Awesome Awen leads MTB winners
Nelson’s female mountainbikers led the way for the region’s contingent at the South Island School MTB Championships.
Nelson College for Girls Preparatory pupil Awen Lloyd came first in the under-14 downhill and enduro and second in the crosscountry at the event in Otago this month.
She joined fellow winners, Nelson College for Girls’ Rebecca Hufflett, who dominated the downhill, enduro and crosscountry events in the U15 girls’ category, and Olivia Lambert of Waimea College, who came first in the U17 girls’ downhill and enduro.
The event was just Lloyd’s second race, having previously competed in the Shred Like A Girl in April.
Her South Island results were the culmination of three years’ riding around the Richmond Hills or Codgers, encouraged by her father, Tim.
‘‘Sometimes we go riding as a family, but most of the time it’s just Dad and I,’’ she said.
Lloyd said Hufflett was another one of her big influences, and credited the Nelson College for Girls student for getting her involved in mountainbike racing.
Buoyed by her good recent form, Lloyd said she planned to return for another South Island schools championship tilt next year. However, her short-term focus was on local races, starting with the Super D series.
‘‘Nelson has such a good setup – it’s a really good place to ride, with all the challenging tracks.’’
She hoped to see an increase in girls taking up mountainbiking in the near future.
‘‘It is a male-dominated sport, and there definitely needs to be more girls riding.’’
In the boys’ section of the competition, Waimea’s Sam Gale and Seamus O’Donnell secured podium finishes in the U20 downhill and enduro events, with O’Donnell finishing second overall.
U14 competitors Hamish Powell and Tom Hoare, both of Nelson College, owned first and third placings respectively in their events, while Oliver Elkington claimed third in the U16 enduro.
‘‘There definitely needs to be more girls riding.’’
Awen Lloyd