Double records for Wall
Benjamin Wall was the standout athlete at the Manawatu Secondary School Athletic Championships at the Manawatu Community Athletic Track on Saturday.
The Palmerston North Boys’ High School student took out both the intermediate 1500m and 3000m races in record times.
He was deservedly named the Albert Pootje’s Cup winner, which is awarded annually for the most outstanding performance at the championships.
The honour of the fastest schoolboy went to Piers Savage, also from Boys’ High. He won the senior boys’ 100m from St Peter’s Bernard Wagener, who won the 200m.
Harrison Porritt, another nationally-ranked athlete, was too classy taking out both the 400m and 800m events.
Boys’ High made a clean sweep of the field events with Rueben Brown winning both the high jump and long jump. Alex Petrovich won the triple jump, Kolo Tavake the shot pot, Jack Nesdale the discus and Ben O’connor the javelin.
The other intermediate track titles were shared around with Armani Tupai (Boys’ High) winning the 100m.
Shay Syme (Manawatu) won the 200m and Coby Osborne (Feilding) the 400m and 800m. Syme also took out the long jump. Mark Seumanu (Boys’ High) cleared 1.80m, which was higher than the senior event winner, which saw him take out with the high jump.
The throwing events were dominated by Freyberg’s Phoenix Martin who won the shot discus and javelin.
Boys’ High dominated the junior track races with Lafo Takaiari-ah Ching winning the 100m, Tyler Teikamata the 200m, Jacob Riley 400m, Aden Porritt 800m and Curtis Heaphy 80m hurdles.
Manukura’s Tai Rolls-paewai broke the domination taking out both the1500m and 3000m titles.
Qynn Smith from Manawatu College doubled the high and triple jump titles with Tararua’s Takarangi Metekingi winning the long jump.
Connor Matenga (Feilding) took out the discus.
Lydia Bamford won the senior 100m and long jump but was surprisingly beaten into second place in the triple jump by her Palmerston North Girls’ High School teammate Jessica Faganpease in a reversal of the long jump result.
Fagan-pease also won the 100m hurdles and tied with Bamford for second place in the high jump, which was taken out by national medallist Lea Muetzel.
Unsurprisingly Awatapu’s Zia Macdemidt and Feilding High’s Tessa Webb were untested in their races. Macdemidt comfortably won the 800m, while Webb easily doubled the 1500m and 3000m.
Shakyra Tikitiki from St Peter’s was the victor in both the intermediate girls 100m and 200m, but was beaten by Tulin Pritchard from Manukura in the 400m.
Another Manukura athlete, Sam Mackinder, had a busy day winning the 1500m and javelin and finishing second in the 80m hurdles which was won by Emilia Patrick and she was second to Freyberg’s Ranae Saville in the high jump.
Caitlyn Leach (Girls’ High) took out both the long and triple jump titles, winning the long jump on countback from Teresa Davenport.
In the hotly contested junior girls’ grade, Manukura’s Ataretemccausland-durie took out the 100m and 200m and was second in the 400m, which was taken out by Freyberg’s Ashleigh Gunn.
Gunn had earlier in the day won both the 800m and 1500m titles.
Emma Leader took out the 70m hurdles in a record-equalling time and also took out the long jump which she won on countback from her Girls’ High teammate Meg Macgregor-dunn.
Manukura’s Katarina Kelly took out the shot and discus titles.
Courtney Trow followed in her mother’s footsteps taking out the high jump.
Congratulations to Waiopehu College on running a very successful meeting.
Not an easy task for one of the smaller school. They did a great job with the meeting running very smoothly.
There appeared to be an increase in entries in most events and unlike other years, very few withdrawals on the day.
My only disappointment was the relay event entries with many schools choosing not to be represented.
Relay events are always a great way to conclude a meeting giving team supporters a great chance to cheer their team home.
There was also some great results from the World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships being held in Daegu, South Korea.
Vanessa Story competing in the W40 grade finished second in the 200m, third in the 400m and fourth in the 800m races.
Running indoors on a 200m track would certainly be a new experience for Vanessa.
She commented that the lanes are a lot narrower than normal and the bends very tight and cambered which took a bit of getting used to.
Having to run two laps for a 400m and not completely in lanes was also different and Vanessa found she got herself boxed in but did well to get out and finish third.
Whanganui’s Francie Bayler travelled twice a week over to Palmerston North to train with Anne Thomson’s jump group.
This has certainly paid off as she will be returning home from South Korea with three golds and a bronze.
Bayler competes in the W75 events collecting her golds in the 60m, long jump and triple jump with her bronze being in the 200m.
Masterton’s Andrea Harris won silver in both the W45 grade 1500m and 3000m races.