Buck runs into reckoning

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/The Press

MAKING A SPLASH: Australian Melinda Vernon heads to victory at the national cross-country championships in Christchurch.

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Rees Buck believes he is in contention for next year's world cross-country championships in Poland after a strong run at the national championships in Christchurch.

Buck and Melissa Moon were the first Wellington athletes home at Halswell Park Quarry on Saturday, but both had to be satisfied with sixth place.

Buck, a former national representative, had the added satisfaction of beating his training partner Stefan Smith, who was 11th.

The men's and women's races were won by Australians Timothy Rowe and Melinda Vernon. However, as overseas runners cannot win national titles, the honours went to the Canterbury pair of Andrew Davidson and Fiona Crombie, who both finished second.

Buck led the men's field early on, but drifted away from the leaders at the halfway mark. After running the second half solo, he almost caught last year's runner-up Rowan Hooper (Christchurch).

"Once they started racing and mixing it up the front, Rowan Hooper fell off the back and I ended up only five seconds behind him," Buck said.

He now aims to make a move at trials in Wellington next January for the world championships.

"I was the fifth New Zealander home so that puts me back in the mix for team selection for the world cross-country championships," Buck said. "I've got another five or six months to build up from where I'm at and if I can finish in the top three or four then I'll secure selection."

He will race again at the Wellington road championships and national road relay championships in Christchurch in October with the Scottish club team.

Moon continues her buildup for the world mountain running championships by leaving in a fortnight to race up the Sydney Sky Tower. In Europe she will race in Italy a week before the main event.

Moon believes the cross-country season has added an edge to her mountain running campaign.

She expects the strong New Zealand women's team, which includes Waikato's Sarah Biss, to be competitive.

"I came down for another good, hard fast race," Moon said. "Just going through the nerves and being pushed, getting the body and mind used to it all helps."

Moon was pleased to anchor the Wellington women's team to second place behind Canterbury and ahead of Auckland in third.

With the first five athletes to count, Melanie Cleland (seventh), Stephanie MacKenzie (11th), Gabrielle O'Rourke (13th) and Sarah Gardner (15th) all contributed to Wellington's silver medal.

Also preparing for the world mountain running championship was James Coubrough who was 13th in the senior men's race.

Wellington could not field a complete men's team with Ryan Woolley and Glen Hughes sidelined by injury. Canterbury won the event.

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