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Otamatea High School runner Denika Clooney has continued her rise as one of Northland’s most promising long-distance athletes after claiming two gold medals at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships in Wellington.
Competing against the country’s best secondary school runners last month, Clooney took out the senior girls’ individual title before helping her North Harbour team to victory in the relay.
Held in challenging conditions at Trentham Memorial Park, the championships featured more than 850 athletes from 147 schools. Wind, rain and mud made for a demanding course, but Clooney didn’t allow the conditions to slow her down.
She crossed the finish line in less than 15 minutes, achieving the personal goal she had set herself before the race.
“The course had all kinds of obstacles and the conditions were terrible that day, so I was really pleased that I managed to get under the 15-minute mark because of that,” she says.
The senior women’s relay victory was also a massive win for Clooney, who was the only Northland athlete represented in the North Harbour team.
“It was really nice that we got a win because we came second in the relay last year,” she says.
The double victory means she has secured her selection in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team for next month’s Australian Cross Country Championships in Ballarat, alongside around 28 secondary school athletes from across NZ.
“Because running is an individual sport, going away as part of a team is a really nice bonding experience. The people you compete against here in New Zealand become your teammates, and Australia is always a great chance to test yourself against really strong competition.”
Clooney first discovered her love of running at the age of seven through school cross-country events before joining her local athletics club. As she progressed through the age grades, her passion for the sport grew into a commitment to compete at the highest level.
She currently trains six days a week, covering around 60 kilometres through a combination of long runs, speed sessions and endurance training.
Most of that training is completed alone under the guidance of coach Lisa Cross, a New Zealand title-winning distance runner, through South Auckland-based training group TTT Runners.
“There are not too many opportunities for races in Northland, so a lot of my competing is in Auckland and around the country,” she says.
The cost of travelling to competitions has increased as she has moved through the ranks, making financial support increasingly important. This year, Clooney was awarded a Sport Northland Kauri Club scholarship, which helps talented young athletes pursue their goals.
“As I go higher in the levels of running, there are more opportunities competition-wise, but that all comes with more expenses. It’s all self-funded, so it’s great to have a little bit of extra financial support to be able to take opportunities when I can,” she says.
With her school days soon coming an end, Clooney is already looking forward to her next challenge. Next year, she will make the move to North Carolina after accepting a full athletics scholarship to Elon University, where she will study exercise science while competing for the university’s cross-country and track teams.
“It’s a very different environment over there. The athletics programme has a much more team-oriented approach, and there are so many resources available. I’m really excited to have people to train with every day and work alongside coaches on a daily basis.”
The move will see Clooney compete in one of the world’s most competitive university athletics systems, providing regular opportunities to race against some of the best collegiate distance runners in the United States.
While international competition and university athletics are at the forefront of her mind for now, Clooney’s long-term ambitions stretch even further.
“It’s got to the point where it’s either go big or go home. I’m constantly looking to improve and see how far I can go.”
