Local throwers find their range

Athletics

Carterton-based throws coach John Quinn had good reason to be encouraged by results achieved by Wairarapa competitors in field events at the North Island secondary schools track and field championships at the Pugh Sports Bowl in Masterton over the weekend.

While a full list of results probably won't be available for a few days yet because of the electronic timing malfunction which caused huge delays to the first day's programme, it is known at least four Wairarapa throwers achieved top three placings.

The highlight was the victory in the intermediate girls hammer throw of Emma Kruszona with a personal best effort of 48.30m, over 8m better than the distance recorded by runner-up MacKenzie Vitasovich of North Harbour.

Coach Quinn said he was not surprised by Kruszona's winning performance with the Wairarapa College youngster having huge potential in an event still relatively new to her.

"It was an outstanding effort but the best is still to come from Emma, there is a lot of scope for improvement yet."

Quinn's son Tom, a former promising middle distance runner, was second behind the remarkable Matt Bloxham (North Harbour) in the senior boys hammer throw. Bloxham registered a meet record of 69.91m while Quinn took the runner-up spot with 50.15m

The senior girls hammer throw saw Wairarapa's Josephine Surridge place third with a best effort of 32.16m while Katie Smith was third in the senior girls shot put with 11.73m and Kate Plimmer was second in the senior girls long jump with a distance of 5.46m.

Of all the field events, however, the one with the biggest novelty factor had to be the pole vault, a discipline which has seldom been seen in Wairarapa, and it did not disappoint with a meet record - believed to be 3.96m - set by Eliza McCarthy (North Harbour) in the open girls competition.

Track results were virtually impossible to confirm at the time of going to press but it is understood Wairarapa's only first three placing was a third in the senior girls 4x100m relay.