Athletics New Zealand - Weekly Roundup
IAAF WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Doha Qatar: 12-14 March 2010
A fresh New Zealand and Oceania indoor record of 20.49m could only secure the silver medal for the Olympic and World shot put champion Valerie Vili at the world indoor championships in Doha Qatar.
The defending champion was upstaged by her adversary and arch rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus who over-took Vili in round five with 20.68m and improved to 20.85m in the final round.
Vili’s two and a half year unbeaten streak which took in 28 successive final victories had come to an end.
Natallia Mikhnevich of Belarus was third with 20.42m.
Vili who had been the hunter and then the hunted is back to being the hunter.
“A couple of years ago it was always me behind Ostapchuk, then we kind of swapped positions and now she’s coming back again. Competition is competition and today was not my day,” said Vili in post competition media interviews.
“Ostapchuk was ranked number one and I knew the fight was going to be pretty difficult and a challenge but I knew that I walked away giving it 110 percent, so I mean you can’t ask for more than that. I came away with an area record and personal best indoor and I’m pretty happy with that,” she added.
Vili thought that she had it in round five.
“But the competition is not over until the sixth round and she came through in the sixth round.
“On the fifth round I took the lead and I tried to keep fighting until the competition was over, but she took the win and it was her day and not mine,” said Vili.
“It just makes you more hungry for the next competition.”
Adrian Blincoe just missed making the final of the 1500m. Blincoe, who was in the fastest of the three heats, finished fifth in a time of 3m 40.50s.
He ran an indoor personal best, but needed to run 3m 40.04s to make the final.
AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sydney: 11-14 March 2010
Thursday 11 March
New Zealand athletes claimed the first three placings in the women’s under 18 discus on the opening day of the Australian junior championships.
Merewarahi Vaka won with a throw of 49.18m, Leesa Lealaisalanoa was second with 47.80m and third went to Siositina Hakeai with 47.61m.
Katherine Camp won her heat of the U20 400m in 55.97s and Katrina Anderson was third in her heat in 56.66s.
Tama Toki won his heat of the U20 400m in 48.44s and Alex Jordan also won his heat in 47.84s.
Both Joshua Hawkins and Phil Simms qualified in the heats of the U18 110m hurdles. They were second in their respective heats, Hawkins recording 14.19s (-1.3) and Simms 14.96s (-2.7). Chris Wiremu was eighth in heat two in 17.16s (-3.2) and did not qualify.
In the U20 110m hurdles heats Michael Cochrane with a time of 14.75s (-2.0) and Peter Callagher 15.18s (-2.3) both qualified.
Keeley O’Hagan finished fifth in the U18 high jump with 1.74m and Portia Bing was eighth with 1.60m.
Friday 12 March
Portia Bing was second in the U18 long jump with a leap of 5.81m (+4.7), on day two of the Australian junior championships.
The New Zealand W16 heptathlon champion and record holder also had a jump of 5.74m (-2.0) a 2cm improvement on her Auckland W16 record.
Rebekah Greene was outstanding in the U18 1000m finishing second in a time of 2m 45.99s.
Jenna Hansen was second in the U18 2000m steeplechase in 7m 23.89s.
In the final of the U20 110m hurdles Michael Cochrane was fifth in 14.62s (-2.8) and Peter Callagher was sixth in 14.65s. Joshua Hawkins was second in the final of the U18 110m hurdles in 14.20s (-1.8).
In the U18 4 x 100m relay the New Zealand team of Joshua Hawkins, Tim Lawrence, Chris Wiremu and Yarride Rosario finished fifth in 42.75s.
Mohamed Ali was fourth in the U18 1000m in 2m 32.19s.
Nathan Barrett qualified in the U20 1500m, after finishing fourth in his heat in 3m 57.62s. Annika Pfitzinger qualified in the U20 800m taking third in her heat in 2m 15.07s. Madison Gipson was second in the heats of the U18 400m in 58.10s however Molly Creagh third in her heat in 58.87s did not qualify. Phil Simms did not advance past the heats of the U18 400m after taking fourth in his heat in 50.88s.
Saturday 13 March
New Zealand athletes excelled on day three of the Australian junior championships, collecting five gold medals.
Jacko Gill won the under 18 discus with a New Zealand M16 record of 56.64m. This added 38cm to Keri Tongalea’s three year old record.
Hayden Hall was fourth in Gill’s competition throwing 51.94m.
Brad Mathas swept to victory in the U18 800m in 1m 52.19s as did Alex Jordan in the U20 400m in a superb time of 47.61s. Rebekah Greene won the U18 3000m in 9m 53.14s and Mohamed Ali also won his U18 3000m in 8m 40.23s. Anna-Lisa Uttley was second to Greene in 9m 55.30s.
Tama Toki was fifth in the U20 400m in 48.24s, Laura Nagel was second in the U20 1500m in 4m 26.93s and Matthew Baxter was eighth in the U18 3000m in 8m 58.86s.
Campbell Wu was third in the U18 400m hurdles in a M16 New Zealand best performance of 53.39s.
Tom Ingram collected fourth in the U20 hammer throwing 58.36m while Jesses Bryant was sixth in the U18 high jump clearing 1.85m.
Joshua Hawkins qualified for the final of the U18 200m winning his heat in 22.68s (-3.2) and in the final was fourth in 22.37s (-2.9). Joshua Cocker-Valu third in his heat in 23.24s (-2.0) did not qualify.
In the U 18 200m Hazel Bowering-Scott won her heat in 25.04s (-0.5) and was second in the final with 25.05s (-0.9). Emma Blake was second in her heat in 25.49s (-0.3) and was eighth in the final in 26.06s.
In the U20 400m Katherine Camp was fourth in 55.37s and Katrina Anderson was fifth in 56.14s.
Nathan Barrett was 10th in the U20 1500m in 3m 59.15s. Kerry Charlesworth failed to achieve a height in the U18 pole vault.
Sunday 14 March
Michael Cochrane won the under 20 400m hurdles on the last day of the Australian junior championships in Sydney on Sunday.
Cochrane recorded 52.51s, just one hundredth of a second outside the A performance standard for the world junior championships.
Jacko Gill won the U18 shot put with 20.62m, just 4cm short of his New Zealand M16 record.
Julia Ratcliffe won the U18 hammer with a throw of 53.31m.
In the heats of the U18 100m Hazel Bowering-Scott qualified with 12.40s (+0.5) while Emma Blake did not qualify with her time of 12.88s (+0.8). In the final Bowering-Scott was seventh in 12.46s (+0.5). Yarride Rosario with 11.20s (NWI) and Tim Lawrence 11.26s (-0.4) qualified in the U18 100m. In the final Rosario was third in 11.10s (+0.0) and Lawrence was sixth in 11.21s.
Annika Pfitzinger was fifth in the U20 800m in 2m 14.12s. Madison Gipson came home third in the U18 400m in 56.61s. Elizabeth Lamb was second in the U20 high jump with 1.78m.
Katherine Camp did not qualify in the U20 200m after running 25.50s (-0.8) in the heats.
The New Zealand team were third in the U18 4 x 400m relay, Phil Simms, Brad Mathas, Mohamed Ali and Campbell Wu recording 3m 21.51s.
And to cap off a successful four days of competition the New Zealand girls U18 4 x 400m relay team of Emma Blake, Rebekah Greene, Molly Creagh and Hazel Bowering-Scott set a New Zealand W16 record of 3m 54.19s in finishing fourth. Their time bettered the standard of 3m 55s set for a record.
WHANGAREI
This weekend saw the first meeting on the new all-weather track in Whangarei with the staging of the 2010 Athletics Northland Championships. Hurdler Hayley Gilchrist won the first race on the track, the W16 200m in 27.91s. Cold, wet and windy weather over the two days hampered most performances. Top track performance came from Gilchrist in the W16 300 hurdles in 49.58s. In the same event Chris Portch recorded the only Athletics Northland record of the weekend with 52.87s for a Masters M60 record. Best field event performance was 11.28m in the M16 triple jump by Kyle Trott of Wellsford. The championships conclude on Tuesday with relays.
AUCKLAND
Mt Smart Stadium – 13 March 2010
Isaac Tatoa was in sharp form for the second week in a row at the Auckland Centre meeting on Saturday.
The junior sprinter was explosive over 60 metres rocketing down the track in a wind assisted 6.68s to head in Carl Van der Speck and James Dolphin.
Jeffrey Thumath won the 100m and later the long jump clearing 7.26m. Wellington visitor Ryan Roselli was second in the long jump with 7.08m and he won the triple jump with 13.85m.
Brent Newdick completed a solo 110m hurdles in 14.70s. Multi event athlete Sarah Cowley was over the high jump at 1.70m.
Andrea Koenen, who will move up from junior to the senior sprints at the New Zealand championships in Christchurch in two week time, won the women’s sprint double with times of 11.73s over 100m and 23.69s in the 200m.
Round-the-Bays
Nick Buck, the 2008 winner, reclaimed the round the bays crown yesterday winning the 8.4km run from the City to St Heliers Bay in 26m 6s.
National junior road champion Jono Jackson was second in 26m 18s with Paul Hamblyn, fourth in the 1500m at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, taking third in 26m 26s.
Sarah Devoy made it two years in a row in being the first woman to finish. Devoy recorded 31m 49s, beating Grace Fursdon and Fleur Walter.
ROTORUA
46th Annual Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon
Entries are pouring in for the marathon to be run on Saturday the 1st of May. To date 1560 entries have been received. Previous winner Dale Warrander will cross the Tasman from the Gold Coast to compete. The 36 year old, who has a best of 2h 12m 58s, has estimated 2h 24m. Tsutomu Saeki (34) from Kanagawa Japan, who has a best of 2h 18m 18s, has estimated 2h 25m. Iain MacDonald of Tauranga has estimated 2h 26m and Rick Cooke M40-44 from Whittlesea Melbourne has estimated 2h 28m. Victoria Humphries of Wellington, second woman last year in 2h 56m 37s, has entered and estimated 2h 55m. Annika Smail of Rotorua has also estimated 2h 55m. Bernie Portenski of Wellington, previous women’s winner and multiple age group record holder, will be going for a world 60 age record. Portenski has estimated 3h 10m.
To enter the marathon go to: www.rotoruamarathon.co.nz
WELLINGTON
Black Programme – Newtown Park Stadium 13 March 2010
Michael Wilson won the sprint double with times of 10.91s (+1.8) over 100m and 22.26s (+0.5) over 200m. Sarah Hosegood won the 400m in 57.77s and Vicky Paine the W19 in 57.97s. Hamish Carson recorded 1m 52.32s in the 800m while Melanie Fayen ran 2m 15.99s in the women’s 800m and Kieron McDonald 1m 55.39s in the M19. In the 3000m Macklin Chaffee won in 8m 29.50s from Stefan Smith 8m 35.05s and Cary Chaffee 8m 40.07s. Evan Cooper won the M19 in 8m 44.78s. Tina Harris won her 3000m in 9m 46.93s, Caroline Mellsop the W19 in 10m 9.42s and Bernie Portenski in the MW60-64 ran 11m 11.48s.
Marissa Pritchard was out to 12.44m (+1.4) in the triple jump, Scott Thomson in the M19 cleared 13.15m (+0.0), Richard Thomson won the shot put with 14.54m, Courtney Fafeita won the W16 discus with 40.55m and Peter Baillie M60-64 covered the 3000m race walk in 14m 48.20s.
DUNEDIN
Caledonian Track – 14 March 2010
Chris Donaldson won the 100m in 10.56s (+4.7) with Todd Johnston winning the M19 in 11.04s (+4.7). Matthew Robinson won the M19 200m in 22.78s (+1.8).
Hannah Newbould won the W19 800m in 2m 18.48s. Daniel Balchin clocked 9m 36.40s in the M19 3000m steeplechase. Rachel Kingsford covered 5000m in 16m 58.72s. In the field events Marshall Hall threw the discus 50.05m and Hannah Blair was out to 41.41m with the javelin.
US INDOORS
On March 6 at the ECAC Div 1 at the Reggie Lewis Track in Boston Rochelle Sceats was third over 5000m in 16m 34.40s.
At the NCAA Indoor Championships held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, over the weekend three New Zealanders were competing. The Villanova men's distance medley relay team finished in ninth place with a time of 9m 39.96s. Carl Mackenzie led-off with the 1,200m leg where he recorded a split of 2m 56.30s with Mathew Mildenhall anchoring the team home with the 1,600m leg, which he ran in 4m 04.59s. Oregon won the event with a combined time of 9m 36.87s. In the women’s 5000m Holly Van Dalen running for Stony Brook came 14th in 16m 39.37s. The race was won by Lisa Koll of Iowa State in 15m 39.65s. At the Outdoor Southern Invitational Lauren Fayen, UAB, ran into first-place in the 1500m run with a time of 4m 39.22s.