media_artricles :: 2015

Hagley, Nero crowned Cross Country champs

Kelvin Johnson was the first athlete to finish the men's eight kilometre event at the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain, on Sunday. But it was 29-year-old Matthew Hagley who was crowned national cross country champion.

Johnson returned a time of 28 minutes, four seconds at the NGC/NAAA (National Association of Athletics Administrations) Cross Country Championships, finishing more than 100 metres ahead of second-placed Hagley. Johnson, though, is Guyanese, and while, as a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club (TTRRC), he was eligible to compete on Sunday, his nationality prevented him from becoming the T&T champion. That honour went to Hagley, the Defence Force runner clocking 28:31 to hold off Curtis Cox, the 47-year-old finishing third overall in 28:37.

Johnson produced a strong front-running effort. Halfway through the race, he enjoyed an 80-metre cushion on Hagley, and widened the gap over the next four kilometres.

Tonya Nero was in a race of her own in the women's 6K. It took the 27-year-old Athletics Central runner 24 minutes and 18 seconds to complete her three laps of the two-kilometre loop. Nero was unchallenged for the top spot, enjoying a huge cushion on Memphis Pioneers' Dawnel Collymore, the runner-up in 26:37. April Francis (28:40) finished third.

Iley Bruce was dominant in the boys' under-20 6K. The Dovers athlete got to the finish line in 21:51 for a wide margin of victory on second-placed Ashton Gill (23:00).

INDIVIDUAL HONOUR ROLL

• Men's 8K winner--Kelvin Johnson (TTRRC) 28:04
• Men's 8K champion--Matthew Hagley (Defence Force) 28:31
• Women's 6K—Tonya Nero (Athletics Central) 24:18
• Boys' Under-20 6K—Iley Bruce (Dovers) 21:51
• Girls' Under-20 4K—Je-Risa James (Memphis Pioneers) 19:43
• Boys' Under-18 6K—Atiba Samuel (Palo Seco) 23:47
• Girls' Under-18 4K—Kershall McIntyre (Cougars) 17:58
• Boys' Under-16 2K Open—Jadon Bristol (Palo Seco) 7:00
• Girls' Under-16 2K Open—Rae-Anne Serville (Memphis Pioneers) 8:00
• Boys' Under-16 2K—Derron Frank (Cougars) 7:14
• Girls' Under-16 2K—Camille Lewis (Sangre Grande Sec.) 8:38
• Boys' Under-14 2K—Ethan Forde (Cougars) 7:25
• Girls' Under-14 2K—Cassandra Joseph (Toco Titans) 8:31
• Boys' Under-12 1K—Keston Chase (Cougars) 3:00
• Girls' Under-12 1K—Xea Bruce (Toco Titans) 3:02

TEAM HONOUR ROLL

• Men's 8K—Defence Force
• Women's 6K—UTT
• Boys' Under-20 6K—Cougars
• Girls' Under-20 4K—Memphis Pioneers
• Boys' Under-16 2K—Petrotrin Palo Seco
• Girls' Under-16 2K—Cougars

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