CANOWINDRA runner Veronica Wallington will go into next month’s World Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland full of confidence after winning at the Australian All Schools Cross Country Championships last weekend.

The Year 12 Kinross Wolaroi School student took out the women’s under 20s race by around 40 seconds, with the result boosting Wallington’s preparation for her second appearance on the international mountain running scene.

Wallington finished third last year in the junior women’s race at her first attempt and was surprised by the result.

She is more aware of what to expect this time around but will not take anything for granted, as the 2008 course will be different from what she encountered last year.

“I came third last time and that was a bit of a shock but once again, it’s a totally different course,” Wallington said.

“Last year it was up and down hill, this year it’s purely uphill so I don’t know what the other competitors are like, if they prefer that or if they don’t.

“I’ll just have to give it what I’ve got.”

The 17-year-old gained confidence from the All Schools cross country win and she will continue with her training program used to prepare for the nationals ahead of her trip to Switzerland in a fortnight.

Wallington is ahead of where she thought she was after initially aiming for a top-three finish at the cross country championships.

“I had done a good set of training and my results from the NSW state carnival had been (good) and I’d just had a progressive lead-up to it,” she said.

“I was getting better and better and feeling more confident, so I did go in feeling pretty confident.

“But I didn’t expect to win. I was hoping for a top-three, so I was pretty happy.”

The Orange student stayed in the lead pack over the first 3km lap of the 6km race and moved into the lead on the second lap.

Wallington will now have the chance to push for another place on the Australian team in January when she trials to make the squad in the under 20s.