Marc Amiruddin and Zachary Devaraj win again at Swift Cross-Country Championship in final tune-up ahead of Nationals

Story by Colin Tung. Pictures by Alan Chiang.

Bedok Reservoir Park, Saturday, March 7, 2009 – Marc Amiruddin of the Singapore Sports School and Zachary Devaraj of the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) followed up their victories at the Wings Cross-Country Championship last month with wins in the Under-14 and Under-17 categories respectively at the Akira/Swift Cross-Country Championship. On the 4.2km route that the boys and men ran, Amiruddin clocked 18 minutes 42 seconds while Devaraj clocked 18:14.

The Under-14 girls’ category was won by Hannah Lau of Wings Athletics Club in a time of 22:24 on a 3.7km route that the girls and women ran. Her closest competitor was Janielle Lim of CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ who was sixteen seconds behind.

Amiruddin, on the other hand, finished with greater ease, displaying a strong posture as he kicked for the finish line. His teammate, Josiah Wee, was a further forty-six seconds behind as the runner-up. As the last under-14 boys were finishing their race, the heavens opened and a torrential downpour ensued that threatened to overshadow the meet. It put a hold on proceedings, as bolts of lightning forced participants and officials alike had to take refuge in tents.

Almost an hour passed before there was an indication that the rain might let up. The Swift officials announced rather hastily, with little time for the Under-17 athletes to warm up, that the meet would continue in true, rugged cross-country fashion, never mind that the gravel terrain of the route provided no mud (that would really have provided great fun for the cross-country purist).

The races got underway again to blue skies and warm rays of sunlight that set up optimal temperatures to race in. The officials pushed ahead with the Under-17 girls’ category that saw Ranjitha D/O Raja winning the race, one minute ahead of her closest opponent, in a time of 21:39.

In the Under-17 boys’ category, though the race was officially won by Zorndrix Dass of Anglo-Chinese Junior College in 18:09, Zachary Devaraj was the first under-17 boy eligible to run in the B Division across the finish line. Junior college athletes like Dass, though they may be under-17 as at race day, have to run in the A Division.

The Akira/Swift Cross-Country meet drew to a close with the Open races for the men and women. The former was won by Feroz Shah of Swift Athletics Association and the latter was won by Ramandeep Kaur of the National Junior College.

Results (top-three only)

Individual

U-14 Girls
1. Hannah Lau Wings Athletics Club 22:24 min
2. Janielle Lim CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ 22:40 min
3. Dayna Tan CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ 23:05 min

U-14 Boys
1. Marc Amiruddin Singapore Sports School 18:42 min
2. Josiah Wee Singapore Sports School 19:28 min
3. Gregory Teo Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 19:47 min

U-17 Girls
1. Ranjitha D/O Raja Swift Athletes Association 21:39 min
2. Jerusta Chee Wings Athletics Club 22:36 min
3. Clara Poon Wings Athletics Club 22:48 min

U-17 Boys
1. Zorndrix Dass Anglo-Chinese Junior College 18:09 min
2. Zachary Devaraj Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 18:14 min
3. James Hoong Anglo-Chinese Junior College 18:49 min

Women’s Open
1. Ramandeep Kaur National Junior College 22:02 min
2. Cheryl Chan Cedar Girls’ Secondary 22:06
3. Wan Zahrah Bte Ahmad Alif Cedar Girls’ Secondary 22:09 min

Men’s Open
1. Feroz Shah Swift Athletes Association
2. Chua Chin Yang Swift Athletes Association
3. Cheong Peng Tat MR25

Team

U-14 Girls
1. CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh) 26 pts
2. Wings Athletics Club 34 pts
3. Cedar Girls’ Secondary 45 pts

U-14 Boys
1. Singapore Sports School Team B 11 pts
2. Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 18 pts
3. Singapore Sports School Team A 22 pts

U-17 Girls
1. Wings Athletics Club 9 pts
2. Cedar Girls’ Secondary 36 pts
3. Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary 37 pts

U-17 Boys
1. Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Team A 9 pts
2. Anglo-Chinese Junior College 22 pts
3. Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Team B 24 pts

Women’s Open
1. Cedar Girls’ Secondary 11 pts
2. MR25 17 pts
3. (Unnamed team) 35 pts

Men’s Open
1. Swift Athletes Association 13 pts
2. National University of Singapore Team 1 27 pts
3. MR25 32 pts

Note: Girls’ and women’s races were run over a 3.7km route and boys’ and men’s races were run over 4.2km. Team results were based on positions of top-three runners in the team.