Athletics New Zealand - Weekly update | infonews.co.nz New Zealand News

NETHERLANDS Global Athletics, Nijmegen – 25 May 2011 Jake Robertson carved 10 seconds off his personal best 5000m, shot up to number six on the New Zealand all time list and ran a B qualifying time for the World Athletic Championships in Korea in August. Robertson finished seventh in the 5000m in 13m 22.38s, under the B standard of 13m 27s and just outside the A standard of 13m 20s. Yitayal Atnafu of Ethiopia won in 13m 16.30s.   The 21 year old former Waikato runner, now based in Kenya, is now ranked sixth on the New Zealand all time list behind Adrian Blincoe 13m 10.19s (20.07.08), Dick Quax 13m 12.86s (5.07.77), Rod Dixon 13m 17.27s (5.07.86), John Walker 13m 19.28s (8.07.66) and Robbie Johnston 13m 20.15s (8.07.96). Michael Aish is seventh with 13m 22.64s on 19.04.02. Robertson’s previous best time of 13m 32.92s was achieved in the same race in Nijmegen in May last year where he finished eighth. Meanwhile Jake’s twin brother Zane finished 15th in the 1500m at the Nijmegen meeting in a personal best of 3m 43.44s.   AUSTRIA IAAF World Combined Events Challenge, Hypo Meeting, Gotzis – 28/29 May 2011 Brent Newdick went to another plateau in his decathlon career scoring a personal best of 8114 points for eighth place at the Hypo meeting.   Newdick is just one point behind Douglas Pirini who is number two on the New Zealand all time rankings in the decathlon with his 8115 in 1996. Simon Poelman heads the ranking list with 8366 points in 1987. Newdick had a personal best in the long jump with 7.45m, an improvement of three centimetres on his long jump in New Delhi last year and at the 2009 world championships in Berlin. Newdick, who is building up for the world championships in Korea in August, was 23rd  two years ago in Berlin with 7915 points. World champion Trey Hardee of USA won the competition in Gotzis with a score of 8689. Newdick’s previous best was 8091 points in the Czech Republic in June last year. At the Gotzis meeting last year Newdick was 12th with 7935 points. His performances in Gotzis were: 100m 10.95s (+0.6) 872 points, long jump 7.45m (+0.4) 922, shot put 14.17m 739, high jump 1.94m 749, 400m 49.61s 833, total first day 4115. 110m hurdles 14.76s (-0.9) 879, discus throw 46.65m 801, pole vault 4.66m 807, javelin throw 63.03m 784, 1500m 4m 32.50s 728, total 8114.   AUCKLAND Pakuranga Cross Country, Lloyd Elsmore Park – 28 May 2011 Stephen Lett avenged his defeat last year by Alex Parlane by reversing the placings in the annual cross country race on Saturday. Lett, who is enjoying a good start to the winter season of racing, put the hammer down over the second half of the 10,120m race for victory in 34m 27s. Parlane, the national champion, was unable to match Lett’s power performance and had to settle for second in 35m 21s. Jonathan Jackson was third in 35m 56s with Johan Van Hoovels fourth. Lett said that he had bounced back well from his second placing in 1h 8m 39s in the Huntly half marathon last week.   “I decided to sit in behind Alex for the first half, to keep myself fresh for when I made my move on the last couple of laps. I wanted to make a big gap as I didn’t want to leave it too late as Alex has some good leg speed,” said Lett. Parlane’s training has been a bit sketchy for a while. “I had a month off after the world cross country championships in March. I had a stress fracture scare in my foot for about a week after I had already not trained for two weeks,” said Parlane. Michelle Hopkins, now with North Harbour Bays club, won the women’s 6190m in 26m 8s, from Lizzie Orchard 26m 26s and Tara La Grange 26m 38s.   Master runners Rachel Penney and Kristine Reid led in the combined race with the senior women. Penney winning in 25m 3s, 54 seconds ahead of Reid. John Schreuder had plenty of strength for the demanding muddy surface taking out the junior men’s 8155m in 28m 51s, 20 seconds ahead of Ben Moynihan. Annika Pfitzinger won the junior women’s 6190m in 25m 39s.   TAURANGA Tauranga Open Cross Country, Waipuna Park, Welcome Bay – 28 May 2011 Aaron Pulford fresh from his Huntly half marathon victory in 1h 8m 4s, convincingly won the annual Tauranga open 8,060m cross country event at Waipuna Park on Saturday. Pulford recorded a time of 26m 45s, to finish 1m 16s ahead of Iain MacDonald. Kyle MacDonald was third in 28m 4s, followed by Angus Bell 28m 10s, Tim Stewart 28m 43s and Craig Kirkwood 29m 6s. Master runner Sally Gibbs (48 on Sunday) won the women’s 4km in 15m 40s, from Katie Dawson 16m 4s, Anneke Grogan 16m 9s, Demelza Murrihy-Topp 16m 17s and Kerry White 16m 41s.   CHRISTCHURCH Anglican Block Relay, Spencer Park – 28 May 2011 University of Canterbury won the senior men 5 x 5km relay in 1h 22m 45s from Sumner 1h 25m 22s. They also won the senior women 4 x 5km relay in 1h 16m 19s from Christchurch Avon 1h 23m 35s. Port Hills won the master women, Sumner the master men and junior men with the fastest in the junior women University of Canterbury. Fastest 5km laps: men Andrew Davidson 15m 34s, Simon Gannaway 15m 49s, women Fiona Crombie 17m 34s, Tracy Crossley 18m 56s. Master men Axel Reiser 16m 55s, women Fiona Gilroy 19m 37s. Junior men Ryan Batin 16m 47s women Flora Brocherie 18m 26s. Canterbury Awards Dinner – 27 May 2011 Senior athlete of the year Fiona Crombie, junior athlete of the year Angie Smit, coach of the year Maria Hassan. Most outstanding athlete at the Canterbury track and field championships Tom Walsh.   ROUND-UP OF RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY Honest Lawyer 5km Nelson 23 May: Stuart Hodgkiss 17m 47s. Collette Read 19m 38s. O’Hagan’s Viaduct 5km Auckland 24 May: Scott Winton 16m 16s, Darren Meredith 16m 23s. Liz Stewart 17m 58s. Rat Race 5km Takapuna 25 May: Andrew Wilson 17m 45s, Marc Graham 18m 4s. Tara La Grange 20m 5s. Triple Peaks Series Wellington, Event one 29 May: Fastest team around the three peaks of Tinakori Hill, Wrights Hill and the Brooklyn Wind Turbine was ‘Team Stevens’ of Rees Buck, Ben Barry, Josh Van Dalen and Todd Stevens in 1h 28m. Fastest women were Nat Gaskin, Pip Wilson and Sierra Sparksman in 1h 50m.   COMING UP NEXT WEEK SBS Christchurch marathon and half marathon at Lincoln on Sunday 5 June. Melissa Moon and Jonathan Wyatt in the Taipei 101 building stair climb on Sunday. Fiona Docherty starts her racing programme leading up to the Chicago Marathon on 9 October, with the Boulder Series Univ Hill 2km on Thursday 9 June. Throwers Club meeting at Sovereign Stadium on 4 June; Hughes Memorial cross country races Hawera 4 June; Aurora Marathon Upper Hutt 5 June, 25th Mt Maunganui Half Marathon 5 June and Harry Kerr Centennial walking relay at Mt Smart Stadium 5 June.