Athletics New Zealand - Weekly Roundup
MELBOURNE
Track Classic – 4 March 2010
Olympic and World shot put champion Valerie Vili continued her winning form collecting the shot put at the Melbourne Classic meeting last Thursday evening.
Vili was out to 20.05m, nearly five metres ahead of second placed Joanne Mirtschin of Australia.
Her winning put came in round five and she finished with 20.04m.
Vili said that she was pretty happy with the way she performed.
“I’m not feeling a hundred percent, bit tried and all the rest of it, but I’m so much better than where I was last year and this is only my third outing,” she said.
Olympic Games 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis beat the Beijing Olympics gold medallist Asbel Kiprop of Kenya in the 1500m but had to settle for third behind Australians Jeffrey Riseley and Jeremy Roff.
Willis recorded 3m 43.33s, Kiprop in fourth ran 3m 43.67s. Riseley’s winning time was 3m 42.70s.
Willis said that it was a really interesting race with the two Australians proving to be a little sharper in the sprint to the line.
“My goal was to be as competitive as possible and not be afraid to take the race, I feel I dictated terms most stages but I didn’t have it the last 50 metres,” said Willis.
Willis will race Riseley over 800m in Christchurch on 18 March.
“I’ll be looking to get that one back on him and hopefully lower my time as well.”
Hamish Carson, also competing in the 1500m, finished 11th in 3m 47.69s.
Stuart Farquhar was second in the javelin throw with 83.26m, just 6cm behind Tero Pitkamaki of Finland.
Adrian Blincoe was under the Commonwealth Games performance standard of 13m 30s in the 5000m, finishing third in 13m 26.10s. Andy Baddeley of Great Britain won in 13m 20.85s. Shaun Krawitz was 15th in 14m 52.45s, while Jason Woolhouse did not finish. Blincoe’s next race will be at the world indoor championships in Dohar.
In the sprints, Anna Smythe was third in the 100m in 11.62s (+1.3) with Monique Williams seventh in 12.04s, Andrea Koenen was fourth in the 200m in 24.05s (+0.4) with Williams eighth in 24.72s and Jeffrey Thumath was eighth in the 200m in 21.67s (-0.1).
Alex Jordan was third in the B 400m in 47.70s and Scott Burch sixth in 48.59s. Jordan later teamed up with Daniel Dyet, Matthew Robinson and Joseph Millar to finish seventh in the 4 x 400m relay in 3m 13.70s.
Brent Newdick was eighth in the long jump with 6.97m (-0.4).
AUCKLAND
From last week’s Auckland championships Louise Jones won the senior women’s 400m in the best time in the country this season of 55.39s. Also last week Campbell Wu in winning the M19 400m hurdles in 55.05s, bettered James Mortimer’s best of 55.44s by a 16 year old over the 914mm hurdles. Shay Taylor won the senior 400m hurdles title in 54.31s.
O’Hagan’s 5km series, Viaduct Harbour, Tuesday 2 March, won by Alex Parlane in 16m 12s from Jon Healey 16m 27s and Gavin Stevens 16m 57s. Alison Bogie first woman in 18m 7s from Jane Anderson 18m 48s.
Auckland Centre Meeting – 6 March 2010
Leading junior sprinter Isaac Tatoa is shaping up for a successful New Zealand championships in Christchurch at the end of the month after claiming three Auckland records at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday evening.
Tatoa rocketed over 60m in 6.79s (+1.4) to eclipse Simon Potter’s 2002 record of 6.80s and he also bettered his Auckland M19 record of 6.84s set a year ago.
In the 100m Tatoa put daylight on the field scorching down the track in 10.59s (+1.7) to break Ben Potter’s Auckland M19 time of 10.60s set in 1997.
A group of New Zealand’s top sprinters attempted the 4 x 100m relay performance standard of 39.40s for the New Delhi Commonwealth Games. Clayton Mbofana was brought into the team and he started handing over to Jeffrey Thumath. James Dolphin was in control on the bend leaving Carl Van der Speck to anchor them home in 40.23s.
Campbell Wu improved on his 55.05s performance last week in the 400m hurdles to 54.33s, a best performance in the country for a 16 year old.
Alex Parlane won the Auckland M19 3000m title in a personal best 8m 26.08s winning the combined race with seniors outright. Stephen Lett in second, and winner of the senior title, also secured a career best of 8m 27.16s. Danielle Trevis won the W19 title in 9m 52.54s heading in the senior title winner Hannah Barker who recorded 10m 19.01s.
Aniel Smith was rewarded with a personal best of 3m 50.68s and a narrow victory over Halifax Canadian Geoff Harris in the 1500m. Harris recorded 3m 50.98s.
In the field events Damian Smuts was out to 50.73m with the hammer and Jessica Charlesworth threw 51.50m with the women’s hammer. Best throws in the javelin came from Johan Smalberger with 69.89m and Stephanie Wrathall 40.06m.
ROTORUA
Annual half marathon through the Whakarewarewa Forest over scenic trails and smooth gravel forest roads, Sunday 7 March. Steven O’Callaghan won in 1h 13m 29s, ahead of Phil Murray 1h 14m 18s and Colin Earwaker 1h 18m 20s. Maja Alm first woman in 1h 24m 15s from Lauren Shelley 1h 24m 16s and Karen Hanlen 1h 26m 44s. In the walk Alastair Barran was first in 2h 10m 25s and Penny Purcell was the first woman walker in 2h 25m 23s.
NEW PLYMOUTH
Mountain to Surf Marathon – 6 March 2010
Grant McLean won in 2h 31m 35s from Johan Vanhoovels 2h 32m 20s and Duncan Smith 2h 45m 27s. Ingrid Frost won the women’s in 3h 15m 2s from Nelda Hazelhurst 3h 16m 13s and Debbie Robinson 3h 17m 10s. Eric Kemsley was the first male walker in 4h 24m 30s while Denise Stewart-Jacks was the first woman walker in 4h 59m 57s.
WELLINGTON
Brooks Waterfront 5km Series, Tuesday 2 March, Thomas Bridgeman first in 16m 41s, one second ahead of Matt Rogers. Steph Pearson first woman in 19m 4s. Tim Dutton in 28m 39s and Terri Grimmett 31m 42s first walkers home.
Gold Programme – 6 March 2010
Tim Hawkes won the 800m in 1m 52.81s, beating Alex Wallace 1m 53.56s and Tim Cornish 1m 54.09s with Neil Sampson finishing fourth in 1m 54.31s.
Billy Crayford was over the high jump at 1.95m and Peter Baillie won the 5000m walk in 25m 41.71s.
CHRISTCHURCH
Canterbury Championships
Rebecca Wardell won the 100m in 12.24s (+1.5), Nicola Hely of Otago the 200m in 25.26s (-1.0). Angela Smit won the 800m in 2m8.34s from Kellie Palmer 2m 11.35s and Alicia Evans 2m 12.64s. Smit also won the W19 400m in 56.13s. Palmer won the 1500m in 4m 25.26s from Fiona Crombie 4m 26.88s and Evans 4m 27.33s. Kate Newitt set a Canterbury record in the 3000m walk of 13m 42.90s. Nicki McFadzien won the W19 5000m in 17m 27.66s from Sarah McSweeney 17m 31.10s. Rebecca Hodgson set a Canterbury record of 46.47m in the W19 hammer, she also won the W16 hammer with 45.38m. Margot Gibson won the W16 middle distance double, 800m in 2m 17.88s and the 1500m in 4m 41.40s. Todd Mansfield of Otago won the 100m in 10.88s (+0.4) Daniel O’Shea, Otago, the 200m in 22.45s (-1.0), Tim Jones the 400m in 48.24s with O’Shea second in 48.59s. Malcolm Hicks of Auckland repeated his double at the Auckland championships last week, winning the 800m in 1m 53.61s and the 1500m in 3m 49.05s. Callan Moody was second in 3m 49.81s. Rowan Hooper collected the 5000m in 14m 31.85s. In the field Tom Walsh set a Canterbury senior men’s shot put record of 16.28m, he also won the M19 shot put with 17.92m, Tim McKee set a M19 pole vault record of 4.61m, he also won the M19 javelin with a throw of 51.99m. Ben Graham of Southland was out to 13.17m (+1.1) in the M19 triple jump, Benn Loh won the senior high jump clearing 2.00m and Hayden Hall won the M16 discus throwing 50.55m.
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne 23 February 2010 – 3000m Shaun Krawitz 10th 8m 29.61s.
Canberra 26 February 2010 – 100m Joseph Millar 2nd 10.90s (+0.9), Alex Jordan 4th 11.00s. Race 2 Millar 2nd 10.88s (+0.3). 110m hurdles Michael Cochrane 1st 14.60s (+0.9).
US INDOORS
Alex Wilson Invitational Notre Dame, IN
In the 5000m Ben Ashkettle running for Northern Arizona came 15th in 14m 18.90s and in the 3000m Terefe Ejigu running for Eastern Michigan came 6th in 8m 12.60s and Brendon Blacklaws, Michigan 7th in 8m 13.46s. In the one mile Dallas Bowden, Michigan set a new PR coming 6th in 4m 03.72s and in the MDR Villanova with Carl Mackenzie and Mathew Mildenhall in the team came 3rd in 9m 33.11s which was good enough to qualify for the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships.
BOOK LAUNCH
Norman Harris has written a book titled ‘Beyond Cook’s Gardens’ a compelling memoir that takes its title from a stunning night at Cooks Gardens Wanganui in 1962 when Peter Snell sensationally broke the world mile record and a youthful journalist, Norman Harris, one of the few present, wrote an inspired report for The New Zealand Herald. But the journey from Cooks Gardens travels far beyond athletics. Along the way you will meet some surprising characters: from Jack Nicklaus to Kiri Te Kanawa, from Glenn Turner to Benjamin Britten. You will learn of threats and blackmail by local sports officials; an assault by a notorious All Black; and a clock-and-dagger encounter in Moscow.
Book available from book shops or by ordering direct from the publisher for $30 (post free) Last Side Publishing, PO Box 102 Hamilton 3240.