shauna Pali (seventh), Hannah Sturmer (eighth) and Bella Bloomfield (13th) won the silver medal behind Auckland in the team section.
Joshua Baan finished seventh in a tough senior men's field. He finished the 12km race in 38min 32sec, 1min 12sec behind winner Malcolm Hicks, of Auckland.
Hicks, the 2013 winner, finished strongly over the last 4km to beat fellow Aucklander Matthew Baxter, who went into the race undefeated this season, by 6sec.
Mount Aspiring College pupil Samantha Burke (15) finished fourth in the 4km under 18 women's race.
Burke, who will join Chignell in Melbourne later this month, crossed the line in 14min 39sec, 23sec behind winner Kelsey Forman, of Wellington.
Otago masters runners performed well. Glen Ferguson won the men's 50-54-8km, Shireen Crumpton won the women's 40-44-6km, Neale McLanachan was third in the men's 35-39-8km and Dalise Sanderton was third in the women's 55-59-6km.
