Trophy win our first
Tawa and Porirua athletes were prominent when Wellington took out the national interprovincial athletics title by the slimmest of margins over Easter.
Held at Mt Smart in Auckland, the event showcased the best 12- and 13-year-old athletes in the country. Wellington have consistently finished in the top four since 2000 but have not won the overall trophy since it began in 1979.
Wellington coach Nga Holmes, who also coaches Titahi Bay Amateur Athletics Club ( TBAAC) boys and girls with great success, said the 44 athletes who went to Auckland did their region proud.
‘‘I was keeping a tally in my notebook of the points we were getting but it wasn’t confirmed until later that night [at prizegiving]. It was an amazing feeling. These guys worked so hard for it and all the boys did a victory haka.’’
It was not without its tense moments, with the trophy for best province coming down to the final boys’ 4 x 100m relay. But with the ‘twin turbos’’ of TBAAC brothers Mafutaga Tau and Fa’aolataga Tau in the lineup, they eclipsed Auckland by a full two seconds, breaking the interprovincial relay record in the process.
It meant Wellington won the trophy by a mere 77 points. Wellington and Auckland had accumulated more than 117,000 points each in the track and field competitions.
Holmes said one of the reason for Wellington’s success was athletes were aware at the beginning of the summer what they had to achieve.
‘‘We’re not there [at regional and national events] to make up the numbers, which is what used to be the case. We try to get is all- round ability, so these guys can win multiple events.’’
Zane Edwards won the overall points for the 12-year-old boys, while his fellow TBAAC members Siosaia Paese and Fa’aolataga were second and third, respectively, in the 13-year-old boys grade.