Collegiate mountain bikers thronged to Queenstown, with more than 550 event entries lining up for the Skoda South Island Schools Mountain Bike Championships.

The riders were hosted at Coronet Peak f0r the three-day competition comprising cross-country, downhill and enduro competition.

Marlborough Boys Highschool rider Lachlan McNabb, who is also an accomplished coach, claimed the under-20 cross-country title to continue his success in the event.

Runner-up Eddie Adams (Dunstan High), who was just nine seconds behind the winner, was also runner-up in the recent national championships in Queenstown.

Wilbur Talbot from Waihi School was more than a minute clear in winning the under-14 race after he was third in the nationals.

It proved a Marlborough double in the under-20 grade with Maddy Sinclair prevailing with an impressive ride to win by nearly two minutes.

Other female winners of note included under-15 winner Vesper Woodfield from Rangi Ruru in Christchurch, who also win the under-15 title at the New Zealand championships.

Another double winner was under-16 winner Millie Junge (Cashmere High), who won by more than two minutes, doubling up after claiming the under-17 national title recently.

Sam Hewitt won the overall honours in the six-leg enduro by just six seconds in a tight battle with fellow Christchurch Boys rider Oli Clark, who went on to win the under-17 downhill title on the final day.

Winnie Goldsbury from Cashmere High won the overall honours in the women’s enduro to follow on from victory in the under-21 category at the recent national championships in Nelson.

The downhill competition produced some spectacular runs at the challenging track at Coronet Peak.

Riders of note included under-14 winner Lewis Laird from Remarkables Primary who also took out the national under-15 downhill title at the same venue in February.

Isaac Holman (Lincoln High) was another to impress in winning the under-20 title by just two seconds from Oli Nicholls (Ashburton High) to follow on from finishing third in the New Zealand Junior category.

Another Christchurch rider to shine was Roisin McGuinness (Cashmere High) who won the South Island under-16 title in the second fastest time of the day behind Under-20 winner Goldsbury, after finishing third in the national junior category recently.

Results:

Cross-country:

Male, U13: Mahe Braaksma (Fiordland College) 30:05, 1; Tim Currie (Mt Hutt College) 31:40, 2; Riley Baker (Shotover Primary) 35:24, 3. Under-14: Wilbur Talbot (Waihi School) 24:28, 1; Joe Osborne (Medbury School) 25:34, 2; Eli Moir (Terrace School) 25:35, 3. Under-15: Sam Lawrence Southland Boys) 36:27, 1; Cooper Pringle (St Andrews) 38:33, 2; Benson Boys (Central Southland) 39:49, 3. Under 16: Benjamin Archer (St Kentigern) 32:49, 1; William Pringle (St Andrews) 33:35, 2; Cam Moir (Dunstan High) 35:49, 3. Under-17: Oscar Talbot (Christ’s College) 43:24, 1; Henry Lovegrove (44:40, 2;  Joshua Grieve (John McGlashan) 48:08, 3. Under-20: Lachlan McNabb (Marlborough Boys) 39:27, 1; Eddie Adams (Dunstan High) 39:36, 2; Reef Roberts (Timaru Boys) 39:37, 3.

Relay U20: Timaru Boys 35:40, 1; Cashmere High 36:31, 2; Christchurch Boys 40:04, 3.

Mixed, U16:Cashmere High 37:52, 1; St Kentigern 39:57, 2; Central Southland 44:48, 3.

Female, U13: Alyssa Nyhan (Tai Tapu) 31:09, 1; Abigail Jungle (Cashmere Primary) 31:59, 2; Paige Boomsma (Mt Aspiring College) 33:04, 3.Under 14: Sophie Archer (St Kentigern) 31:37, 1; Eva Small (Mt Aspiring) 31:46, 2; Erin Hasler (Balmacewen Int) 33:46, 3.Under-15: Vesper Woodfield (Rangi Ruru) 45:08, 1; Paige Adams (Dunstan High) 50:49, 2; Maddi Harrop (Nayland) 52:02, 3. Under-16: Millie Junge (Cashmere High) 39:08, 1; Neve McKenzie (Marlborough Girls) 41:13, 2; Hannah Roborgh (Motueka High) 43:39, 3. Under-17: Juliet Freeman (Rangi Ruru) 56:54, 1; Zadie Scott (James Hargest) 1:09.01, 2; Hayley Harris (Dunstan) 1:12.44, 3. Under-20: Maddy Sinclair (Marlborough Girls) 56:03, 1; Zara Mackley (Wakatipu High) 57:51, 2; Zoe Trolove (Christchurch Girls) 59:03, 3.

Enduro:

Six legs, general classification, Male: Sam Hewitt (Christchurch Boys) 18:00.47, 1; Oli Clark (Christchurch Boys) 18:06.46, 2; Malik Boatwright (Wakatipu High) 18:09.76, 3.

Female: Winni Goldsbury (Cashmere High) 19:46.10, 1; Ruby Hewitt (Rangi Ruru) 20:45.96, 2; Juliet Freeman (Rangi Ruru) 20:55.54, 3.

Downhill:

Male, Under-14: Lewis Laird (Remarkables Primary) 3:16.53, 1; Baxter Florance (Mount Hutt) 3:30.01, 2;  Ryker Thow (Terrace School) 3:32.11, 3. Under-15: Sam Lawrence (Southland Boys) 3:24.21, 1; Jonty Mitchell (Cashmere High) 3:25.60, 2; Charlie Leitis (Mount Hutt) 3:26.20, 3. Under-16: Malik Boatwright (Wakatipu High) 3:06.67, 1; Sam Dunnett (Christchurch Boys) 3:07.98, 2; Dylan Collins (Wakatipu High) 3:15.66, 3. Under-17: Oli Clark (Christchurch Boys) 2:59.06, 1; Rory Meek (Wakatipu High) 3:06.97, 2; Sam Hewitt (Christchurch Boys) 3:10.92, 3. Under-20: Isaac Holman (Lincoln High) 3:01.52, 1; Oli Nicholls (Ashburton) 3:03.04, 2; Ryan Merriless (Taieri College) 3:17.25, 3.

Females, Under-14: Libby Excell (Fiordland) 3:58.21, 1; Eva Small (Mt Aspiring) 4:27.06, 2; Erin Hasler (Balmacewen Int) 4:35.80, 3. Under-15: Vesper Woodfield (Rangi Ruru) 4:15.18, 1; Maddi Harrop (Nayland) 4:21.32, 2. Under-16: Roisin McGuinness (Cashmere) 3:44.79, 1; Indy Deavoll (Wakatipu) 3:45.70, 2; Kerys Duffy (Wakatipu) 3:56.24, 3. Under-17: Juliet Freeman (Rangi Ruru) 3:48.58, 1; Hayley Harris (Dunstan) 4:17.39, 2; Milla Druce (Dunstan) 5:06.65, 3. Under-20: Winni Goldsbury (Cashmere) 3:31.35, 1; Ruby Hewitt (Rangi Ruru) 3:52.70, 2; Zoe Trolove (Christchurch Girls) 4:18.34, 3.

Caption: Action from the Skoda South Island Schools Mountain Bike Championships at Coronet Peak - Under-16 downhill winner Roisin McGuinness from Cashmere HS (Roison3); Under-20 downhill and enduro winner Winni Goldsbury from Cashmere HS (Winni1); Under-17 boys downhill winner, Oli Clark from Christchurch Boys (Oli Clark 3); Under-20 cross-country winner Lachlan McNabb from Marlborough Boys (Lachlan22) and under-20 female champion, Maddy Sinclair from Marlborough Girls (Sinclair4).

Credit: neils199photos.shootproof.com