Southland Boys' High School recently competed in the 2024 South Island and New Zealand Schools Track Cycling Championships held in Invercargill, as well as the 2024 NZ Schools Road Cycling Championships held in Timaru.
The boys demonstrated excellent skills, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the competitions, achieving commendable results.
2024 South Island and NZ Schools Track Cycling Championships (Invercargill 8-9 October 2024)
The South Island and New Zealand Schools Track Cycling Championships took place at the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome in Invercargill. Our cyclists competed across various events over the two Days. Day 1 was the Individual Omnium with the results based over the 4 events including - 250m TT, Scratch Race, 515m Scratch or Keirin and Point a lap or Tempo. Day 2 was the team events with both the Team Sprint and the Team Pursuit.
Results:
- Individual Performances: All riders delivered outstanding performances, with some achieving podium finishes. Notably:
- Magnus Jamieson secured a gold medal in both the U20 New Zealand and South Island individual Omnium Championships, demonstrating impressive speed and tactical racing.
- Theo Dermody secured a silver medal in the U13 South Island Omnium and a bronze medal in the NZ championship, including a personal best in the 250m TT.
- Ollie Keast, racing in the U16 competition won a silver medal in the South Island Omnium, and was placed 7th in the NZ championship.
- Liam Ramsey won a Bronze medal in the U20 South Island Omnium and was placed 6th in the NZ championship.
- Issac Thompson raced strongly in the U14 competition finishing a creditable 5th in the South Island standings and 9th in the NZ Championship.
- Team Events: A team was entered in both U20 Team Sprint and U20 Team Pursuit.
- Team Pursuit: Magnus, Liam, Ollie and Theo competed fiercely in the team pursuit, placing 1st in the South Island Championship, as well as 3rd in the NZ Schools Championship. This team showed the true school spirit with Theo stepping up to race in the U20 competition!
- Team Sprint: Magnus, Liam and Ollie all showed their versatility and finished a creditable 3rd in the U20 NZ Schools Championship and 2nd in the South Island Championship.
- Both these achievement highlights the riders' ability to work cohesively under pressure.
- Overall School Performance: Southland Boys' High School placed 3rd overall in the combined NZ points tally, and 2ndoverall in the SI points tally, competing against some of the best cycling schools in the South Island and New Zealand.
2024 NZ Schools Road Cycling Championships (Timaru)
The NZ Schools Road Cycling Championships were held in Timaru from 29 September – 1 October 2024 and featured a challenging road course that tested the cyclists’ endurance and strategic skills. The SBHS riders competed in the road race and points race, with varying terrain adding to the competition's difficulty.
Results:
- Road Race Results: Our cyclists delivered solid performances, with Ollie Keast finishing 5th in the U16 Road Race and Magnus Jamieson winning the Broze Medal in the U20 Championship. The hilly course did not deter the riders, who demonstrated determination and resilience.
- Point Race: Held at Levels Raceway , both Ollie and Magnus held their own in their respective races, with Ollie finishing a creditable 9th in the U16 race, and Magnus finishing 7th in the U20 Race.
Team Reflections:
Team Management have expressed pride in the team's development. The athletes showed considerable growth throughout the championships, gaining valuable experience against a competitive field.
Conclusion:
Southland Boys' High School cyclists have proven themselves to be formidable competitors, achieving several podium finishes and solid team results at both the track and road cycling championships. Their dedication and hard work have not only brought individual accolades but have also reinforced the school's reputation in cycling sports.
Article courtesy of Erin Criglington
