Golden girl Amponsaa Tabi-Amponsah with her medals from four years at the Colgate Games, and the prizes from school. Photo / Paul Taylor
A Hastings Athletic Club teenager was one of the star performers at the North Island Colgate Games Children's Athletics at Newtown Park, Wellington.
Turning 15 at the end of this month and just sneaking in for her last year, in all the sun, wind and rain the climate could unleash, Amponsaa Tabi-Amponsah, of Havelock North, won the 14yrs girls 100 metres in 12.6sec, 200m in 26.16sec, and long jump with a best leap of 4.81 metres, taking her Colgate Games tally to seven gold medals in four years, along with six silvers.
At the end on Sunday she was named one of four recipients of a Nick Willis Scholarship, comprising $500 to help with training and competing, the third from Hawke's Bay so-recognised, dating back to coach's daughter Briana Stephenson in 2013.
Her golden haul in Wellington was matched by clubmate Hana Symes, who won the 11yrs girls 200m (27.74sec) and 400m (63.56sec) double and was in the club's winning 11yrs mixed medley relay team – a year after winning five golds, including one in a medley relay, in her first season in the medal grades last year.
Tabi-Amponsah started her run at Porritt Stadium, Hamilton, in the Hastings colours at age 11 in 2019, with a sprinting double gold and a long jump silver.
She won three of her 100 metres finals over the four years, and was runner-up when it was run in Inglewood in 2020, and was runner-up in the 200m in 2020 and 2021. Her other gold medal was in the 12 years 4x100m relay in 2020.
Born in Asuom in the eastern region of Ghana, emigrating to New Zealand at the age of six months with parents Nicholas and Juliet, and following in the footsteps of two older sisters who were also keen on athletics, she started showing her own flair when winning inter-school races when aged six and living in Motueka.
Living in Wellington for some time, the development continued at Lucknow School after the parents' careers brought them to Hawke's Bay – mum with degree in early childhood education and now working with Mash trust and dad as a research scientist with Plant and Food Research institute.
At Havelock North High School last year she won the Junior Girls athletics championship and Junior Sportswoman of the Year.
She's now preparing for the Potts Classic run by her Hastings club at Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park on January 22, targeting further improvement in her personal bests, a 12.49sec 100m at the Colgate Games last year, and a 25.87sec 200m and 5.09m long jump, both at the last Hastings club night of 2021 on December 18.
She also plays volleyball, netball and touch rugby, but the ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympic Games.
The only other gold-medal performance for Hastings, and Hawke's Bay clubs, at the weekend was won by Zita Meo in the 12yrs girls 400m.
Other Hastings club members among the 18 from Hawke's Bay that won medals were Jack Johnston (11yr Boys 400m bronze. 800m silver, 1500m silver), Ethan Augustine (11yr Boys discus bronze), Sophie Dunnett-Welch (14yr Girls 1500m bronze). In the gold medal 11yrs medley relay team with Symes were Johnston, Rerekauaia Hunia, Hana Symes, Finlay Day and Tom Munro, while Johnston, Day and Augustine also claimed a bronze medal with Thomas Ganive in the 11yr Boys 4x100m relay.
The Napier Athletic club claimed a single medal, a silver to Holly Savage in the 12yr girls long jump, and the Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa clubs had small teams but were not among the medals.
The clubs also had successes in the years 7-9 pennat events, competed in divisions without semifinals and finals.
The Hastings club's Junior nights resume on January 25, and the Napier club nights at Marewa Park resume on January 26.
DANNEVIRKE'S SMALL BUT MIGHTY HAUL
Four of Dannevirke's young athletes made an impressive debut at the Colgate Games over the weekend with one winning two medals.
A team of five, Fergus Roe, Paige Roe, Charlie Marshall, Will Hogan and Kaylee Penman went down to Wellington for the games with only one having competed before.
Manager Kelly Gillard said the results were amazing.
"Five little athletes and they did extremely well."
She said now the team was looking ahead to next year's games in Palmerston North and were looking to do some training.
The Dannevirke Athletics Club has struggled to get enough volunteers to help with specialised training.
Gillard was grateful for the efforts of coach Ivan Bodley, who had been with the club for around 45 years.