Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck, Soh Jun Wei and Clara Yuan/Red Sports

55th National Inter-School Cross Country Championships

Er Wen Han of HCI raced to the C Division boys’ individual title at the 55th National Schools Cross Country Championships. He set a personal best 12 minutes 16.5 seconds over the 3.6km course. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Bedok Reservoir Park, Tuesday, March 25, 2014 — Er Wen Han of Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) broke away from the lead pack 1.5km into his race to win the C Division individual title at the 55th National Schools Cross Country Championships.

In the C Division girls’ race, Elaine Quah of Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) led from start to finish to win the individual crown on her debut. Wen Han and Elaine each clocked personal best times of 12 minutes 16.5 seconds and 14:55.5 respectively over the 3.6km course.

“It’s a pretty great achievement for me, and I’m happy that I can make it this year,” said Wen Han, whose win improved on his ninth placing last year. Thiruben s/o Thana Rajan of National Junior College and Philip Wong of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) finished second and third in 12:39.3 and 12:42.3 respectively.

The 14-year-old Wen Han added: “It was a tough fight throughout the race. Thiruben and Philip were like … support for me. The three of us were pushing each other along.”

Thiruben, also 14, was competing in his first national schools championship and beat his previous personal best time by a minute. He said, “I’m pleased with myself. I think I gave it my all.”

While Wen Han could draw from a previous experience racing at the national schools competition to spur him to the win, Elaine, the winner in the girls’ race, was only a reserve member of RGS’ team last year. Elaine said, “It is a very unreal experience for me as I did not expect to come in first. It’s a very wonderful feeling.”

Levyn Wong of Dunman High finished second in 15 minutes and 4 seconds, while Mariviv Tan of Guangyang Secondary finished third with a timing of 15:12.3.

Levyn’s time was a personal best for her and the result was an improvement on last year’s fifth place finish. Levyn said, “It was very challenging. My target was first position, but there are a lot of strong runners out there. I’m happy that I tried my best. I’ll train harder and come back better next year.”

Last year’s winner, Isabelle Wang (River Valley), finished in 13th place, while 2013 runner-up Joyceleen Yap from Cedar Girls was fourth this year.

In the team competition, RI saw their leading four runners finish in the top ten (4-6-9-10) for a total of 29 points to emerge as the C Division boys’ team champions. HCI took second spot with 56 points, led by the boys’ individual champion, Wen Han. ACSI finished third with 69 points.

Cedar Girls’ Secondary were the C Division girls’ team champions with 44 points, edging out RGS by a mere four points. River Valley High rounded up the podium with 88 points.

For the eighth consecutive time, the incumbent C Division girls’ team champions failed to defend their title. Last year’s winners, Methodist Girls’ School, finished in fifth place.

The last school to repeat as C Division girls’ champions was CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School in 2006.

C Division Boys’ Individual Results (Top 20)
1st Er Wen Han (#5256, Hwa Chong Institution) – 12 minutes 16.5 seconds
2nd Thiruben S/O Thana Rajan (#5109, National Junior College) – 12:39.3
3rd Wong Meng Ern Philip [#5059, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)] – 12:42.3
4th Daniel Joe (#5139, Raffles Institution) – 12:46.2
5th Ivan Song (#5144, St. Joseph’s Institution) – 12:55.6
6th Lee Cheng Ze Clarence (#5141, Raffles Institution) – 12:57.0
7th Sia Jun Wei (#5258, Hwa Chong Institution) – 13:06.5
8th Aayush Singh (#5216, Victoria School) – 13:07.6
9th Liao Ze Li Jacques (#5136, Raffles Institution) – 13:09.5
10th Chadalavada Abhijit (#5137, Raffles Institution) – 13:09.6
11th Armand Dhilawala Mohan (#5143, Raffles Institution) – 13:10.7
12th Fang Yiyang (#5242, Commonwealth Secondary) – 13:13.4
13th M Shevaraman (#5215, Victoria School) – 13:15.5
14th Jethro Sim Sheng Yang (#5138, Raffles Institution) – 13:16.4
15th Nehemiah Chai Yong (#5207, Temasek Secondary) – 13:16.9
16th Ho Han Yu (#5276, Nan Hua High) – 13:17.0
17th B Phorkko Rajaa (#5264, Jurong Secondary) – 13:17.3
18th Jerrie B Zainul Shaffee (#5145, St. Joseph’s Institution) – 13:17.3
19th Joseph Hee Jia Liang (#5278, Nan Hua High) – 13:23.9
20th Nikhil Cody Ramchandran [#5063, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)] – 13:24.9

C Division Boys’ Team Results (Top Four)
1st Raffles Institution – 29 pts
2nd Hwa Chong Institution – 56 pts
3rd Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) – 69 pts
4th Victoria School – 86 pts

C Division Girls’ Individual Results (Top 20)
1st Quah Li Ying Elaine (#6145, Raffles Girls’ School) – 14 minutes 55.5 seconds
2nd Wong Si Min Levyn (#6174, Dunman High School) – 15:04.0
3rd Mariviv Tan (#6113, Guangyang Secondary) – 15:12.3
4th Joyceleen Yap Yin Xiu (#6089, Cedar Girls’ Secondary) – 15:18.2
5th Wu Jia Yi Elise (#6018, CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School) – 15:30.9
6th Chua Hsi-Ern Caylee (#6286, Crescent Girls’ School) – 15.33.5
7th Keh Chin Yip (#6047, North Vista Secondary) – 15:35.5
8th Lim Su Ann (#6093, Cedar Girls’ Secondary) – 15:38.5
9th Pearlyn Low Ai Hui (#6252, River Valley High) – 15.49.1
10th Chua Yu Qing (#6245, Nan Hua High) – 15.56.2
11th Cheryl Chng Si Yin (#6090, Cedar Girls’ Secondary) – 16:01.2
12th Lim Xin Hui (#6150, Raffles Girls’ School) – 16:02.1
13th Isabelle Wang Jia Jia (#6251, River Valley High) – 16:05.7
14th Subuhana Bte Malick (#6210, Bukit Batok Secondary) – 16:14.0
15th Letitia Jules Quek [#6097, CHIJ (Toa Payoh)] – 16:16.0
16th Chan Jing Xuan (#6291, Crescent Girls’ School) – 16:19.2
17th Catherine Kamala Wei Sin P S Kausikan (#6151, Raffles Girls’ School) – 16:19.2
18th Esther Chung Xin Yue (#6149, Raffles Girls’ School) – 16:19.4
19th Annabelle Lim Xue’er (#6238, Methodist Girls’ School) – 16:19.9
20th Yeat E Mun (#6146, Raffles Girls’ School) – 16.27.8

C Division Girls’ Team Results (Top Four)
1st Cedar Girls’ Secondary – 44 pts
2nd Raffles Girls’ School – 48 pts
3rd River Valley High – 88 pts
4th Nan Hua High – 101 pts

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