It was a tough call for a 14-year-old like Zia Macdermid to have to carry all of Manawatū's hopes on Saturday.
Not that it fazed her in the windblown, slippery New Zealand schools cross country championships at Massey University when she finished second in the junior girls' under-16 3km race.
In a field of 91 finishers, the wee Awatapu College runner was runner up by 11 seconds to Ari Graham (St Andrew's College, Christchurch) who is a year older.
That was Manawatū's sole medal from the championships which featured almost 1000 runners. Feilding High School disabled runner Renae Hartley was fourth from 10 in the para-mixed race.
As far as Manawatū-Wanganui was concerned, Wanganui Collegiate School boarder Geordie Beamish flew the flag, belting home to win the rugged 6km race.
Meanwhile, Macdermid will accompany sister Kara and mother Fiona to Europe next week for a few junior races.
"It was fun," Zia said. "I just run as hard as I can so I have to be happy."
Graham and Macdermid had also been the top two at the national under-15 cross country.
"I've beaten her once, two or three years ago."
The expected challenge from Auckland's Georgia Clode, daughter of former NZ runner Phil, didn't materialise after Macdermid clapped on the pace for the first two laps on the Sport & Rugby Institute rugby fields. Clode was fifth.
Graham got past Macdermid on the second hill in the Massey paddocks.
There were 185 in the senior boys' field over 6km and a huge bunch for the first lap of three. It soon settled down to a bunch of nine including the expected stars and then to five. Beamish dashed home to win by four seconds with race favourite Jacob Priddey (Hamilton Boys' High School) in fourth.
"On the last lap I decided it was now or never," said Beamish, 17, who hails from Havelock North.
"It was a pretty tough race, a real cross country course. I was feeling pretty good on the day."
He had been unbeaten in the track season and had won the national club champs cross country last year. "This one means the most to me." He had a long rivalry with Priddey.
"He won the year-9 cross country when I hadn't even started racing cross country."
Beamish would like a scholarship to an American university and winning the national title will help that.
Senior girls' favourite Audre Gregan (St Cuthert's College, Auckland) had to settle for second behind Hanna English from Dunedin Presbyterian school, Columba College. England also played for the New Zealand under-17 football team in Costa Rica this year.
"My goal was top eight; I wasn't expecting to win. I ran last year and got fifth."
Last year she was fifth and was third in the national road championships.
"I liked the flat bit, I like the hills and I like a bit of wind."
Lizzie Stannard (Palmerston North Girls' High School) was 16th in the senior girls and Jaimee Leader 24th. Their school was third in the year-9 girls' teams race with Lydia Bamford 42nd.
Burnside High School won both the three and six-person senior boys' teams championships while St Cuthbert's won the three and six-person teams senior girls' championships.
Source: Manawatū Standard
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