Medal-winning effort from region’s young athletes
Ajavelin gold medal to Guy Paterson from Palmerston North Boys’ High School was one of the highlights of Manawatu¯ athletes competing at the New Zealand secondary school athletics championships.
Paterson’s throw of 47.91m in the junior boys javelin won him gold at Dunedin last weekend.
Lydia Bamford from Palmerston North Girls’ High School leaping 5.48m to win a bronze medal in the senior girls’ long jump was another of the many good performances by Manawatu¯ athletes at the event. Bamford also was fourth in the triple jump with her 11.1m effort.
Emma Leader of Girls’ High was another to finish fourth, running 48.68s in the junior girls 300m hurdles final.
She was the 10th best in the 80m hurdles, just missing out on qualifying for the final.
Braydn Popow (Boys’ High) was another to gain the unlucky fourth placing, walking the 3000m in 15m46.64s.
A top-10 placing at these championships is a creditable achievement and many athletes achieved this.
In the senior girls’ high jump, all three of our athletes cleared 1.63m.
Sam Mackinder (Girls’ High) and Ranae Saville (Freyberg High School) were seventh equal with Lea Muetzel (Freyberg) 10th on countback.
Mackinder was also seventh in the javelin and 10th in the 100m hurdles.
Noah Macdermid (Awatapu College) ran a personal best 9m 15.51s for eighth place in the senior boys 3000m.
Andre Le Pine-day finished ninth in the senior boys 1500m, while Liam Wall finished seventh in the junior race.
Some of the best performances came in the road races with Georgie Furnell (Girls’ High) sixth and Kimberley Walsh (St Peter’s College) excelling in the year 9 race.
Theo Purdy (Freyberg) put it all together to come ninth out of a field of 98 in the senior boys’ event.
Courtney Trow (Girls’ High) cleared 1.5m for eighth in the junior girls high jump, while Jack Nesdale’s 43.41m discus throw put him into the final eight in the senior boys’ discus.
One of the most exciting aspects from the secondary school championships from a local point of view was the outstanding results by athletes from Whanganui schools.
In March, when Athletics New Zealand holds its national championships, we will see the combined talents of both areas compete, as Manawatu¯ Whanganui.
I can see some awesome relay combinations, with the distinct possibility of being able to enter more than one competitive team in some grades.
Of particular interest to us was the performances of Sophie Williams, a former club member now at Wanganui Collegiate School.
She was second in the junior girls 100m third in the 200m and a member of the Collegiate relay team that set a new record in winning the junior girls 4x100m relay and won the 4x400m relay.
She retains her association with the Palmerston North club and will represent us at the Colgate Games in January.
❚ A notice for the parents of children who partake in the run jump throw and the fundamental movements programme. This Tuesday nights week’s meeting will the final night for this year and programmes will recommence on Tuesday January 29. The events for 7 year olds and up that form part of the normal club night programme will continue.
❚ The Arthur Eustace Memorial Meeting is at the Manawatu Community Athletics Track on Saturday.