The pole-vaulters promise to take centre stage at the North Island secondary schools track and field championships to be held at the vastly enhanced Pugh Sports Bowl in Masterton on Saturday and Sunday.
The combined efforts of North Harbour trio Pascal Kethers, Matt Campbell and Eliza McCarthy should guaranteerecords tumble in an event which has seldom been contested in Wairarapa.
Kethers has a personal best height of 4.80m and will be expected to take out the open boys title although Campbell will be ready to pounce should he have an off day. Campbell's best effort to date is 4.40m.
The open girls crown seems set to go to McCarthy who would only need to get anywhere near her PB of 4.10m to dominate her rivals.
Another of the field events sure to capture special attention at the weekend will be the hammer throw, where the hugely talented Matt Bloxham, also from North Harbour, will call the tune in the senior boys division.
It was in early December that Bloxham, 16, sent the 6kg hammer out to 67.26m to establish New Zealand records for both the men's 18yrs and 19yrs age groups and he now holds all the New Zealand junior hammer throw records, having set a new mark for the 16yrs and 17yrs grades when he threw 71.33m with the lighter 5kg hammer last September. Bloxham should also be among the front-runners in discus and shot put.
Several outstanding performances are also guaranteed on the new Pelorus Trust all-weather track with meet organiser, Masterton-based coach Mark Harris, predicting there will sub-50sec times registered in the 400m and that 11secs was likely to be broken for the 100m where one of the divisions has 28 competitors, meaning four heats of seven with each of the heat winners going through to the final along with the four fastest minor placegetters.
"A situation like that really tests the mental strength of the athletes, they know a poor start can blow it entirely for them," Harris said.
With more than 800 athletes - 65 of them from Wairarapa - expected to take part in a full programme of track and field competitions, the onus will also be on the participants to make it to the commencement of their events on time with Harris warning there will be no leniency for those who fail to meet their obligations.
"If they are not there when they are expected to be, they will be scratched, there is no other option."
