Athletics New Zealand - Weekly update

 

HAMILTON

Porritt Classic, Asics Athletics New Zealand Grand Prix Series, Porritt Stadium – 19 February 2011

Olympic Games 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis found the sting missing in his legs fading to third in the 800m in Hamilton on Saturday evening while Commonwealth Games double silver medallist Nikki Hamblin showed that tactics played a big part in her victory.

Willis was well placed after the first lap covered in 52 seconds but down the home straight he was out gunned by Samoan Beijing Olympian Aunese Curreen and three times national 800m champion Tim Hawkes from Wellington.

Curreen who has a best of 1m 47.45s, recorded 1m 50.84s edging out Hawkes by four hundredths of a second with Willis clocking in at 1m 51.56s.

It was a memorable week for Curreen with his wife Manuia presenting him with a daughter on Wednesday.

Willis said that the race felt quick the whole way.

“I just didn’t quite have that extra zing in me. Obviously those guys ran better on the day so full credit to them,” said Willis.

“I would have liked to have run better – but it wasn’t quite there. That’s why I needed the race to see where I’m at before some bigger 1500 metres coming up,” he added.

Going into the final 200m Hamblin was in third place in the women’s 800m behind Angela Smit and Katie Wright. However a gap opened up on the inside down the home stretch and Hamblin seized the opportunity to win in 2m 5.42s. Smit finished in 2m 6.79s with Wright running 2m 7.02s.

The next goal for Hamblin is the New Zealand woman’s mile record in Christchurch on Saturday. 

Andrea Miller was under her New Zealand resident 100m hurdles record of 13.34s with a polished display in 13.26s, but the following wind was just over the allowable two metres per second for the record to be recognised.

“I’m back over to Australia, get in some training, race in the Sydney meeting and then back for the New Zealand nationals, I’d really like to give this record another crack,” said Miller. 

The wind also robbed a couple of records in the men’s 110m hurdles, Michael Cochrane went under the national M19 record with his time of 14.03s and Joshua Hawkins would have equalled his M16 record of 14.09s. Cochrane also won the 400m hurdles in 51.11s from James Mortimer 51.16s.

Julia Ratcliffe added nearly a metre to her New Zealand W17, W18 and W19 hammer record with a throw of 62.28m. She broke the record twice in the competition with 62.23m in round two and added a further five centimetres in round five.

“I started with a throw of 57 metres so I decided going into round two it was going to be a 60, but didn’t expect a 62. Very stoked with that,” said Ratcliffe.

Ryan Tinkle established a personal best of 58.01m in the senior men’s hammer throw.

The track was lightening fast for the sprinters with Rochelle Coster setting a personal best of 11.68s into to slight head wind in the 100m just shading national champion Anna Smythe by a hundredth of a second.

Carl Van der Speck charged through in the men’s 100m in 10.51s beating Isaac Tatoa who recorded 10.71s.

Billy Crayford was over the high jump with a personal best 2.15m; Alex Jordan clocked a personal best and the best in the country this season of 46.87m in the 400m; Louise Jones went to the top of the New Zealand rankings this season with her win in the 400m in 54.46s ahead of 14 year old Talia Horgan who ran a personal best 56.20s; Hayden McLaren captured the 1500m in 3m 43.81s; Tracey Hale won the women’s 400m hurdles in 60.81s and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Stuart Farquhar sent the javelin out to 80.52m.

AUCKLAND

O’Hagan’s Viaduct Harbour 5km Series – 15 February 2011

Andrew Cave won in 16m 53s from David Steele 17m 17s. Sinead Sinnott was the first woman in 20m 20s.

Takapuna 5km Rat Race, Milford – 16 February 2011

Andrew Wilson won in 18m 18s, 14 seconds ahead of Brett Katterns.

NORTHLAND

Northland T & F Champs, Kensington Park – 19 February 2011

Megan de Klerk (13) won the 300m hurdles in 51.4s. In the M16 javelin Blayne Smith won with 47.45m from E-J Nathan 46.89m. Ryan Slater M19 400m in 54.8s, Joshua Brown M16 long jump 6.12m.

HAMILTON

Eastside 5km River Run – 15 February 2011

John Crane won in 17m 14s from Richard Harris 17m 15s. Helen Rountree was the first woman in 18m 36s.

TAUPO

Athletics New Zealand 100km Championships – 19 February 2011

Martin Lukes of Christchurch won in 8h 14m 4s from Wayne Botha of Auckland 8h 40m 33s and Oscar Emery of Hamilton 10h 4m 36s. Sharon Scholz of Australia led in the women in third place overall in 9h 21m 57s, followed by Valerie Muskett of Otago 9h 27m 53s and Meredith Quinlan of Sydney 9h 44m 4s.

WELLINGTON

Athletics, Newtown Stadium – 19 February 2011

Bernie Portenski set her fifth world masters record at the Stadium on Saturday morning. She set a world 60-64 3000m record of 11m 0.10s, clipping 6.5 seconds off British athlete Angela Copson’s record set in 2009. 

Sarah Drought won the SW 1500m in 4m 28.33s from Caroline Mellsop 4m 32.10s and Tina Harris 4m 39.26s. Jonathan Justice won the SM 1500m in 3m 59.12s from Tim Hodge 4m 2.12s and Hayden Shearman 4m 3.49s. 

Sarah Hosegood won the SW 200m in 26.26s (+0.6) and the M16 200m went to Tom Addy in 23.90s (+0.2). In the 400m, Tom Quinn won the M16 in 53.19s, Rory English the M19 in 52.02s and Melanie Fayen the SW in 59.17s.

Kerry Charlesworth cleared 3.45m in the pole vault and Courtney Fafeiti had the W19 discus out to 40.38m.

Wellington half marathon – 20 February 2011

Matt Dravitzki won in 1h 12m 41s from Will Smith 1h 13m 16s and Adam Carlson 1h 13m 58s. Michelle Hopkins won the women’s section in 1h 22m 6s.

 Lifestyle Sports Waterfront 5km Series – 15 February 2011

Stuart Grange won in 16m 12s, from Jason Waite 16m 39s. Mandy Simpson was the first woman in 20m 19s. Tim Dutton won the walk in 28m 7s from Terri Grimmett.

NELSON

Twilight meeting, Saxton Field – 18 February 2011

Brendon Barnett M16 won the long jump clearing 6.92m (+1.3). Alistair Adams M19 400m 51.7s (HT), Sean Clementson M19 javelin 48.77m. Thomas Andersen won the 3000m in 9m 25.5s (HT) from Josh Barry 9m 25.9s (HT) both runners are 15 and under.

BULLER

Buller Marathon and Half Marathon – 12 February 2011

Kerry Faass won the half in 1h 7m 54s from Phil Costley 1h 9m 43s and Glynn Hadley 1h 11 28s. The women’s half went to Alexandra Williams in 1h 20m 52s from Ange Castle 1h 27m 16s and Natasha Douglas 1h 30m 17s.

Blair McWhirter won the marathon in 2h 34m 59s from Graeme Taylor 2h 35m 55s and Adrian Bailey 2h 40m 23s. The women’s marathon was won by Tracy Crossley in 3h 3m 24s, from Lisa Angela Brignull 3h 11m 54s and Kathryn Lester 3h 16m 0s.

CHRISTCHURCH

Athletics QEII Stadium – 19 February 2011

Canterbury 3000m championships: SW Kellie Palmer 9m 14.22s from Fiona Crombie 9m 16.31s, W19 Nicki McFadzien 9m 53.90s, W16 Lydia Marshall 10m 14.26s, SM Richard Bennett 8m 43.02s from Kerry Faass 8m 55.32s, M19 Alex Gorrie 8m 47.97s from Alex Fowler 8m 58.92s, M16 Ben Musson 9m 14.41s.

Hazel Bowering-Scott 100m 12.64s (-0.1) and 400m 58.86s, Kathryn Stuart 200m 25.61s (+0.6), Fiona Morrison 100m hurdles 14.14s (+0.8) and long jump 5.44m (-1.5), Rebecca Hodgson W19 HT 47.99m, Nick Smith and Tim Jones 100m both 10.81s (+1.1), Jones 200m 21.60s (+1.3) from Nick Ash 22.11s, Hayden Hall M19 shot put 13.57m and discus 48.51m, Jesse Bryant M16 long jump 6.74m (+0.3) and high jump 1.80m.

DUNEDIN

Otago Championships, Caledonian Stadium – 19/20 February 2011

Blair Grant M16 100m 11.83s (-0.6), Andrew Whyte M19 200m 22.54s (-0.6) and 400m in 48.12s from Glen Ballam 48.95s and Tyler Collings 49.39s. Andrew Moore SM 200m 22.49s (-2.4) and long jump 6.53m (+0.1). Olivia Tuck SW 400m 58.56s. Anna Kean W16 800m 2m 17.70s and 1500m 4m 47.06s. Rebekah Greene W19 800m 2m 9.97s and 1500m 4m 25.19s. Rachel Kingsford SW 800m 2m 16.40s and 1500m 4m 37.75s. Daniel Balchin SM 800m 1m 54.49s and 1500m 3m 52.38s from Matt Lambert 3m 53.48s. 

Brent Cheshire M16 high jump 1.90m, Greer Alsop W16 triple jump 11.81m (+2.2) and W19 11.20m (-0.5), Todd Swanson M19 triple jump 14.42m (+2.5) and SM 14.71m (-0.5). Kieran Fowler SM discus 40.51m and javelin 50.11m. Nicole Bradley W19 hammer 41.92m and SW 42.76m W19 shot put 10.99m and SW 10.53m. Dean Rusbatch M16 hammer 46.24m and M19 43.31m. Hannah Blair SW javelin 43.84m.

 

USA INDOORS

Hoosier Hills, Bloomington Indiana, 11 February, Daniel Jones mile 11th 4m 22.13s.

Iowa State Classic, Ames Iowa, 12 February, Patrick Strong 5000m 14m 48.99s.

 

Texas A&M Challenge, College Station Texas, 12 February, Kiri Kendall HJ 13th 1.63m, LJ 11th 5.50m.

Boise State Challenge, Nampa Idaho, 12 February, Ashley Aitken 800m 1st 2m 15.57s. Sarah Saddleton HJ 2nd 1.60m. Te Rina Keenan shot put 4th 13.15m. 

University of Washington open meeting, Dempsey Indoor Seattle Washington, 13 February, Alice Taylor 3000m 5th 9m 56.50s.

 

OBITUARY

Grant Wheeler New Zealand Cross Country representative in 1965 and 1967 died recently in England at his home in Chichester, West Sussex.

Wheeler was a member of the first New Zealand team to compete at an International Cross Country Championship in Ostend Belgium in 1965 under the management of Ossie Melville. Wheeler finished 31st and coincidently also finished 31st at the 1967 International Championships in Barry Wales in 1967.

He won the Wellington Centre junior cross country title in 1958 and the senior title in 1964. He also won the Centre marathon title in 1967.

 

Note: That first New Zealand team that competed in Belgium in 1965 was: Jeff Julian 6th, Peter Welsh 16th, Pat Sidon 18th, Norris Wyatt 20th, Bryan Rose 24th, Geoff Pyne 26th, Grant Wheeler 31st, Barry Everett 40th and Alan Parkinson 71st.