Steph Egan takes gold at NSW PSSA Cross country

“I could feel the girl standing next to me shaking,” she said.

Egan admits she was shaking too, the Primary Schools Sports Assocation NSW finals had her pitted against the fastest runners from across the state.

Students came from the public, independent, private and Catholic systems to vie for the title. A line-up like that is bound to tie a stomach in knots. 

Egan said she usually soothes her pre-race nerves by listening to the thumping, marching beat of White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. But, as she crouched at the starting line all she listened for was the starter’s gun.

“They fired the pistol and there’s a lot of pushing and shoving trying to get to the front. I pushed and shoved too.”

The course was muddy from days of solid rain but Egan kept a comfortable pace as she breezed past the half-way point of the two kilometre course in sixth position.

On the final hill she pushed her way through to first and rounded on the final straight. 

 “I stuffed up a bit,” she said.

“There were 18 year-olds on the track too.

“The marshal was directing them one way and I took a wrong turn.”

Veering back onto the course and the final sprint she was barely clinging to first.

“I could hear them behind me,” she said.

“I got over the line with just a second to spare,” she flung her arms up, recounting the feeling of elation.

The Hunter Valley Grammar student had run two kilometres in eight minutes and 11 seconds.

Not quite her personal best of seven minutes and 42 seconds, but it was muddy and ugly out there after all.

Egan’s PSSA NSW gold medal now hangs next to her bed, but the biggest race of her young life will be the national meet on August 19 to 22 in Canberra.

Until then she’s training four to five times a week in preparation. 

But she admits she’s a darkhorse, a little slow off the blocks at training.

“When it comes to training I’m not competetive,” she said.

“But on race day, it’s game on. 

“There’s only one winner.”