MOREE junior athletics super-coach Ronny Clissold predicted five winners would return home after competing at the North West Primary Schools Sports Association regional cross country trials at Coolah’s Bowen Oval and the Coolah golf course on Thursday.

And that’s exactly what happened – incredibly, from only eight races.

A big team of Ronny’s Runners from Moree Primary School travelled to Coolah last week to compete in zone qualifiers for the NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships, to be held at Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park on July 22.

Clissold earlier this month confidently predicted the squad would win five races and the legendary coach was spot on when Austin and Marley Legg, Evie Woods, Bella Boland and Will Smith confirmed their spots at Horsley Park next month with impressive age group wins.

Austin Legg won the boys 8-9 years with Liam O’Hara also qualifying for a shot at state with his sixth placing.

(from left) Coolah winners Evie Woods, Will Smith, coach Ronny Clissold, Marley Legg, Bella Boland and Austin Legg (Image Supplied).

Billy Assef finished seventh, to grab a reserve spot in Sydney, with Will Boland ninth and Eddie McNamara 16th.

Frieda Tesoriero finished eighth in the girls 8-9 years, with Piper Hobday 17th.

Bella Boland won the girls 10 years with Olivia Moore 28th, while Evie Woods won the girls 11 years.

Ronny’s Runners ran one-two in the 11 years boys, with Will Smith beating Jake Ewart, while Marley Legg took home the girls 12-13 years.

Tom Jensen finished second in the 10 years boys, with Tom Murphy seventh.

In the boys 12-13 years, Lachie Bowhay finished eighth, Chase Hobday was 19th and Dougal Quinn 24th, with Jamal Bailey-Smith running bravely in the boys 15 years.

Some of Ronny’s Runners competing at Coolah last week, (back row from left) Evie Woods, Jake Ewart, Marley Legg, coach Ronny Clissold, Olivia Moore, Austin Legg, Bella Boland, Liam O’Hara and (front row from left) Lachie Bowhay, Tom Jensen, Eddie McNamara, Will Boland and Will Smith (Image Supplied).

“The team effort from Moree Primary School was great,” Clissold said.

“This is probably the best squad we’ve ever had, without a doubt. To come away with five wins and two seconds out of eight races is phenomenal – I can’t ask for any more than that.”

The top six runners in each age division at Coolah now advance to represent the north-west region at the NSW PSSA State Cross Country Championships in Sydney.

Clissold said all Moree runners who competed at Coolah are exceptional young athletes.

“We’ll have eight runners going to state and four reserves, with kids placed seventh and eighth making reserve spots,” he said.

“I think Aussie (Austin Legg) will be the best runner in Moree in four years’ time. He’s good.

“Bella Boland speaks for herself. She’s great. I can’t see her missing out on going to the nationals, she’s that good.

“Evie Woods has been with us for a while. She doesn’t like to push herself in training – she loves racing, but doesn’t like to train really hard.

“I told Evie she had to prove me wrong, and that’s exactly what she did,” Clissold smiled.

Ronny Clissold and a team of Ronny’s Runners at Moree Parkrun earlier this year.

“Will Smith ran his normal, honest race, and it was a great race between him and Jake Ewart.

“They hit the front after about 500 metres and it was just a matter of ‘how far’ to see who was going to win.

“Will was 50 metres or so in front at the finish. He turned the tables on Jake, who beat him the last time they raced,” he said.

“Marley Legg is the queen of the track at the moment, and beat Katie McDonald’s time by 30 seconds over the three kilometres.

“Liam O’Hara produced the unexpected run of the day; I didn’t expect him to finish in the top 20. There were 67 runners in his race and he came through and finished sixth to earn a spot in Sydney,” Clissold said.

Chase and Levi Cosgrove, Izzy Reardon and Anthony Smith, from St Philomena’s School in Moree, are also on target to get to Horsley Park on July 22.

The St Phillies’ kids competed in the Armidale Catholic Schools Diocesan Cross Country Carnival in May at Barraba, which also serve as zone championships.

“Chase finished first at Barraba, with Levi second – they were in the same age group – and Izzy came second in her age group,” Clissold said.

“Young Anthony also came sixth in his age group at Barraba. The St Phillies’ kids will now go to another run in Sydney to try and make state.”