Jordyn Hetaraka, who broke a 30-year-old record in the shot put earlier this season, had to settle for second in the B14 division at the Athletics Northland Junior Track and Field Championships. Photo/John Stone
Jordyn Hetaraka, who broke a 30-year-old record in the shot put earlier this season, had to settle for second in the B14 division at the Athletics Northland Junior Track and Field Championships. Photo/John Stone
The Athletics Northland Junior Track and Field Championships showcased the best and brightest of Northland's budding young athletes.
Two Northland records were broken on a day filled with action by Kerikeri High School's Anika Green and Whangarei Boys' High School's Nikolas Kini.
Green, racing in the G13 80m hurdles, rana time of 14.40 seconds to beat Whangarei Girls' High School's Aimee-Leigh Scott's 2015 mark by 0.37 seconds.
Kini, meanwhile, dominated in the B14 discuss with a throw of 48.13m to take out the competition and etch his name into the record books.
His throw broke a 31-year-old record set in 1986 by Patrick Hellier.
The pair finished one and two in both the B14 shot put and B14 discuss, with Kini taking out both events.
Athletics Northland's Sheelagh Prosser has been very impressed with the talent competing in Northland.
"At the moment we have a high level of throwing talent in the region with the likes of Nikolas and Jordyn," she said.
"Both of these boys were holders of the Grade 12 to 14 hammer throw record as well, before Jordyn set a new mark of 46.02 [subject to ratification]."
Kini is currently ranked inside the top 10 in both the under 18 discus (second) and shot put (eighth), while Hetaraka is seventh in the under 18 hammer throw and eleventh in shot put.
There were plenty of other top performances at the championships
Holly Rule led a strong field in the G13 100m sprint, winning in 14.4 seconds, while G12 runner Amy Alderton won her grade with a 13.5 second run.
Bree Monaghan and Skye Amsterdam were the victors in the G12 and G13 1500m respectively, with both putting in good performances.
Skye Amsterdam (front) took out the G14 1500m at Trigg Sports Arena. Photo/John Stone
In the field, B12 high jumper Trevor Coetzee had the highest jump of everyone competing with a well-made 1.50m.
Aidan Snowden was the pick of the boy's long jumpers with a big jump of 4.91m, while promising young para-athlete Daniel Meyer performed well to throw a 24.31m effort in the B13 discuss.
This Thursday it is the turn of the secondary school athletes to strut their stuff in the 2017 ASB Northland Secondary Schools' Track & Field Championships.
Athletics coach Christopher Portch said there will be a high level of competition at Trigg Sports Arena, with plenty of athletes competing proving themselves on the national stage.
"The hammer throw will feature two current national champions - Aimee-Leigh Scott and Jordyn Hetaraka," he said.
"Discus will be exciting with Nikolas Kini being in great form, while Olivia Sherman [Kerikeri High School] was a finalist in the shot put at the National Championships.
"The girls' 100m will be one to watch with National Secondary Schools finalist Leagh Dawson [Kerikeri High School] coming up against a form trio of Georgia Brierly [Rodney], Natasha Hewson and Jorja Swain [both WGHS]."
