Strong team named for NZ champs
The cross-country and road selectors have announced the Athletics Manawatu¯ Wanganui team for the New Zealand Road Running Championships in Cambridge on September 2.
Stephanie Walker, of Feilding Moa, will compete in the women’s under-18 event.
The men’s under-18 race has a strong representation, who are expected to figure prominently in the four-person teams’ competition. Feilding Moa’s Benjamin Wall, Andre Le Pine-day, Samuel Phillips and Liam Wall are joined by Noah Macdermid, of Palmerston North Athletic and Harriers Club, and Joseph Sinclair, of Wanganui Harrier Club, in making up a very competitive team.
William Sinclair, of Wanganui HC, is the sole representative in the men’s under-20 race, as is Kara Macdermid, of PNAHC, in the senior women’s race
In the senior men’s race, Liam Woolford (PNAHC), David Lovelock, (PNAHC), Nick Johnston (Feilding Moa), Will O’connor (Feilding Moa), and Josh Dunstanbrown (Feilding Moa) are the centre representatives
As centres need four members finishing to qualify for the teams’ competition, it is good to see the centre will be represented in both the men’s and women’s masters’ events.
Feilding Moa’s Juanita Paterson, Jo Speary and Rosie Mcintyre, plus Wanganui HC’S Paula Conder, make up the masters’ women’s team. Shane Reed, Scott Whitley, Mark Hudson (all Feilding Moa), and Rob Conder (Wanganui HC) represent the men.
Andrew Davenport (PNAHC), and Darren Parlato (Feilding Moa) will compete in the masters’ men’ 50-54 race and Paul Duxfield (Wanganui HC) in the 60-64 race.
The Athletics Manawatu¯ Wanganui road championships were held at Beaconsfield Valley Rd, Feilding, last weekend, with titles going to:
Boys’ 8: Aidan Billing, Wanganui HC; Girls’ 8: Greer Robinson, Manawatu¯ Striders. Boys’ 10: Lucas Taylor, Feilding Moa. Girls’ 10: Tayla Cornwall, Feilding Moa. Boys’ 12: Reuben Duker, Feilding Moa. Girls’ 12: Hayley Cornwall, Feilding Moa. Boys’ 14: Nelson Doolan, Feilding Moa. Girls’ 14: Lucy Evans, Feilding Moa. Women’s under-18: Stephanie Walker, Feilding Moa. Men’s under-18: Andre Le Pine-day, Feilding Moa. Senior men: Nick Johnston, Feilding Moa. Men 35-49: Shane Reed, Feilding Moa. Men 50-64: Andrew Davenport, PNAHC. Men 65-plus: Kevin Rolls, Feilding Moa. Women 35-plus: Juanita Paterson, Feilding Moa.
Priorities have obviously changed from my days of competition, when centre championships ranked second to national championships in order of importance. It was therefore quite disappointing to see some local athletes electing to compete in the other centres’ championships, in preference to their own championships.
There may well be circumstances that mean athletes are unable to compete locally and I also understand the temptation to seek better competition elsewhere, but centre championships should be a priority, especially if you wanted to receive the benefits of representing the centre at the national championships. Perhaps I’m showing my age. ■ I was not aware of the plans to restructure Athletics New Zealand’s head office, so the news that some positions had been disestablished and the current position holders had left, or were about to leave the sport, came as a surprise.
The news that Brett Addison was one of those affected by this decision has come as a shock to me and, and judging by the more than 150 Facebook comments, I am not alone.
Addison was the communications manager and perhaps the most hard-working and most visible Athletic NZ staff member at most of the meetings I attended. His efforts in ensuring results and reports were promptly available online was just one of his many achievements. Addison was my go-to man at Athletics NZ, always ensuring inquiries were handled efficiently.
■ Don’t forget the third round of the Winter Track and Field Series is in Masterton on Sunday. Several of the country’s most promising sprinters lined up in the Palmerston North meeting last month, with some positive feedback on how enjoyable the competition was. Hopefully, we can build on this success and see the meeting grow.