Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate / Sport

New all-weather track heralds new era for Northland

Northern Advocate
12 Mar, 2010 04:55 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Excitement is  rising as the first official  event on Northland's new all-weather track nears, heralding a new athletics era in  the region.
Most of the events at Athletics Northland's 2010 Track and Field Championships will be contested on the new track at Kensington Park, getting under way at 7pm tomorrow  and
on Sunday from 10am.
But two championship events have already been held. On Tuesday, the hammer throw - for which a suitable cage is not yet available, was contested, as was the 5000m, as officials wanted  it kept  separate from other longer events. Combined grades women's hammer thrower Barbara Austin took gold, Val Babe silver and Colleen Brunker bronze, while in the men's, the sole competitor Barry Dyer, won gold.
In the combined 5000m,  Ian Calder, 52, had little difficulty taking the senior men's title, ahead of Fred Needham and Steve Trass.  But the women's race was won by rising-star 12-year-old Imogen Hull, with consistent performer Jenna Smith taking silver.
Athletic history will be created tomorrow   when Hayley Gilchrist, Riana Philips, Delwyn Smith and Clarrisa Van Der Veeken contest the women's combined grades 200m. Regardless of who wins gold, all four will share the honour of being first to compete on the new track.
Throughout the championships this weekend, talented young competitors are likely to show a new era is emerging in which our local athletes can match the best in the country.
In the combined women's 800m on Sunday, young runners Tayla Going, Melissa Simpson and Riana Philips are likely to outclass the senior competitors. Similarly in the combined men's field, Ryan Slater, Ethan Carter and Ryan Smith - who  studies in Auckland and is competing by invitation - are likely to leave the senior runners in their wake.
High Jumper Riana Phillips, who holds Northland G14 and W16 records, will have little difficulty surpassing seniors, but will  try to raise the bar for a new record.
In the combined 300m hurdles on Sunday   Chris Portch, 60, will compete against Hayley Gilchrist - one of the rising stars he coaches.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

2025 King's Birthday Honours List

Premium
Northern Advocate

Rupeni Caucaunibuca: Rugby’s greatest talent was never fulfilled

17 Apr 12:30 AM
Northern Advocate

Ninety-year-old’s passion for pickleball encourages all ages

10 Mar 11:00 PM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

2025 King's Birthday Honours List

2025 King's Birthday Honours List

Celebrating the Knights and Dames appointed in this year's King's Birthday Honours list. Video / NZ Herald

Premium
Rupeni Caucaunibuca: Rugby’s greatest talent was never fulfilled

Rupeni Caucaunibuca: Rugby’s greatest talent was never fulfilled

17 Apr 12:30 AM
Ninety-year-old’s passion for pickleball encourages all ages

Ninety-year-old’s passion for pickleball encourages all ages

10 Mar 11:00 PM
Rural Games success for Toa Henderson

Rural Games success for Toa Henderson

10 Mar 08:16 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP