Young athletes step on to national stage

Twenty-seven Manawatu¯ athletes are travelling to Tauranga this weekend to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships.

The trip comes after the cancellation of the Manawatu¯ Secondary Schools and the North Island Secondary Schools Championships earlier in the year because of Covid-19.

Palmerston North Boys’ High School have a strong team, with Forbes Kennedy favoured to take out the junior boys’ long jump. He is also entered in the 200-metre and 400m events.

Angus Lyver was one of the standouts at last year’s championships, winning the junior boys’ 200m and coming second in the long jump. This year he competes in the senior boys’ grade.

Greg Austin and Dirk Botha are entered in the senior 400m and 800m events. They are joined in the 400m by Aden Porritt, who also races over the 300m hurdles.

Dylan Calder and Zac Roberts are in the junior sprints, and Caleb Evans and Ahmed Shehata compete in the senior sprints. Braxton Kauri runs in the junior hurdle races and improves every time he starts. Sam Stichbury will run the senior road race and 1500m.

St Peter’s has a strong team of junior girls’ sprinters, with twins Addira Collette and Chayille Collette sure to be prominent in the 100m. Along with Kimberleywalsh and Jayde Rolfe they will form a strong relay team.

Palmerston North Girls’ High School’s top prospectmust be Monique Gorrie, who contests the junior girls’ 400m. Her main competition is likely to come from her training partner Kimberley Walsh, who will represent St Peter’s.

Amber Trowmust be a prospect in the junior girls’ high jump, while older sister Courtney will contest the senior event as well as the 200m. Sammackinder also contests the high jump, as well as the long jump, javelin and 100m hurdles.

Hayley Cornwall and Lucy Mclean will run in the year nine road race, as well as the junior girls’ 1500m. Cornwall will also run the 800m and Mclean the 3000m.

Angela Jukes races in the road race and the senior 1500m. Briana Gorrie and Rebecca Golding compete in the junior sprints.