Police confirmed to the Bay of Plenty Times that two people suffered moderate injuries in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 at the Matarawa Rd intersection about 8.20am on June 19.
The other driver was later issued an infringement notice for failing to give way.
Despite being shaken by the crash, the girls were all uninjured. They decided to continue to the championships after a trip to hospital and discussions with each other, their parents and supporters.
What might have been a reason to withdraw instead became a rallying point for the runners, who drew motivation from one another as they prepared to compete the next day.
Georgia Duske, 15, Poppy Hinde, 14, Heidi Young, 15, and Eliza Dunn, 14, were in the car when the crash happened and spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times about the experience.
Eliza said the girls were watching a movie and looked up when they heard a scream.
“I remember I looked up and we’re all screaming because we had crashed. We were just sitting in the car crying, because the airbags had gone off, and it was smoking.”
Georgia said that, when the other car pulled out, she felt a slight brake and thought they were going to be fine.
“It just happened so fast, and I was in shock that it had actually happened.”
Heidi said, “We all screamed, and it was quite scary. I think we didn’t really process what had just happened.”
The girls were initially unsure whether they would be able to compete and considered making the trip simply to support their other teammates.
Poppy said the immediate aftermath of the crash left them questioning whether racing was the right decision.
The damage to the car the four girls were travelling in.
“Just after the crash, we were all kind of like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if we’re going to race tomorrow.’ It had just happened, and it felt so big.
“I think as time went on and we’re processing it, it became more and more likely that we would race. We said we’ll see how we felt in the morning and make a decision then.”
Teammates Daisy Ruthe, 14, and Mackenzie Hetherington, 15, had flown down before the championships and were shocked to learn of the crash.
“My dad came over and said, ‘Your team got into a crash,’ and first I thought he was joking because that’s not something you ever think will happen to your team,” Daisy said.
Mackenzie found out through a message from Daisy.
“I thought she was lying because it’s just not really something that you ever think will happen, but I messaged the girls and checked that they were all okay.”
A parent travelling in a separate vehicle was able to pick up the girls after the crash and continue their journey to Upper Hutt.
Reunited after a “scary” day, the six runners shared hugs, swapped stories and talked through the day’s events.
“It was the loudest conversation ever because we were all trying to tell the story at the exact same time,” Eliza said.
“These guys [Daisy and Mackenzie] were taking it in, and that’s when we realised: we’re in Wellington, we didn’t just come here for no reason.”
Georgia said Daisy and Mackenzie’s support gave the girls a much-needed “energised” lift, helping turn uncertainty into the belief they could still race as a team.
“I just remember wanting to do it for the team, and run hard.
“We’re all trauma-bonded now, and I think it’s made us all closer,” Poppy said.
Competing against the country’s best at Trentham Memorial Park, the girls were crowned Junior Girls National Champions.
They defended their six-member team title, securing back-to-back national victories.
Leading the charge was Daisy, who finished second in the junior girls’ 3km race, crossing the line ahead of 112 other runners in a field of 114 competitors.
She was supported by Mackenzie, in ninth, Eliza in 18th, and Georgia in 24th. Poppy finished 68th and Heidi 87th, helping secure enough points to win both team titles.
“It was such a good feeling because we had won it last year, so we wanted to win it again,” Mackenzie said.
“The medals feel a lot more superior because we went through a lot and then walked away with the win,” Eliza said.
Daisy said the medals represented everything the team had experienced.
“I was just really proud, no matter if we won or not, that we actually got there in the end together.”
Ōtūmoetai College sports director Ian Ridgway said the school was “incredibly proud” of the girls.
“We know how amazing they are and what they’re capable of, so to do what they did and go through that, to then back it up and trust each other is outstanding.”
He said the level of trust and belief their families had in them was “amazing”.
“That level of ownership to say they were doing it – that’s girl power.”
Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.