Sth Canty skaters dominate event
Timaru’s Dale Christoffersen and Tasha McAuley led the way for South Canterbury at Southern Open indoor speed skating championships in Timaru.
Both grabbed four titles each as South Canterbury dominated the senior grades winning 24 championship titles, with Nelson impressing in the younger grades and masters grades to take 15 titles.
Christofferson took out the open 3000m title in a close race from Wanganui’s Andrew Jones and Christchurch’s Mark McDonald
Timaru 16-year-old Jan Kuepper had pulled off a tight pass on Christoffersen on the penultimate lap but came to grief on the corner, costing him a shot at the title.
Kuepper however dominated the immediate grade races while Kaylum McAuley and Wangnaui’s Chase Morpeth Wanganui each won titles in a close fought junior boys contest.
Tasha McAuley introduced herself into the open competition in the best possible way when she won the open ladies 5000m in a close affair from Leah McDonald, with Charlotte Clarke finding form for third.
The primary boys’ 3000m was dominated by the Nelson trio of Blake McCormack, Jack Connolly and Jamie Manson while Blen- heim’s Erin Green Blenheim won the girls’ race from Nelson’s Micheala MacDonal and Pippa Nevin from Timaru.
Nelson’s Sarah Stack Nelson won the masters women’s race from South Canterbury’s Chrissy Clarke.
In the masters men the Timaru trio of Simon McAuley, Bruce Begg and Mark Lowen missed out titles but were among the medals.
The fifth race in the Southern Marathon Series was held at Timaru International Motor Raceway Levels on Sunday.
Wanganui’s Andrew Jones dominated the men’s event that saw the skaters complete just over 18 laps.
After 5km world championship representatives Dale Christoffersen and Dunedin’s Mark McCormack opened up a 100m lead.
Jones and Dunedin masters skater Brett McCormack however caught the pair and then opened the gap up further on the chasers.
At 13 laps to go Jones made the telling attack and opened a gap and the three South Island skaters, who had left Jones in front to hang out and dry, became the victims as a relentless Jones kept the pressure on to win in 1h 15m 24s, with Christoffersen just beating McCormack home, two minutes down on the winner.
Leah McDonald took out the women’s marathon in 1h 27 m from Ariana Snook, with Charlotte Clarke third in a photo finish.
Juniors Ella Benson and McAuley finished in the senior women’s bunch, with Benson edging out McAuley, with Roshean O’Connor third.
Kaylum McAuley won the junior boys from Wanganui’s Chase Morepeth.