Story by Erwin Wong/Red Sports. Photos by Marvin Lowe, Lai Jun Wei and Tan Jon Han/Red Sports
Lim Zhi Ming (#5037) coming home with a time of 15 minutes 21.15 seconds. He had to work his socks off to shake off Hwa Chong’s Oon Shui Kun in the final stages of the race, and said: “It was quite tiring. It was one of the races which I pushed myself the most.” (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Temasek Polytechnic, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - The Raffles Institution A Division Cross-Country boys’ team could not quite better their predecessor's immaculate 2009 record, but it was still enough to win the 2010 team title at a canter.
The 2009 team had the best six-man finish in recent memory when they romped home in a 1-2-4-5-7-8 performance, and the current squad was none too shabby as well. They placed five runners in the top eight positions and won the team title with 17 points, 16 fewer than runners-up Victoria Junior College.
Lim Zhi Ming, who finished second in last year's race, improved one position to take the individual title in 15 minutes 21.15 seconds – the fastest time of the day. He was thrust into the role of the pre-race favourite by virtue of his third-placing at last month's Wings Cross-Country meet, which was the highest position by an A Division-eligible runner, but he remained cautious.
"I was aiming for first place, but I wasn't very confident of getting it, because this year's competition is very strong," said Zhi Ming. "My teammates are all very strong. The other schools also had quite a few strong competitors."
Two of them were Hwa Chong Institution's Jeevaneesh Soundarajah and VJC's Eugene Cyril Rodrigo, who were part of a leading pack of six at the start. Oon Shui Kun, Jeevaneesh's teammate and school canoeist, was also in the mix.
"Zhi Ming took over the lead from me at the one-kilometer mark, and I followed all the way, along with Eugene, Marcus (Tan, VJC), Jeevaneesh and Shui Kun," said RI's Kevin Goh, who finished fifth.
"I was tired after the slope. Eugene pulled away, and the two Hwa Chong runners overtook me. I was hanging fifth at this point."
Jeevaneesh and Shui Kun soon caught up with Zhi Ming, who had to run the race of his life to hang on to first place.
"Shui Kun was very fast, and he caught up with me about 1.5 km from the finish. I had to try very hard to hold on," described Zhi Ming.
"He overtook me, but I tried to follow him, and overtook him with 400 metres to go."
Jeevaneesh and Eugene eventually finished second and third, clocking times of 15:35.57 and 15:38.23 respectively, but Shui Kun did not manage to complete the race, collapsing 200 metres from the finish line.
Kevin was overtaken by teammate Mohd Mahdi Marican about one kilometer from the end, and was visibly disappointed with his fifth placing.
"I was aiming for the top three positions, and I had worked very hard. But it's over and I can't change the result. But I'm very happy for the team, and the way we won the race and team title."
There was double joy for RI as their female compatriots also had five runners in the top eight to win the girls’ crown, but there was no time to rest on their laurels.
"The celebrations can wait. We have to remain focused," said Kevin in a steely voice.
The National Schools Track and Field competition will get underway in a week, and RI's distance runners have yet another mammoth standard to uphold.
RI's class of 2009 swept the top three positions in the three long distance events (1500m, 5000m, 3000m Steeplechase) and had a 1-2 finish in the 800m, and this dominant performance was the impetus for their second straight A Division Boys Track and Field title. This year’s batch are aiming to make it three in a row.
"This will be a target that we will be aiming towards," said Kevin.
Individual Results (Top 20)
A Division Boys (4.6km):
1. Lim Zhi Ming, Raffles Institution – 15:21.15
2. Jeevaneesh Soundarajah, Hwa Chong Institution – 15:35.57
3. Eugene Cyril Rodrigo, Victoria Junior College – 15:38.23
4. Mohd Mahdi Marican, Raffles Institution – 15:54.54
5. Kevin Goh, Raffles Institution – 15:58.27
6. Benjamin Quek, Victoria Junior College – 16:06.52
7. Johnathan Wong, Raffles Institution – 16:07.69
8. Lee Guan Lin, Raffles Institution – 16:08.16
9. Zorndrix Dass, Anglo-Chinese Junior College – 16:11.86
10. Lee Jian Ler, Hwa Chong Institution – 16:12.72
11. Marcus Tan, Victoria Junior College – 16:14.02
12. Gary Tse, Hwa Chong Institution – 16:19.07
13. Lian Weicong, Victoria Junior College – 16:21.57
14. Yeo Si Heng, Hwa Chong Institution – 16:27.44
15. Lawrence Kam, National Junior College – 16:37.93
16. Lee Xuan De, Raffles Institution – 16:49.15
17. Aneesh Vasu, Innova Junior College – 16:53.01
18. K. Sarravanan, Anglo-Chinese Junior College – 16:56.12
19. Tan Yiwen, Victoria Junior College – 16:56.25
20. Lee Chow Chern, Innova Junior College – 16:59.62
Team Results (Top 5)
A Division Boys:
1. Raffles Institution – 17
2. Victoria Junior College – 33
3. Hwa Chong Institution – 38
4. Anglo-Chinese Junior College -75
5. Innova Junior College – 112
Complete Results (Excel file format)
51st Inter-School Cross-Country Championships
The A Division boys lining up for the start of their race. (Photo 2 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)
Zhi Ming running up the slope. (Photo 3 © Marvin Lowe /Red Sports)
Mohd Mahdi Marican (#5041) finishes in fourth position with a time of 15 minutes 54.54 seconds. (Photo 4 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
RI’s third runner Goh Di Yao Kevin (#5040) is close behind in fifth place with a time of 15 minutes 58.27 seconds. (Photo 5 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Team captain Johnathan Wong Wei Jie (#5039) finishes in seventh place to see RI take home the Team title with a tally of 17 points. (Photo 6 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Jeevaneesh s/o Soundarajah (#5100, HCI) finishes in second place with a time of 15 minutes 35.37 seconds. (Photo 7 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Eugene Cyril Rodrigo (#5082, VJC) is third with a time of 15 minutes 38.23 seconds. The VJC team took second place in the team category with a total of 33 points. (Photo 8 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
K. Sarravanan (#5055, ACJC) pursues Tan Yiwen (5083, VJC) at the final stretch. Sarravanan eventually caught Yiwen to finish in 18th position. (Photo 9 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Lee Xuan De (#5043, RI) finishes in 16th place with a time of 16 minutes 49.15 seconds. (Photo 10 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Scott Ang Yiqiang (#5018, ACSI) and team mate Arjun Kunnasagaran (#5016) sprint down the finish together. (Photo 11 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
More pictures in the gallery
Related Posts
The 51st National Inter-School Cross-Country Championships in pictures
Vote for your favourite 2010 cross-country runner
Zachary Devaraj wins highly-anticipated National Schools Cross-Country B Division Boys' race
Raffles Institution and Victoria School emerge big winners at National Schools Cross-Country
Mok Ying Rong wins first A Division cross-country title
Double victory for victorious Victoria in National Inter-School Cross Country
Loading ...
Perhaps the person just knew about him recently. I am very excited for the upcoming Nationals. I hope more records will be broken!
How can anyone possibly not know Mahdi marican and where he was from?
I saw more people collapsing and I myself was included. I almost wanted to give up but gave me all and I was just glad to complete the race. Shui Koon, as you rightly mentioned, may have pushed himself too hard to catch up with Zhi Ming. Thus, he collapsed.
I am excited to see how Jeevaneesh and Shui Koon will perform at the Nationals. They have been training very hard, given their results of their recent performances. Shui Kun is probably like Aldrich, good runner but lack experience. This is evident as though Aldrich got 2nd place for the ‘B’ boys, Zachary Ryan played a tactical game as he overtook Aldrich at the right point. Zhi Ming was pushed but I feel that he performed up to standards because his timing last year was 15:21 too. But this year, he had no one to pace him as Rui Yong has graduated.
Why did Shui Koon collapse? I think there are a million reasons to why he might have collapsed. Exhaustion, dehydration, cramps, injury etc etc. But give that this was his first race, a lack of experience perhaps? Just didn’t have enough for the final kick. He wasn’t at Wings or at the prior cross country race, so we can’t really tell how fast he could have been.
Would he have won? I am not sure either. I was at the hill slope portion. He was behind Zhi Ming then, not too far but still 3 positions behind, probably about 20-30m back, maybe in striking distance. The 4 front runners were Zhi Ming, then 10m apart, the 2 victorians and another rafflesian. That’s as far as I know. I am not sure if he managed to catch up later then collapse.
I think the coming 3k and 5k race at national tracks would be interesting to watch then.
Anyone know why Oon Shui Kun collapsed? I think he could have gotten 1st place if he maintained his pace.. is he in JC1?
Haha thanks for the article (;
didn’t know I have a steely voice lol
love photo 3. saw my friend too
Mahdi’s from St Joseph’s Institution.
Which sec sch did Mohd Mahdi Marican come from?
I know Lim Zhi Ming (RI), Kevin Goh (VS), Johnathan Wong (VS), Lee Guan Lin (RI) and Lee Xuan De (Catholic High), basically RI have all the top runners from the sec schs.
it will start next thursday, April 1. i’ve amended and corrected the post.
when is national schools Track and Field championships starting?