Athletics New Zealand - Weekly Roundup

JAPAN

Osaka Grand Prix – 8 May 2010.

Stuart Farquhar of New Zealand won the men’s Javelin Throw with 82.41m, more than a metre ahead of Russian Ilya Korotkov, who threw 81.16m. The World Championship bronze medalist Yukifumi Murakami of Japan was a disappointing fifth with 77.66m. 

Dani Samuels of Australia won the discus with 63.75m and Australian Lauren Boden won the 400m hurdles in 55.25s. Former Aucklander James Kaan, now Australia was second in the 1500m in 3m 40.80s. Joanne Cuddihy of Ireland, who won the New Zealand 400m championship race in March, won the 400m in 52.15s.

ITALY

World Combined Events Challenge, Desenzano del Garda – 8/9 May 2010

Brent Newdick finished 6th in the decathlon with 7634 points, won by Jake Arnold of USA with 8141. Newdick’s performances: 100m 11.28s (-0.1) 799, long jump 6.95m (-0.2) 802, shot put 14.53m 761, high jump 1.89m 705, 400m 49.91s 819, 110m hurdles 14.88s (0.0) 864, discus throw 44.28m 752, pole vault 4.45m 746, javelin throw 54.63m 657, 1500m 4m 32.40s 729. Scott McLaren was 17th with 6973 and Stephen Buckley was 21st with 6749.

NEW CALEDONIA

New Caledonia Throwers Cup -  8 May: 2010

Damian Smuts shot 7kg 14.73m, discus 2kg 45.32m, javelin 800g 41.12m and hammer 7kg 52.85m PB. Johan Smalberger javelin 800g 71.39m, Keshia Grant javelin 600g 48.86m, Siositina Hakeai shot 4kg 13.77m, discus 1kg 49.25m. Sarah Button hammer 4kg 43.08m PB, Stephanie Wrathall javelin 600g 48.68m PB, Millie McNie hammer 4kg 45.91m, Jessica Charlesworth hammer 4kg 50.79m.

AUCKLAND

In a warm up meeting conducted by Didier Poppe at Sovereign Stadium North Shore on Friday 30 April before competing in New Caledonia, there were a number of outstanding performances: Damian Smuts hammer 7kg 51.78m shot 7kg 15.46m PB and discus 2kg 47.00m, Millie McNie hammer 4kg 47.04m, Stephanie Wrathall javelin 600g 44.86m, Tom Walsh shot 6kg 17.33m, Jacko Gill shot 5kg 20.81m and discus 1.5kg 54.19m.

In New Caledonia on Wednesday 5 May: Siositina Hakeai discus 1kg 48.25m, Richard Callister discus 1.5kg 46.04m, Keshia Grant javelin 600g 46.00m, Johan Smalberger javelin 800g 66.80m.

O’Hagan’s 5km series

Scott Winton won the race around the Viaduct Basin on 27 April in 14m 56s, before venturing down to Rotorua on the Saturday to win the 10km in 33m 12s. Annie Keown was the first woman at the Viaduct Basin in 17m 25s. Brendon Kato won the O’Hagan’s race on 4 May in 15m 58s. Melanie Burke was the first woman in 17m 44s.

YMCA Women’s 5km and 10km – 9 May 2010

Sarah Devoy made it a hat trick of wins in the 32nd annual YMCA women’s 10km road race around Greenlane.

The 27 year old Pakuranga College teacher led throughout to record a time of 40m 59s. Devoy was three minutes ahead of Geraldine Barber with Karen Espin third.

Devoy, who has also won the Round-the-Bays run for the last two years, said that it is a good way to get in a hard Sunday morning run.

“It makes you get out and push yourself a little bit more than if you were just training on your own. It’s really good to see all the women out here who would not be normally running and it’s really cool because they give you a lot of encouragement on the course,” said Devoy.

Devoy joins Anne Hannam who won in 1996, 97 and 98 as a three years in a row winner.

Alana Barber repeated her win of last year in the 10km walk albeit over two minutes slower in 60m 48s.

Helen Gray improved on her second last year to win the associated 5km run in 21m 32s.

New All-weather Track at Pakuranga

The new all-weather track at Lloyd Elsmore Park Pakuranga was officially opened on Friday 30 April by 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games long jump Gold Medallist Yvette Corlett. The track has been named the Yvette Williams Track. Sir John Walker and the Mayor of Manukau City Len Brown joined Yvette at the opening.

Shortly after moving to live in Pakuranga in 1961, Yvette joined the Panmure Athletic Club as a coach, coaching a group of teenage athletes for five years, several of whom represented Auckland at the New Zealand championships. In early 1967 Yvette instigated the forming of an athletic club in Pakuranga. Yvette founded the Pakuranga Athletic Club in October 1967.

WAIKATO

Cambridge cross country relays – 8 May 2010

The Taumarunui team of the Murrihy sisters, Melissa, Zara and Demelza Murrihy-Topp won the women’s 3 x 3000m cross country relay in 34m 48s. Demelza, anchored them home in the fastest overall time of 11m. Hamilton City Hawks were second in 40m 4s.

Hawks won the men’s relay over four laps in 40m 50s, nearly five minutes ahead of Cambridge. Cory Whiting running for Hamilton was the fastest with 9m 37s.

Hamilton Hawks also won the masters men with Michael Pugh of Tauranga Ramblers taking fastest time honours with 9m 52s.

WELLINGTON

University Relays, QEII Park Paekakariki – 8 May 2010

Wellington Scottish won the men, women and masters men 4 x 3.8km relays over the undulating grassy dunes at McKays Crossing. Hamish Carson, with a time of 12m 55s, Ryan Woolley, Abdullahi Guled and Stefan Smith made up the men’s team recording a time of 52m 29s. Stephanie Mackenzie, Nadene Hawley, Melissa Moon and Tina Harris with a time of 15m 12s won the women in 62m 4s. The masters men won in 56m 44s, Grant Mclean running his lap in 13m 11s.

CHRISTCHURCH

Lionel Fox Memorial Relays, Woodend Beach – 8 May 2010

University won both the men’s and women’s 4 x 5km relays. Phil Costley with the fastest individual lap time of 14m 34s anchored the men to victory and Tania Causer with the best time for the women of 17m 41s anchored home the women’s team. Sumner were 29 seconds back in second in the men and Christchurch Avon were nearly three minutes adrift in second in the women. Sumner won the master men and Port Hills the master women.

UNITED STATES

Big East, Gettler Stadium, Cincinnati Ohio – 2 May 2010: 1500m final; Carl Mackenzie 2nd 3m 57.43s, Hayden McLaren 4th 3m 57.74s, Mathew Mildenhall 8th 3m 58.67s, Dominic Channon 9th 3m 58.85s. 5000m; Hugo Beamish 4th 14m 5.25s.

America East, University of New Hampshire – 2 May 2010: 800m Michael Christmas 3rd 1m 51.34s. 5000m Tim Hodge 3rd 14m 55.13s. Lucy van Dalen 1st 800m 2m 7.25s and 1st 1500m 4m 26.90s.

Billy Hayes Invitational, Bloomington Indiana – 7 May 2010: Simon Rogers was in superb form, winning the 1500m in a personal best time of 3m 46.41s.

Seminole Twilight, Florida State University – 8 May 2010: David Ambler 5th 100m in 10.58s (0.0), won by Walter Dix in 9.98s who also won the 200m in 19.89s (0.0). Ambler was also a member of the Florida State relay team which won the 4 x 100m relay in 39.06s.