Cross Country: RI win first ever C Div team title while Thineshwaran captures individual C Div crown to put Bendemeer on the map

By REDintern Soh Rui Yong

Bedok Reservoir Park, Wednesday, March 23, 2011 — Raffles Institution (RI) won their first ever C Division Boys’ cross-country championship title for the first time since records were kept in 1971.

Mohamed Imran Jashiruden, Shohib Marican, Chua Shao Shxuan and Willy Lim placed second, fourth, 11th and 13th at the end of the 4.6km route to survive a fierce challenge from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) to make history.

The RI boys scored a team total of 30 points, beating Hwa Chong by three points to the championship. Victoria School came in third with 82 points. Team scores are calculated by adding up the individual positions of the first four runners, and the team with the lowest score is declared the winner.

Bendemeer Secondary’s Thineshwaran s/o Krishnakumar was a surprise winner of the C Division Boys’ race. He had placed a distant third, by over 20 seconds, to the Rafflesian duo of Mohd Imran and Shohib at last month’s Wings Athletic Club Cross Country meet. Thineshwaran clocked 16 minutes 5.27 seconds, an improvement from his 23rd position and 18:28.42 result from last year’s schools championships.

In the B Division, Karthic Harish Ragupathy of Saint Joseph’s Institution (SJI) blitzed the rest of the field, taking an early lead that he never relinquished. His delight in his incredible performance was evident for all to see, as he waved his hands in the air while racing down the finishing straight, without a single competitor in sight.

With this win, Karthic added to his C Division individual title which he won in 2009. He also decimated Zachary Devaraj’s year-old B Division course record of 15:41.45 with his 15:16.71 timing.

The B Boys team title was won by Victoria School, who scored a total of 55 points to beat HCI (60) and Catholic High School (71). It was Victoria’s record 15th B Boys title, and also the 23rd time in 24 championships that they took home at least one team title from either the B or C Division.

The A Division Boys’ race was widely considered to be the most anticipated race of the championships. HCI’s Jeevaneesh Soundarajah had to be at his best to hold off this season’s surprise package, Benjamin Amaldas Samynathan of RI, to win the individual gold medal.

Jeevaneesh started fast and took the lead after just 200m, setting a furious pace to win the individual title, while leading his team to victory in the process. Teng Jian Hong, Chin Joo Ern and team captain Yeo Si Heng finished seventh, ninth and 10th respectively.

Their team score of 27 points put them nine clear of second-placed RI, who had a 2-5-13-16 finish to score 36 points.

Jeevaneesh also smashed Soh Rui Yong’s course record across the three divisions. The championships have been held at the Bedok Reservoir Park since 2009, and that was when Rui Yong won the A Division Boys title with a time of 15:20.86. The top three finishers in this year’s A Division race – Jeevaneesh, Benjamin and Victoria’s Eugene Cyril Rodrigo – all bettered that time, but Jeevaneesh was the first to go sub-15 minutes, stopping the clock in 14 minutes 57.05 seconds.

Ed’s note: More stories on the cross country championships coming up in the next few days.

C Division Boys Team (Top 4)
1st Raffles Institution — 30 points
Mohamed Imran Jashirudeen (#1181, 16:08.86) — 2nd
Shohib Bin Abdul Wahab Marican (#1182, 16:26.45) — 4th
Chua Shao Shxuan (#1179, 17:28.92) — 11th
Lim Wei Qian Willy Lim (#1180, 17:30.79) — 13th

2nd Hwa Chong Institution — 33 points
Dan Nan Tian (#1292, 17:09.89) — 6th
Tan Jia Jie (#1295, 17:11.01) — 7th
Leong Sheu Xiang (#1291, 17:20.69) — 8th
Dylan Tan (#1288, 17:29.91) — 12th

3rd Victoria School — 82 points
Ryan Koh (#1245, 17:26.37) — 10th
Dominic Choo (#1243, 17:58.67) — 20th
Mandip Rai (#1241, 18:06.50) — 25th
Justin Thong (#1244, 18:16.82) — 27th

4th Bendemeer Secondary — 87 points
Thineshwaran s/o Krihsnakumar (#1125, 16:05.27) — 1st
Ivan Consuelo Hong (#1122, 17:51.14) — 18th
Adisak Chiew (#1123, 18:19.24) — 28th
Lua Jian Hong (#1124, 18:42.51) — 40th

Download full C Division Boys team results here

B Division Boys Team (Top 4)
1st Victoria School — 55 points
Bryan Yong (#3312, 15:41.21) — 2nd
Marcus Ng (#3318, 15:58.44) — 4th
Joel-David Wong (#3317, 17:02.63) — 22nd
Venuraam s/o Selvan (#3319, 17:07.10) — 27th

2nd Hwa Chong Institution — 60 points
Chua Bo Yu (#3373, 16:21.75) — 10th
Joel Ng (#3380, 16:38.04) — 12th
Lee Wei Sheng (#3376, 16:41.15) — 13th
Benjamin Tang (#3377, 17:07.06) — 25th

3rd Catholic High — 71 points
Heng Yu Jie (#3153, 15:49.97) — 3rd
Lim Jia De (#3152, 16:35.33) — 11th
Joshua Nga (#3151, 16:48.13) — 15th
Goy Shen (#3149, 17:38.57) — 42nd

4th St Joseph’s Institution — 101 points
Karthic Harish Ragupathy (#3237, 15:16.71) — 1st
Justin Tan (#3236, 16:15.77) — 8th
Terence Leung (#3235, 17:27.86) 36th
Julian Tang (#3233, 18:08.41) — 56th

Download full B Division Boys team results here

A Division Boys Team (Top 4)
1st Hwa Chong Institution — 27 points
Jeevaneesh S/O Soundararajah (#5086, 14:57.05) — 1st
Teng Jian Hong (#5085, 15:44.84) — 7th
Chin Joo Ern (#5089, 15:51.48) — 9th
Yeo Si Heng (#5083, 15:52.81) — 10th

2nd Raffles institution — 36 points
Benjamin Amaldas Samynathan (#5043, 15:06.38) — 2nd
Wilbert Ho (#5044, 15:29.46) — 5th
Lee Guan Lin (#5045, 16:08.75) — 13th
Tay Yi Yan (#5042, 16:25.13) — 16th

3rd Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) — 63 points
Zachary Devaraj (#5021, 15:54.56) — 11th
Sean Lim Yi Fang (#5022, 16:10.34) — 14th
Sien G. Vanco (#5019, 16:30.72) — 17th
Arjun Kunnasagaran (#5017, 16:47.47) — 21st

4th Victoria Junior College — 67 points
Eugene Cyril Rodrigo (#5071, 15:19.21) — 3rd
Sherwin Yeo (#5067, 16:24.87) — 15th
Roy Chiang (#5070, 16:47.90) — 22nd
Hieng Pheak Kdey (#5072, 17:02.97) — 27th

Download full A Division Boys team results here

Results – Top 20
C Division Boys Individual (4.6km)
1st Thineshwaran S/O Krishnakumar (Bendemeer Secondary #1125) — 16:05.27
2nd Mohamed Imran Jashirudeen (Raffles Institution #1181) — 16:08.86
3rd Leroi Lee Rong Zu (Nan Hua High School #1310) — 16:16.70
4th Shohib Marican (Raffles Institution #1182) — 16:26.45
5th John Tio (Commonwealth Secondary #1277) — 17:02.09
6th Dai Nan Tian (Hwa Chong Institution #1292) — 17:09.98
7th Tan Jia Jie (Hwa Chong Institution #1295) — 17:11.01
8th Leong Sheu Xiang (Hwa Chong Institution #1291) — 17:20.69
9th Keith Yong (Singapore Sports School #1089) — 17:20.81
10th Ryan Koh (Victoria School #1245) — 17:26.37
11th Chua Shao Shxuan (Raffles Institution #1179) — 17:28.92
12th Dylan Tan (Hwa Chong Institution #1288) — 17:29.91
13th Willy Lim (Raffles Institution #1180) — 17:30.79
14th S Murugananthan (Woodlands Secondary #1104) — 17:36.70
15th Kennedy Yap (North Vista Secondary #1045) — 17:39.32
16th Scott Ho (Catholic High #1132) — 17:40.89
17th Zhu Bolin (Raffles Institution #1176) — 17:47.56
18th Ivan Consuelo Hong (Bendemeer Secondary #1122) — 17:51.14
19th Edward Lee (St. Joseph’s Institution #1191) — 17:56.24
20th Dominic Choo (Victoria School #1243) — 17:58.67

Download full C Division Boys individual results here

B Division Boys (4.6km)
1st Karthic Harish Rajupathy (Saint Joseph’s Institution #3237) — 15:16.71
2nd Bryan Yong (Victoria School #3312) — 15:41.21
3rd Heng Yu Jie (Catholic High School #3153) — 15:49.97
4th Marcus Ng (Victoria School #3318) — 15:58.44
5th Tan Teck Chye (NUS High School #3406) 16:00.88
6th Justin John Surin (Temasek Secondary #3301) — 16:14.30
7th Jonathan Tan (Raffles Institution #3225) — 16:14.32
8th Justin Tan (Saint Joseph’s Institution #3236) — 16:15.77
9th Bryan Cheng (North Vista Secondary #3062) — 16:17.21
10th Chua Bo Yu (Hwa Chong Institution #3373) — 16:21.75
11th Lim Jia De (Catholic High #3152) — 16:35.33
12th Joel Ng (Hwa Chong Institution #3380) — 16:38.04
13th Lee Wei Sheng (Hwa Chong Institution #3376) — 16:41.15
14th Dhashman s/o Thangavelu (Regent Secondary #3414) — 16:42.12
15th Joshua Nga (Catholic High #3151) — 16:48.13
16th Asher Tham (Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) #3142) — 16:54.29
17th Ryan Michael Tan (Victoria Junior College #3311) — 16:56.18
18th Tan Jian Da (North Vista Secondary #3061) — 16:56.52
19th Muhammad Reyhan Amierul (Changkat Changi Secondary #3257) — 16:57.04
20th Muhammad Syamir Muzzamil (Raffles Institution #3218) — 16:57.24

Download full B Division Boys individual results here

A Division Boys (4.6km)
1st Jeevaneesh s/o Soundararajah (Hwa Chong Institution #5086) — 14:57.05
2nd Benjamin Amaldas Samynathan (Raffles Institution #5043) — 15:06.38
3rd Eugene Cyril Rodrigo (Victoria Junior College #5071) — 15:19.21
4th Zorndrix Dass (Anglo-Chinese Junior College #5081) — 15:28.92
5th Wilbert Ho (Raffles Institution #5044) — 15:29.46
6th Aldrich Lim (Catholic Junior College #5028) — 15:35.50
7th Teng Jian Hong (Hwa Chong Institution #5044) — 15:44.84
8th Jared Hui (Catholic Junior College #5027) — 15:45.24
9th Chin Joo Ern (Hwa Chong Institution #5089) — 15:51.48
10th Yeo Si Heng (Hwa Chong Institution #5083) — 15:52.82
11th Zachary Devaraj (Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) #5021) — 15:54.56
12th Mun Yong Liang (Hwa Chong Institution #5084) — 16:00.13
13th Lee Guan Lin (Raffles Institution #5045) — 16:08.75
14th Sean Lim Yi Fang (Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) #5022) — 16:10.34
15th Sherwin Yeo (Victoria Junior College #5067) — 16:24.87
16th Tay Yi Yan (Raffles Institution #5042) — 16:25.13
17th Sien G. Vanco (Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) #5019) — 16:30.72
18th Norman Lai (Jurong Junior College #5091) — 16:31.52
19th Andrew Arthur Ng (Anglo-Chinese Junior College #5079) — 16:34.93
20th Gordon Lim (Serangoon Junior College #5009) — 16:36.22

Download full A Division Boys individual results here

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