Local athletic talent on show at champs

The cream of Wairarapa's athletic talent will be in action at the national track and field championships at Newtown Park, Wellington this weekend.
Fresh from competing at the Australian equivalent in Brisbane where he placed a creditable sixth in his heat, sprinter Mike Wilson will contest both the open men's 100m and 200m events and is a chance to make the final in each of them. He will also be part of a strong Wellington 4 x 100m relay team.
Ellen Schaef showed her readiness for the women's 19yrs 400m by equalling her personal best time of 57.46secs at a meet in Wellington last weekend and that followed hard on the heels of a second placing at an international meet in Auckland. She appeals as a strong medal hope.
Vicky Paine should be amongst Schaef's most formidable opposition. Her best time is 57.80secs and the silver medallist over 200m and 400m at the Oceania Games is close to peak form.
A third Wairarapa entrant in the women's 19yrs 400m is Renee Braggins who has a best time of 64.95secs. She is quite capable of placing in the top six as well.
Schaef and Paine will also represent Wellington in the 4 by 400m relay in their age group and the battle for gold there seems certain to be between them and a powerful Auckland squad.
Cameron Sinclair will mix track and field in the men's 19yrs grade. He will contest the 100m sprint and the pole vault and it is in the latter where he should make the most impact. It was only four months ago he started pole vaulting and he is aiming to better the 3m mark at Newtown Park.
William Simpson is a finals prospect in both the men's 16yrs 100m and 200m but perhaps his best chance of a medal will come in either the 4 by 100m relay or the 4 by 400m relay where he will be wearing the Wellington colours.
Molly Creagh has run 61.8secs for the 400m and if she can repeat that effort she could make the top five at least in the women's 16yrs grade. She will be in what should be a very competitive Wellington 4 by 400m relay too, as will another promising Wairarapa athlete in Stevie Paine, who isn't competing on an individual basis at these championships. Rather, she is being kept in "cotton wool" for the North Island secondary schools championships in Wellington the following weekend.
April Campbell at 14 will be up against more experienced opposition in her women's 16yrs 100m flat and 100m hurdle events and it will be a huge achievement if she can make the finals of them. She does though have a big chance of a medal as a member of the Wellington 4 by 100m relay team.
Brad Nichols is new to this level of the competition and will benefit immensely from his involvement in the men's 19yrs 100m.
In the throws Wairarapa will have powerful representation in the form of the Faifeitas, Alex and Courtenay, and Josh Greig.
Alex Fafeita has been breaking records on a regular basis this season in the discus and the shot put but that has been in his own 14yrs grade. He will take on older opposition in the men's 16yrs grade this weekend and it could be that his best chance of a medal will actually come in the hammer throw.
Courtenay Fafeita too should be prominent in the women's 16yrs hammer throw and is quite capable of being amongst the medals in the discus and shot put as well.
Josh Greig will contest the men's 19yrs discus and shot put and has been achieving distances which suggest a top eight placing is not beyond him in either discipline.