Lewer stars at schools champs
Jack Lewer was the standout of the Manawatu¯ athlete at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in Hastings last week.
The Feilding High School student won both the senior PA II grade shot put and discus.
His best effort in the discus of 32.19m was a new championship record and more than double the effort of the second-placed competitor.
In the shot put his best effort of 11.89m was only 1cm short of his own championship record.
Braden Kendall finished third with his 7.18m effort with Jamie Davidson eighth.
Hastings provided three days of very warm weather for the championships which certainly made things very challenging for the officials who, because of the very large fields, spent considerable time out in the blazing sun.
I would hate to guess at the number of bottles of water that were consumed by officials during the meeting.
My role was starters assistant taking responsibility of the athletes from the time they leave the call room until they are placed on the start line.
In conditions like we had the welfare of the athletes becomes important with athletes being encouraged to take advantage of any nearby shade rather than having to wait on the track.
Fortunately the Hastings track has a grass surround with many team’s tents erected and these proved invaluable in offering the shade to athletes.
Lewer led the way for Manawatu¯ athletes, but thehigh jumpers did us proud as well with Lea Muetzel taking the silver medal and Ranea Savill the bronze in the senior girls high jump, both girls clearing 1.63m.
In the junior girls’ event, Sam Mackinder cleared 1.58m for fifth while Courtney Trow was eighth with 1.55m.
In the senior boys’ high jump there were 10 competitors with a best clearance of 1.85m. After applying the countback rules Josh Pakai was placed second-equal while Mark Seumanu ended up ninth-equal.
Lydia Bamford finished fourth in the senior girls’ triple jump with 11.06m, while in the long jump her best effort of 4.74m placed her 20th.
In the junior girls’ events, Meg Macgregor-dunn was fifth in the triple jump (10.94m) and 20th in the long jump (4.54m).
VJ Tauli’s best jump of 5.57m gained him seventh in the junior boys’ long jump while Reuben Brown took sixth in the senior boys’ long jump with 6.23m. He also finished ninth in the shot put with 13.56m.
Jack Nesdale was 15th in the senior boys’ discus with 36.67m.
In the junior boys’ javelin Guy Petersen’s opening round throw of 39.63m proved to be his best which saw him placed seventh.
In the junior girls’ To’oa Brown threw 24.12m for 14th, Samara Southcombe 23.96m for 16th and Laine Mefiposeta Satano 18.43m for 18th.
Tessa Webb was the most successful of local athletes on the track taking silver in the senior girls’ 2000m steeplechase. She was also fifth in the 3000m.
In the junior girls’ races, Jessie Falloon was fifth in her heat of the 100m in 13.60s and eighth in her 200m heat in 27.74s.
In the 200m, Emma Leader was fifth in her heat running 27.55s.
In the 400m Ashleigh Gunn finished second in her heat in 62.42s and qualified for the semi-final where she finished sixth in 63.45s. Nicole Whiteman was sixth in her heat running 65.43s finishing just ahead of Kaela Drew who ran 66.24s.
Gunn also made the semi final of the 800m after finishing second in her heat (2:31.60) she improved her time in the semi recording 2-minutes-26.63-seconds for seventh.
The 80m hurdles saw both Sam Mackinder and Emma Leader progress to the semifinals. Mackinder ran 14.19s for third in her heat after hitting an early hurdle quite badly with Leader finishing fifth in her heat in 14.02s.
Both girls found themselves in the same semi final with Mackinder fifth in 13.39s just ahead of Leader (13.69s).
In the senior girls’ 100m both Lydia Bamford, third in 12.94s, and Kyra Tikitiki, fifth in 13.22s, found themselves in the same heat and qualified for the semi-finals. Bamford finishing fourth in her semi in 12.85s with Tikitiki sixth in her one in 13.07s.
Tikitikt also ran the 200m in 26.57s for fifth in her heat.
In the junior boys’ event VJ Tauli won his heat of the 100m in 11.85s, but his fourthplaced 11.74s in the quarter final was not sufficient to make the semifinals.
Andre Le Pine-day made it through to the final of the 800m where he finished sixth in 2:02.46 after finishing second in his heat (2:10.10) and fourth in the semis (2:04.07).
In the senior boys’ events, Piers Savage won his 100m heat in 11.31s, just missing out on making the semis when he finished fourth in his semifinal in 11.26s. Shaquille Mackay was fourth in his heat in 11.93s.
Matthew O’leary was fifth in his 400m heat in 53.78s and sixth in the semi final in 54.13s.
Harrison Porritt was fifth in his 800m heat.
In the 1500m, Benjamin Wall qualified for the final by finishing third in his heat and ran 4:11.59 to finish 10th in the final. Noah Macdermid was 10th in his heat running 4:18.18.
Bradyn Popow was third in the open walk.
Braden Kendall won gold in the senior boys’ PA II 100m then won bronze in the 200m. Jamie Davidson finished fifth in both events.
Theo Purdie finished 26th in the senior boys’ road race and Aden Porritt was 28th in the year 9 event.
What’s On
December 5 - Palmerston North Athletics Programme A
December 5 - Ashhurst Athletic Club December 6 - Feilding Athletic Club December 9 - North Island Champions Inglewood
December 12 - Palmerston North Athletics Programme B
December 12 - Ashhurst Athletic Club December 13 - Feilding Athletic Club December 17 - Levin Ribbon Day