It was a bitter-sweet end to the race for the Te Awamutu Athletic Club member who got a sympathetic hug from Hawke's Bay teenage runner Shannon Gearey after the latter had set a scorching 400m pace-setting time for the middle-distance pack under the Canterbury University banner before pulling out to watch the finish.
For someone who had played bridesmaid five times here to Petty, a Cantabrian who last year claimed her eighth crown before revealing plans to join the stable of American coach Danny Mackey in Seattle, Camp dug deep in the second lap but no cigar.
"It was my last opportunity to get the [standard games] time so it's disappointing but, you know, it's how it goes sometimes," she said.
Having run 2:02 in 2016, Camp felt it was do-able but she would have to wait to make her Commonwealth games debut as an individual athlete.
"I knew it would have been within my reach but difficult especially by myself but I'm happy," said the Hamiltonian who has moved to Christchurch to work with Petty's former coach, Maria Hassan.
No doubt, she felt the games-qualifying time would have been more attainable because Petty had pushed her through fast times before.
"Yeah we've had a good battle, Angie and me, over the years and I'm sure it would have been the same if she was here again but, yeah, I've finally got the title she's had for eight years so I'm pretty happy," she said, revealing she had beaten Petty twice in her career.
The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 4x 400m relay team reserve said she would take a lot of confidence from yesterday's run despite her season's plan going awry.
Camp, who thanked the classic organisers , is now turning her attention to the world championship in October.
"Every year I love coming here because it's a great event and it always has good weather and I run well."
Lucy Jacobs, of Auckland, was second at 2:10.30 and Ellen Schaef, of Wellington, third at 2:10.87.
Wellington's James Preston won the Allan Potts men's equivalent on a time of 1:52.48.
Tauranga teenager Samuel Tanner (1:53.21) was second and Tom Moulai, of Papanui Toch club in Christchurch, stopped the clock at 1:53.93 in third place.
In the high-twitch fibre zone, Scott Walker, of Christchurch, claimed the senior men's 100m sprint in 10.84s, the same time as Zac Topping, of Palmerston North, in second with William Smart, of Auckland, third in 1:53.93.
Zoe Hobbs, of Auckland, is the sprint queen in the senior event that doubles as a games trial after she stopped the clock at 11.72s, ahead of Tauranga's Abby Goldie (11.84) and Auckland's Symone Tafuna'i who registered a personal best of 11.95.
Hawke's Bay sprinter Georgia Hulls was an 11th-hour withdrawal on Friday.
Upper Hutt's Josh Ledger (48.75) and Wellington's Alex Haye (48.94) stamped their supremacy in the men's 400m event while Portia Bing, of North harbour bays (Auckland) clocked 53.86s to clinch the women's equivalent.
The New Zealand under-20 men's 3000m bragging rights went to Isaiah Priddey (8m 29.79s), of Hamilton, who heard the footsteps of Theo Quax (8:30.06) while early leader Mitchell Small, of Canterbury, had to settle for third in 8:33.52.
The female equivalent was a reserve of Hannah O'Connor in 9:44.70, six seconds ahead of Phoebe McKnight, of Wellington, with Tessa Webb, of Manawatu/Whanganui, third in 10:27.37.
The Taranaki teenager has now collected three consecutive crowns over the distance.
From a Hawke's Bay perspective of future track champions, Mitchell Snell came home in the 800m "B" race in atime of 1:57.56 ahead of fellow Hastings Athletics Club member Todd Douglas (1:59.33).
Snell's father, Tony, a Hastings physiotherapist, is a distant relative of legendary Kiwi track Hall of Famer Sir Peter Snell.
The New Zealand athletics team for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will be announced on Friday next week.
