Three years ago Dio travelled to Palmerston North with just five runners and no formal team structure. This year we fielded 6-person team squads in every girls’ age group and left with amazing results across all categories. Amazing to see that the sport’s once “individual” reputation is giving way to a genuine Dio team culture.
Saturday Individual and Team Races Results
Junior Girls
With nearly 70 runners in the Junior Girls category, Grace Larsen led the way in 17th place, followed by Maggie Croft in 23rd and Chloe Ulmer in 27th. Lucy Bell (51st) and Samantha Peacocke (57th) also put in solid runs to round out the team effort.
Grace, Maggie, and Chloe’s strong finishes earned them a silver medal in the 3‑person team event – a fantastic result against tough national competition.
Year 9 Girls
In a stacked Year 9 field of nearly 100 runners, Abi Bethell finished strongly in 12th place, followed by Eden Brettell (42nd), Clementine Coney (53rd), Harriet Lowe (56th), Zara Benton (59th), and Flora Stevens Oskam (60th). Their collective effort saw them secure 3rd place in the 6‑person team event.
Senior Girls
The Senior Girls category saw the biggest girls field of the day with over 120 competitors. Maddie Worrall led the charge with a 10th place finish overall, also claiming 1st place in the U17 division. She was closely followed by Hannah McManus (16th overall, 4th in U17) and Sophia Haines (21st). Rounding out the team were Zari Lindsay (82nd, 33rd in U17), Neve Sparrow (90th, 37th in U17), and Stella McElroy (98th), all of whom played a key role in the overall team performance.
Together, Maddie, Hannah, and Sophia secured 1st place in the 3‑person team event, while the full squad of six combined to earn 3rd place in the 6‑person team event.
Special mention: Maddie Worrall’s win in the new U17 category and 10th in the full Senior category has earned her selection to the NZSS team for the Australian Schools Championships to represent NZ later this year.
Sunday – Regional Relays
Sunday’s Regional Relay event was the perfect way to round off a brilliant weekend of racing. In the Senior Girls Relay, Hannah McManus, Maddie Worrall, and Sophia Haines ran for Auckland Senior B, finishing 4th place. Lucy Bell also stepped up to race with the Auckland Senior D team, placing 17th.
In the Junior Girls category, we had four Dio athletes competing. Grace Larsen, running for Auckland Junior A, helped her team to 4th place. Chloe Ulmer and Maggie Croft were part of Auckland Junior B, finishing in 5th.
The Year 9 Dio girls also made their mark. Abi Bethell competed in Auckland Year 9 A, placing 5th, and Zara Benton ran in Auckland Year 9 C, who placed 10th.
A special mention goes to Clementine Coney, who showed awesome team spirit, stepping in at the last minute to run for the Northland relay team.
Well done and congratulations to the 2025 Dio Cross Country team! You’ve set a new benchmark for participation and performance. A huge thank you must also go out to the parents and supporters who cheered the girls every step of the way. We can’t wait to see where this momentum takes Dio Cross Country next.
