Athletics: Gibbs has comfortable 1500m victory

Club championships for 1500m and long jump were held at the Athletics Tauranga club night on Monday, January 18.

All grades ran together in the 1500m won by Sally Gibbs MW in 5:06.31, ahead of all other male and female competitors. Russell Lake MM recorded a time of 5:11.61 and sprinter Sean Banks M20 5:20.50 just ahead of Rollien Du Plessis W16 on 5:21.03.

In the long jump Petra Gough W16 had the best jump of the night with 4.36m, three of her attempts being over the 4m mark. In non-championship events Banks won the sprint double of 60m and 100m, both by a narrow margin from specialist thrower Reece Thompson M20.

Gough and Hannah Hockly W16 had a good tussle in the 100m with Gough heading her rival by 0.15 sec. Hockly battled Shianne Banks W14 over 60m 8.34 sec to 8.85 sec.

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The three stalwart veterans Lake, Gibbs and Gavin Smith competed over 5000m. Gibbs led out, as expected and opened up a lead of about 70m on Lake with Smith in third spot, but Lake eased into his pace and gradually closed the gap to take the lead with about four laps to go. Gibbs hung on into the last lap but Lake applied a little bit more pressure to come home with a margin of 2.8 sec over Gibbs and Smith in third place.

There was some good throwing in the discus with the different age groups using the appropriate weighted implement. Thompson had the best throw of the night with 29.83m with the 1.75kg disc, Jessica Davie W12 26.02 [0.75kg ], Du Plessis 22.96 [1.00kg ] and Gough 22.56m [1.00kg ].

2016 Club Champions: 1500m: W14: L Devine; W16: R Du Plessis; SW: C Bartrum; MW50: S Gibbs; M20: S Banks; MM45: R Lake; MM60: G Smith; MM65: M Clarkson; Discus: W16: P Gough; W14: A Davie.