New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships

World junior shot put champion Jacko Gill eclipsed the World Best for a 17 year old with the 5kg shot put at the New Zealand Secondary Schools athletic championships in Hastings on Saturday.

The 15 year old sent the shot out to 23.86m to add 63 centimetres to the previous best by for 17 year old set by Krzysztof Brzozowski of Poland, in beating Gill at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.

Gill, competing for Takapuna Grammar School, now holds the world record in both the 5kg and 6kg shot for every age from 14 to 17. Gill said that he knew the record was there after throwing 22 metres consistently in training. “There is still a lot more left,” he said.

Joshua Hawkins improved on his New Zealand M16 110m hurdles record of 14.19s in winning the senior boys 110m hurdles in 14.09s (+0.9). Julia Ratcliffe set a schools record in the hammer throw extending Valerie Adams 2001 record by 3.32m to 57.47m.

Other schools records were set by Leesa Lealaisalanoa in the senior girls discus 52.02m, Merewarihi Vaka 46.45m in the junior girls discus, Brad Mathas in the senior boys 800m in 1m 51.25s and Jade Graham junior girls triple jump 11.70m (+1.2). Vaka also won the shot put with 14.73m.

Joseph Millar collected the senior boys’ sprint double in 10.68s (+1.2) over 100m and 21.27s (+2.5) in the 200m. Millar was under Mark Keddell’s record of 21.40s but the following wind was fractionally over that allowable for records. Lauren Wilson won the senior girls double in 12.23s (+2.5) and 24.88s (+1.8). The junior 200m were won by Dalton Coppins in 22.05s (+0.9) and Madison Gipson in 25.11s (+3.6).

Portia Bing won the senior 100m hurdles in 14.42s (+1.0) and the long jump with 5.56m (+1.7). Brendon Barnett won the senior long jump with 7.13m (+2.0). Kyle Van de Merwe won the junior boys discus 54.34m and the javelin 58.09m.

Susannah Lynch won the junior girls 4km road race in 14m 47s from Jean Kozyniak who then beat Lynch in the 1500m in 4m 52.54s. Rebekah Greene won the senior 1500m in 4m 41.92s but was narrowly beaten by Georgie Grgec in the 3000m. Grgec winning in 9m 54.86s to Greene’s 9m 54.99s.

St Pauls Collegiate of Hamilton were dominate in the relays winning the senior and junior boys 4 x 400m and the junior boys 4 x 100m. Wanganui Collegiate won the junior girls 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.

The athletes of the championships announced at the conclusion of the meeting were: Jacko Gill, Julia Ratcliffe, Leesa Lealaisalanoa, Brad Mathas and Joseph Millar.

Link to complete results:   http://nzssaa.org.nz/