Canobolas young guns represent western region

THREE kids running in the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association Cross Country Championships is a great effort for any school.

When that school only has 85 students, it’s fantastic.

So you can understand Canobolas Public School principal Mark Root’s excitement at the efforts of students Charlotte Simmons, Luka Mihalich and Harry West.

The three will travel to Eastern Creek on July 20 as part of the western region team which will take on NSW’s best primary school cross country runners.

Root said it’s the first time in the school’s history that three athletes will attend the carnival.

“We’re really, really proud of the three of them,” Root said.

“It’s a great achievement. They’ve worked really hard and deserve it.”

To make it to the championships, the trio had to finish in the top six at a district carnival, and then repeat the dose at the western region carnival at Wellington.

Charlotte said she had been trying to run every day to build up her fitness, including weekly jogs with the Orange Runners Club, but it was not always possible to find time around her commitments to soccer and tennis.

Harry (football) and Luka (gymnastics and soccer) are having similar difficulties.

But the three plan to spend time together training at Lake Canobolas in preparation for the big day.

Luka and Charlotte, both in the 11 years age groups, will be running in the carnival for the second time, having made the grade last year.

“But this time I am training more because I know how hard it was last year,” Charlotte said.

Harry, facing up to a 2km effort in the 8-9 years boys division, is under no illusions about how tough the race will be.

“I’m going to get stitches. I always get stitches,” he said.

All up, 12 kids from schools in the Orange region will be travelling to the event, while 16 high school runners have qualified for their championships.