Athletics NZ weekly round-up 5 December 

By Athletics New Zealand @AthleticsNZ

AUCKLAND          

New Zealand Secondary Schools Track & Field Championships, Douglas Track and Field, The Trusts Arena, Henderson – 2/4 December 2016

Nick Moulai highlighted the second day of competition with a New Zealand under 17 3000m record of 8:16.77, cutting a substantial margin of Dallas Bowden’s 2007 record of 8:21.95. Dan Hoy tried to take the sting out of the opposition’s legs by going out early and holding a commanding lead. But going into the final lap the chasing bunch gathered in Hoy down the back straight and Isaiah Priddey, Mitchell Small, Moulai and defending champion James Uhlenberg were set for a battle royal down the home straight. Moulai pulled out all stops to head in Priddey who recorded a PB 8:17.37 and Small also under his previous best with 8:19.38. In fact the first nine to finish all ran personal bests.

Moulai felt he had a chance after an encouraging time trial two weeks ago.

“Ben Musson has been helping me and Mitchell with pacing and I had a good lead up where I ran 8:26 in Timaru two weeks ago and I thought oh yeah maybe there’s something.

“I knew Dan would go out hard so I decided to stick on the front field and then had Mitchell and James in the eye and was sure that they would pull us through as well and that worked to the plan.

Winning the title was the aim rather than a fast time.

“I didn’t have a clue that I was running for any record, I just ran as hard as I could and coming down that home straight I thought I was dreaming it at one stage,” said Moulai.

His older brother Tom won the 800m in 1:54.43. Disaster struck for Nick when he attempted to make it a double at the championships in the 1500m. He finished second but was subsequently disqualified for pushing Theo Quax on the last lap. Matthew Manning won in 3:59.56.

Ryan Ballantyne provided the top performance of the final day with a world’s best under 18 throw for 2016 of 21.66m, 1.45m further than Tom Walsh’s best with the 5kg shot in winning the title in 2009. The distance was however short of the record of 23.86, held by Jacko Gill.

Mellatta Tatola finally succeeded in securing the New Zealand under 17 3kg hammer throw record. After two previous record applications had been disallowed Tatola sent the hammer out to 57.75m for an inaugural record in the grade.

Connor Bell maintained the interest in the field with a 5kg shot put of 15.73m and a 1.25kg discus throw of 65.00m which improved on Gill’s 2009 schools record of 58.12m.

Hannah O’Connor was outstanding, setting a junior girls’ 3000m record on 9:32.89 on day one and following up on Sunday with a win in the 4km road race in the morning and a stylish victory in the 1500m in 4:34.01 in the afternoon.

Genna Maples won the junior girls 100m, was second to Maia Broughton in the 200m and anchored Wanganui Collegiate to wins in both the 400m and 1600m relays. Kayla Goodwin won the 80m hurdles in 11.91, second in the 300m hurdles and won the triple jump with 11.50m into a three metre head wind.

Lucy Sheat captured the senior girls sprint double and Jess Hood retained the 400m title in 56.86. Maddison Wesche set a 3kg shot put record of 16.75m, Atipa Mabonga TJ 12.48m (+3.0) also 12.09m (-2.1) and Olivia McTaggart equaled Eliza McCartney’s pole vault record of 4.10m.

Mogammad Smith dominated the junior boys 100m in 11.38 (-1.9) but had to bow to the speed of Dominic Overend in the 200m which he won by .18 in 23.00 (-1.4). Mikael Starzynski retained his 400m title in 51.01 and was second in the 800m. Roderick Solo LJ 6.54m (0.0) and 100m H in 13.92 (-2.1). Callum Stewart TJ 13.37m (-1.0).

Nick Smith took out the senior boys sprint double in 10.71 (+0.8) and 21.91 (0.0). Oliver Miller showed real class despite having a plastered arm winning the 400m in 48.55 and the 300m H in 37.27. Tom Gill took out the 110m hurdles, James Steyn pole vault with 4.45m, Thomas Rawstrom LJ 7.26m (+0.2) and Christopher Goodwin TJ 14.26m (+1.5).

Rio Para Olympian double bronze medalist William Stedman set a record of 4.71m (+1.9) in the long jump, he also won the 100m 13.25 (-1.4), 200m 27.25 (-2.9) and the 400m in 58.53. Para-Athlete Jack Lewer set a record of 11.90m in the shot put. Other Para-Athlete record setters were David O’Connor (Javelin) and Dallas Hokai (Discus).

Wanganui Collegiate was the dominant school in the relays winning the Senior Boys 4x100m and the Junior Girls 4×100 and 4×400, setting new records in the latter two events.

Road Race results will be reported in the next Weekly Round-up.

WELLINGTON

Athletics Wellington 10,000m Championship, Newtown Park – 3 December 2016

Rowan Hooper 32:03.46, Harry Burnard 32:21.90, Hirotaka Tanimoto 32:22.98, Stephen Day 32:37.22. Sarah Gardner 38:12.23. James Turner (53) 37:53.67.

DUNEDIN         

Athletics Otago Meeting, Caledonian Ground – 3 December 2016

Hugh McLeod-Jones 1.75kg DT 41.54m. Todd Bates HT 52.18m. Carolyn Wills (47) HJ 1.45m (Otago 45-49 record). Fiona Centers 100m 12.56 (-0.1). Rory O’Neill 100m 11.56 (-0.1), 200m 23.28 (+1.8). Christina Ashton 100m 12.78 (-0.1), 100m H 15.08 (+0.3). Danny Baillie (47) 1500m 4:32.60, 5000m 16:47.27. Liz Wilson (54) 400m 62.95.

USA        

Xterra Trail Run World Championships Half Marathon, Kualoa Ranch, Oahu Hawaii, 4 December: Niam Macdonald (20) of Wellington was sixth in 1:33:08. Joseph Gray of Colorado Springs won by six minutes in 1:17:15. Last year Macdonald was fifth.

AUSTRALIA

Brisbane, Joanna Stone Shield, UQ, 26 November: Sarah McSweeney 2000m steeplechase 6:56.01 (1).

AWARDS

Rio Olympic pole vault bronze medalist Eliza McCartney was awarded junior sportswoman of the year at the North Harbour Sporting Excellence Awards. Ethan Rangi received the Maori sports performer of the year award.

Blenheim sprinter Lucy Sheat was named Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology junior sportswoman of the year at the recent Marlborough Sports Awards. Nikki Hamblin was the guest speaker at the awards. Lucy competed in the Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa last year and the recent World Junior Championships in Poland. She is the current NZ record holder over 200m for Women U17, U18 and U19.

Daniel Hoy was named young sportsman of the year at College Sport Auckland awards. Oliver Miller was the athletics boys winner and Alexandra Hyland the girls winner. Hoy also won the distance running boys and Katherine Badham the girls. Jonathan Ansley received the all-rounder boys award and Paige Satchell the international achievement award.

ROAD AND TRAIL RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY

Omaha Half Marathon, 4 December: Brad Luiten 1:14:20, Chris Trent 1:19:07, Mark Paterson 1:20:41. Katherine Morgan 1:27:10, Ady McKenzie 1:29:26, Anna McRae 1:30:33.

Tongariro National Park

The Goat Adventure 20km Run, 3 December: Matt Ogden 1:58:25, Gene Beveridge 1:59:18, Daniel Clendon 2:06:25. Sabrina Grogan 2:26:01, Corrinne Smit 2:28:54, Florence van Dyke 2:41:00.

Hanmer Springs

Hanmer Holiday Homes Alpine Marathon, 3 December: Robert Loveridge 2:56:23, Stu Cottam 3:07:11, Dan Reynolds 3:28:41. Kerry Semmens 3:27:22, Rach Jamieson 3:28:12, Rosie Hay 3:32:12. Half; Stephen Blackwell 1:14:24, Robbie Barnes 1:23:07, Jason Wright 1:27:54. Lina Elkott Helander 1:23:21, Sanna Elkott Helander 1:25:10, Lizzie Spencer 1:28:43. Walk; David Leahy 2:11:14. 10km; Brian Law 37:23, Simon Crosby 37:47, Calum Law 38:56.

Te Anau

Kepler Challenge 60km and Luxmore Grunt 27km, 3 December: 60km; Sam McCutcheon 4:54:58, Vajin Armstrong 5:01:18, Dominic Channon 5:02:24. Anna Frost 6:07:03, Mel Aitken 6:23:23, Emma Perron 6:25:25. 27km; Jack Beaumont 1:54:01, Jonah Smith 1:55:50, Ryan Carr 1:58:44. Sarah Douglas 2:19:46, Olivia Clearwater 2:31:20, Sharon Lequeux 2:34:24.

END

Media Release (Published without change and with permission) from Athletics New Zealand