Story by Edina Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Jerald Ang and Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports

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Gabriel Ng of ASC(I) ran the 3.65km route in 12:54.70 to emerge as the C Division champion. (Photo 1 © Jerald Ang/Red Sports)

Bedok Reservoir Park, Wednesday, March 23, 2016 – Gabriel Ng of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) clocked 12 minutes 54.70 seconds for the 3.65 kilometre route to emerge as the C Division boys champion at the 57th National Schools Cross Country Championships.

This is the second victory of the season for him, after his earlier win in the U-14 category at the Wings Cross Country Championships held earlier this year. His ACS(I) teammates Joshua Loo and Harpreet Singh came in second and third respectively. Their impressive 1-2-3 placings earned them the team title.

ACS(I) won with a total of 19 points, with Hwa Chong Institution coming in second, 30 points behind. Victoria School were third while Raffles Institution finished fourth. This is the second C Division team title for ACS(I), following their first victory in 2013.

The start of the race was a packed and chaotic one, with many runners boxed in. Apart from the front pack, the rest of the runners were scattered along the entire route.

Gabriel started off fast, and maintained the lead throughout the course of the race. When asked about the race, he said, “I started off well and paced myself well. The race was pretty smooth sailing for me and I followed my strategy from Wings Cross Country. I managed to shave four seconds off from Wings.”

He added, “I think this was a good team effort. I would like to dedicate this win to Mr Lee Kuan Yew as it is the anniversary of his passing.”

However, the race was not as smooth for all. Gabriel’s teammate, Joshua Loo, said, “I felt like I was going to throw up mid-race, but managed to persevere through. It was packed in front at the beginning and some people fell. Throughout the race, I followed the leading runners, and surged at the end.”

Joshua repeated his second-place finish at Wings Cross Country, and also set a personal best timing in this race.

C Division Boys (Top 20)
3.65km
1st Gabriel Ng Yu Jie (#5019, ACSI) – 12:54.70
2nd Joshua Loo Jing Yang (#5021, ACSI) – 13:20.50
3rd Harpreet Singh (#5020, ACSI) – 13:26.71
4th Nur Muhammad S/O Mohammad Faroud (#5318, VS) – 13:39.23
5th Tan Gene, Travis (#5257, RI) – 13:41.53
6th Joshua Rajendran (#5149, HCI) – 13:46.05
7th Tan Hong Han Ethan (#5152, HCI) – 13:49.82
8th Yeo Zhi Yan (#5153, HCI) – 13:52.84
9th Abu Bakaar B Mohd Faziq (#5313, Victoria School) – 13:53.83
10th Yeo Ke-Gan (#5183, Maris Stella) – 13:57.14
11th Sean Tay Wei Teck (#5256, RI) – 14:06.44
12th Brandon Sathe Thas (#5361, Jurong) – 14:06.82
13th Chua Yi, Ethan ( #5018, ACSI) – 14:09.72
14th Lee Kang Zheng, Russel (#5316, Victoria School) – 14:15.17
15th Herwandy B Sunarino (#5324, Woodlands) – 14:16.73
16th Soo Yan Kang, Andrey (#5281, SJI) – 14:16.73
17th Soon Jun Xi Gabriel ( #5114, Evergreen) – 14:18.39
18th Wee Wen Yi, John (#5124, Greendale) – 14:18.46
19th Ong Ee Howe (#5022, ACSI) – 14:21.82
20th Tan Jiahao (#5107, Edgefield) – 14:25.84

C Division Boys Team (Top 4)
1st Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) – 19 points
1st Gabriel Ng Yu Jie (#5019) – 12:54.70
2nd Joshua Loo Jing Yang (#5021) – 13:20.50
3rd Harpreet Singh (#5020) – 13:26.71
13th Chua Yi, Ethan (#5018) – 14:09.72

2nd Hwa Chong Institution – 49 points
6th Joshua Rajendran (#5149) – 13:46.05
7th Tan Hong Han Ethan (#5152) – 13:49.82
8th Yeo Zhi Yan (#5153) -13:52.84
28th Aeron Young Liren (#5147) – 14:48.00

3rd Victoria School – 52 points
4th Nur Muhammad S/O Mohammad Fauroud (#5318) – 13:39.23
9th Abu Bakaar B Mohd Faziq (#5313) – 13:53.83
14th Lee Kang Zheng, Russel (#5316) – 14:15.17
25th Reuben Lui Tye Herng (#5319) – 14:32.00

4th Raffles Institution – 59 points
5th Tan Gene, Travis (#5257) – 13:41.53
11th Sean Tay Wei Teck (#5256) – 14:06.44
21st Christoffer Eilersten (#5252) – 14:29.00
22nd Lim Teck Woon, Darren (#5254) – 14:30.00

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