NZ champs debut for six local college athletes
Te Awamutu College students face nation’s best at secondary school champs
Te Awamutu College was represented by six first-time athletes at the 2023 New Zealand Secondary School Track and Field Championships in Christchurch last weekend.
This was the 50th event of New Zealand’s longest-running national schools championship, started in 1973 as a test run for the new QEII facility to be used for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Sadly, that facility was lost in the earthquake.
The 2023 event started with more than 1100 athletes from over 200 colleges.
The championships have launched the careers of many young athletes, such as Tom Walsh, Eliza McCartney and Sam Tanner, as well as locals Katherine Camp and Leah Belfield.
The standout performer from the Te Awamutu team was 16-year-old Daniel Kits in the para events.
Kits recently won the top sports award at the college prizegiving after record-breaking feats at the North Island Champs and he again set new marks in Christchurch.
On the first day, he won the 800m (2m 43.29s) and followed that up with wins in the 1500m (5m 53.9s) and 400m (1m 14.88s).
The para results are calculated as a percentage of the current world standard so athletes of varying disabilities can race together but they then have to wait for the calculations.
Kits’ results were 71.76 per cent, 65.89 per cent and 67.69 per cent.
Kits’ primary disability is cerebral palsy, which he has had since birth. This affects function, particularly on his right side, and limits the amount he can train and perform, with fatigue a major issue.
Kits had to have a one-hour physical examination the day before the competition to formally classify him after getting a temporary classification earlier in the year.
He was supported during this by Te Awamutu College teacher Sarah Watson, who, as well as helping to
manage the team, was officiating at the event.
Coach Murray Green said that, while it was great to get Kits’ assessment done, it was rather intensive and drained him a little.
“We withdrew him from Sunday’s 2km road race as I just felt it would be too much, and just did the 400m
instead,” Green said.
“The hardest thing with Daniel is getting him to slow down, do a little less. He is so determined and hardworking. He is an inspiration to all those around him.”
The busiest athlete was senior girl Kate Shannon, who competed in the 100m, 200m, triple jump and long jump.
While her jumps were a little off her best, her sprints were both personal bests.
Fellow senior Kera Tervit ran PBs in both her 800m and 1500m and then had to slog it out in pouring rain on Sunday in the 4km road race, finishing 45th out of 67.
Tervit’s 800m time was more than 30 seconds faster than she ran in March.
In the junior section, three athletes all competed in three events.
Abby McCluskie was in the 100m, 200m and long jump and recorded PBs in them all.
Alice Gannon was in the 1500m, 3000m and 3km road race, with the latter being her best effort, finishing 15th.
Daniel Harrison did the same three events and the rain was just starting during his road race. After falling well back, he picked up places in the final lap.
The four girls combined to run in the Senior 4x100 relay, where they just missed the final with excellent changes making up for the lack of sprinters and were 10th overall.
Their time was half a second faster than last year’s team, which did make the final.
Green said the group was very appreciative of the Te Awamutu College board for its support of sports teams, which enabled such trips to take place.
Green and Watson hope they can take an even bigger squad next year to Timaru, which has been a happy hunting ground for TAC athletes with Katherine Camp winning the 400m gold in 2009, along with a bronze in the triple jump, and Leah Belfield taking the junior sprint double over 100m and 200m in 2015. Both have gone on to be outstanding athletes, with Camp winning the national 10,000m title just a few weeks ago.
Camp was also training on the track at Christchurch on Saturday morning before the competition began.