Seven golds for young athletes
Young South Canterbury athletes won seven gold medals at the South Island Colgate Games in Invercargill at the weekend.
Harrison Laing (South Canterbury Athletics Club, grade 14 boys) spearheaded the haul with three golds – 400 metres, 800m and long jump – along with a silver in the 1500m.
Clubmates Erin O’Keeffe (grade 12 girls) won gold in long jump, with Sienna Wright (grade 13 girls) taking gold in the 100m.
Waimate club’s Briar Craig, 11, won a gold in discus and the Geraldine club’s Ella Waldron (grade 14 girls) won gold in the long jump plus a bronze in the 80m hurdles.
The more than 800 athletes, aged 7-14 from 69 clubs, faced hot conditions over the three days at Surrey Park.
Temuka club athletes manager Charlotte Bowan said the performances were ‘‘absolutely wonderful’’.
Waimate team manager Leah Anderson said the games were well run. Results:
Waimate: Briar Craig, 11, gold in discus; Mason Gosney, 8, second pennant in shot put and third pennant in discus.
Temuka: Jackson Robinson (grade 11 boys) silver in high jump and bronze in 400m; Millie Robinson (grade 7 girls) first pennants in 100m, 200m, discus, long jump and second pennant in 60m; Oliver Malloch (grade 8 boys) first pennant in long jump, second pennant in discus and third pennant in 60m; Ben Smith (grade 9 boys) got a second pennant in discus.
South Canterbury: Erin O’Keeffe (grade 12 girls) gold in long jump; Sienna Wright (grade 13 girls) gold in 100m sprint; Bella Thin (grade 14 girls) bronze in 100m sprint; Roman Winchester (grade 11 boys) bronze in 800m and silver in 1500m; Luke Thomas (grade 11 boys) silver in 1200m race walk; Ethan Hole (grade 13 boys) silver in 80m hurdles; Harrison Liang (grade 14 boys) gold in 400m, gold in 800m and silver in 1500m and gold in long jump; Sean Newlands (grade 14 boys) bronze in 400m; Gabriel Dickerson (grade 14 boys) bronze in 100m hurdles.
Geraldine: Emma Campbell (grade 13 girls) bronze in 1600m walk; Ella Waldron (grade 14 girls) bronze in 80m hurdles and a gold in long jump; Luca Kimura (grade 10 boys) silver in long jump.