Our young Newcastle prodigy Alvin Craig has continued his outstanding form with a hard-fought victory in the junior boys division at the Australian schools championships.
The Year 7 student, who was raised in Sweden, was giving away three years in age but triumphed by just over a minute from New Zealand's Will Tidswell, covering the 5.7km course in 39:11.
Former Bennelonger Marina Ishkakova set testing courses on the beautifully remapped Roseberg State Forest (thanks Rob Vincent - everyone loved it), where pockets of rock contrasted with vague gentle slopes to provide a mix of terrains.
NSW was also on the podium in the senior boys, with Alastair George (Big Foot) taking third place behind Victorian star Aston Key.
Claire Burgess (NC) was an impressive seventh in the senior girls, while Nea Shingler (BF, on debut) was our best in the junior girls in 11th place.
In the public races that followed, there were several NSW families among the placegetters:
1st: Tony Woolford (BB) Men C, Lyn Dabbs (WH) Women D, Cassandra Thompson (NC) Women E, Wendy McConaghy (GO) Women G, Alton Freeman (BF) Open Very Easy
2nd: Mark Freeman (BF) Men C, Jamie Woolford (BB) Men H, Carolyn Matthews (NC) Women C, Vanessa Freeman (BF) Women D, Alex Woolford (BB) Open Easy, Ben McConaghy (GO) Open Very Easy
3rd: Andy Simpson (BF) Men C, Paula Shingler (BF) Women C, Robyn Pallas (CC) Women D.
