Maddie reaches new heights

NUMBER ONE AGAIN: Gisborne Girls’ High student Maddie Wilson retained the junior girls’ high jump crown with a personal best height at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track, Field and Road Championships in Hastings. Picture supplied

GISBORNE Girls’ High School’s Maddie Wilson retained her junior girls’ high jump title at the New Secondary Schools Track, Field and Road Championships in Hastings.

The Year 11 student, who was also named in the NZSS Championship paper team at the end of the meet, recorded a personal best of 1.70 metres to beat her previous best by five centimetres.

Fellow Girls’ High student Briana Irving was also in the medals. She was second in the junior girls’ road race.

Wilson sat out the lower heights of the high jump on a scorching day, with little shelter from the heat.

She joined the competition at 1.50m before going off to race in the 200m semifinals and qualifying for the final.

It was then back to the high jump. Wilson cleared 1.58m, passed at 1.61m and rejoined the competition at 1.64m.

A first-time clearance of that sealed victory. Further jumps saw her get to her PB of 1.7m.

Wilson capped her meeting with another PB in finishing fifth in the 200m final in 26.04 seconds — a PB by over a second.

She also competed in the long jump but, after qualifying, was eliminated in the next round when she jumped 4.56m.

Wilson was one of three Gisborne Girls’ High athletes at the country’s premier secondary schools athletics event.

Irving, a multiple middle distance medal winner at North Island and national level, picked up silver in the junior girls’ four-kilometre road race.

The Y10 student clocked 15 minutes 1 second — 17sec behind Charli Miller, of St Peter’s School.

Irving also made the 3000m final on the track in what was one of the strongest divisions at the meet.

A slow initial pace, followed by a fast final two laps, did not suit her and she faded to seventh in 10.37. Miller won in 10.24.

Irving also qualifed for the 1500m final but opted to run the 4000m road race, which was before the 1500 final.

Le’Sharn Anderson, lined up with 43 other girls in the Y9 3000m road race.

The pace went on early in the hot, blustery conditions.

She found it difficult to move up in the field and ended up a creditable 16th in 11min 45sec, just over a minute behind the winner.

Nine championship records were set over the three days of competition and two athletes, Lucy Sheat (Marlborough Girls’ High) and Olivia McTaggart (Correspondence School) surpassed qualifying standards for the world junior championships.