By Di Sneddon
It is one thing winning a State Cross Country Championship and quite another to get across the finish line ten seconds ahead of your nearest rival.
But that is exactly what Singleton’s Georgia Dunn managed to accomplish at the Combined Catholic Schools Polding Cross Country championships earlier this month.
Representing St Catherine’s Catholic College, Georgia competed across the four kilometre track at the Eastern Creek International Equestrian Centre.
Georgia ran the distance in 15.58 minutes, crossing the finish line a good 10 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
Among those in the age division was her good friend, Aurelia Russell who attends St Joseph’s College at Lochinvar and to both girls’ delight, Aurelia took out third place.
There were 54 runners in the under 15s, so Georgia had plenty of competition and while she runs long distances most days, she does it for the love of it and certainly doesn’t have any special equipment to give her a competitive advantage.
“I just run in my joggers and I just go on runs, I don’t have any structure, I just enjoy it,” Georgia said.
It is nothing for her to run 10km a day and she says she loves the feeling she gets afterwards.
“It makes me feel accomplished, it makes me happy and I just run for the pure joy of it.”
As an AFL midfielder in the under 17s Singleton Roosterettes, her hobby certainly helps her with her on-field performances as it is nothing for Georgia to run 10 kilometres on any one game.
Georgia now goes onto the All Schools State title at Eastern Creek on July 21.
St Catherine’s Catholic College was well represented at the event with five students in primary and four in secondary competing.
Results are as follows
8/9 Boys: Charles Slater – 14th
10 Boys: Tasman McLeod – 37th
10 Girls: Matisse McLeod – 35th
12 Girls: Quin Neyland – 16th, Lilly Oliver – 20th
14 Girls: Macy Neyland – 19th
16 Girls: Molly Thomas – 21st
17 Boys: Ethan Newman – 16th
