Athletics NZ weekly roundup 2 July 2018

WELLINGTON

Wellington Marathon, Westpac Stadium - 1 July 2018

Patrick McKenna won the marathon in 2:40:04 from Kunaal Rajpal 2:43:45 and Jason Sweney 2:46:11. The womens marathon went to Miyuki Usui 3:05:03 from Lisa Brignull 3:09:08 and Ingrid Cree 3:10:29. Usui won the trip to Wellington courtesy of Wellingtons sister city relationship with the Japanese city of Sakai in Osaka. Usui was the first Sakai woman in Februarys Senshu Marathon and won a trip to the Wellington Marathon.

The marathon walk Chris Sullivan 5:15:04, Lynne Peirse 5:15:11, George Webber 5:20:20 and Albie Jane 5:22:07.

Niam Macdonald ran a PB 1:10:58 to win the half marathon from Malcolm Hodge 1:12:38, Brian Garmonsway 1:13:15 and Nathan Tse debut in 1:13:22. Sabrina Grogan womens half in 1:25:04, Emerson Deverell 1:25:45, Sophie Smith 1:30:56 and Sarah Riceman 1:31:05. Half walk; Eric Kemsley 2:06:56, Alan Clark 2:18:16, Jacqueline Wilson 2:25:05.

10km; Toby Gualter 34:23, Nick Sasse 34:25, Josh Hemara 35:49. Tina Faulker 37:35, Melissa Black 38:18, Alice Wilson 39:14. Walk; Daniel Du Toit 49:29, Clive McGovern 1:02:23.

AUCKLAND

Winter Throws, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore - 30 June 2018

Connor Bell 1.5kg DT 63.18m. Jayden Williamson 1.5kg DT 42.39m PB. Anthony Barmes 6kg HT 53.16m PB, 7.26kg HT 46.49m PB. Rizvan Caukwell 6kg HT 45.25m, 7.26kg HT 39.11m. Jade Bowater 3kg HT 32.04m.

MASTERTON

Winter Series - 1 July 2018

Zac Topping 100m 10.90 (+1.2). Nils Poncet 10mm 11.48 (+1.2), LJ 7.21m (+2.0). Jordan Peters 100m 11.50 (+1.2), LJ 7.17m (+1.9). Brayden Grant 400m 51.51. Liam Lamb 1000m 2:48.04. Scott Thomson HJ 1.90m. Anna Thomson LJ 5.38m (+2.0). Stacey Gunn LJ 5.04m (+3.3).

DUNEDIN

Edmund Cup Cross Country, Wingatui Race Course - 30 June 2018

Oli Chignell won the 5km in 16:05 from Samuel Bremer 17:02, Drew Cairney 17:13 and Blair Martin 17:38. Hill City University won the teams. Rebekah Greene won the open womens 5km in 18:32 from Kristy Eyles 21:21 and Donna Young 21:58. The womens teams was won by Caversham. 2.5km; Jake Owen 9:42 and Becky De La Harpe 9:49. B13 1500m Max Holgate 7:08, G13 1500m Darcie Evans-Tobata 7:21.

AUSTRALIA

Gold Coast Marathon, Southport - 1 July 2018

Nick Horspool ran a PB 2:18:30 to finish 15th. Daniel Jones on debut was 21st in 2:20:06, Blair McWhirter 2:25:37 (28), Kristian Day 2:30:25 PB (39), Dave Ridley 2:30:47 (41). Alice Mason also recorded a PB 2:43:47 for tenth in the women, Margie Campbell 2:45:14 (11), Kelly Parlane 2:47:51 PB (13), Mel Aitken 2:51:29 (16) 40-44 (1), Sally Gibbs 2:53:20 (19) 55-59 (1), faster than the New Zealand masters W55 record of 3:18:23, Lindsay Barwick 2:58:40 PB (24).

Half marathon; Caden Shields 1:06:16 (11), Daniel Balchin 1:07:46 (16), Aaron Pulford 1:08:49 (18), Liam Woolford 1:13:22 debut (35), Mike Lichtwark 1:13:33 debut (38), Craig Kirkwood 1:14:29 (43). Hannah Oldroyd 1:19:37 (15), Melanie Angland 1:30:20 (70).

10km; Joshua Baan 32:06 (35), Simon Rogers 32:17 PB (37). Sarah Gardner 36:38 PB (21).

QRWC, Kalinga Park Brisbane, 17 June: Nelson McCutcheon (15) 10km race walk 48:52 (1), betters the New Zealand under 17 record of 53:58 by Daniel Du Toit in Hamilton in March.

FRANCE

IAAF Diamond League, Stade Charlety - 30 June 2018

Nick Willis (35) finished tenth in the 1500m in 3:36.26, 13 years after he ran 3:32.38 at the same meeting to break John Walkers New Zealand national record. Walker as a 35 year old ran 3:34.75 for 1500m. Willis holds the national record of 3:29.66 set in Monaco in 2015.

WALES

Met Miles, Cardiff, 27 June: Christopher Dryden mile 4:29.91 PB (7).

ENGLAND

Eastern Athletic Association Track and Field Championships, Cambridge, 30 June: Christopher Dryden 1500m 4:10.18 (1). Katrina Robinson 1500m 4:24.07 (1). Ryan Ballantyne 6kg SP 19.96m (1). Nick Palmer 6kg SP 18.92m PB (2).

BELGIUM

Brussels Grand Prix, Brussels, 30 June: James Preston 800m 1:47.76 PB (2). 1500m; Matthew Manning 3:42.10 PB (2), Ben Moynihan 3:43.41 PB (4), Julian Matthews 3:48.53 (9), Isaiah Priddey 3:48.61 (4R2), Samuel Tanner 3:48.85 (5R2), Nicholas Moulai 3:50.01 (8R2).

GERMANY

Ingolstadt, 29 June: Rhys Bishop 800m 1:52.90 (1).

OBITUARIES

Pioneer of the pole vault in New Zealand Mervyn Richards of Mosgiel died on Sunday 1 July 2018 aged 87.

He won 11 straight national pole vault titles from 1952 to 1962. In winning the 1958 title he became the first New Zealander to vault 14 feet (4.27m). He set 11 New Zealand records in the pole vault and over all raised the record 46cm. In winning his last title in 1962 he vaulted a national record of 4.34m.

He excelled in a number of track and field events, placing third in the 1952 national decathlon championship and he held the Otago senior javelin record for a number of years. Mervyn competed at three Empire Games, 1950 in Auckland where he was ninth, 1954 in Vancouver where he was fifth and 1958 in Cardiff where he won the bronze medal in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.17m on his second attempt. The gold and silver medallists both vaulted 4.17m on their first attempt. His medal was the first pole vault medal by a New Zealander at an Olympic or Empire/Commonwealth Games. He was nominated for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games but missed selection, even though his New Zealand record at the time was higher than the qualifying height for the final.

Mervyn qualified as a coach in 1949 and he coached many champions and record holders across a variety of events. He built a pole vault pit at his home in Mosgiel and encouraged his family to try the event, and his son Malcolm was the most successful and broke a world record for a 10-year-old at the old Caledonian Ground in 1971. He still holds the Otago record for a 15-year-old when he jumped 3.26m in 1976.

His expert technical application which he applied to his coaching in the pole vault was widely recognised. He coached Kevin Gibbons from 1956 to 1959, who then went on to win seven national titles.

Mervyn was also involved in gymnastics and was selected coach of the New Zealand gymnastics team to the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, but the team did not attend. Mervyn coached his daughter in gymnastics to many New Zealand titles. He also represented Otago in badminton. His wife Winnie Garrod won the New Zealand womens javelin title in 1957 and 1958 and held the national womens record.

His funeral will be held in Mosgiel on Thursday 5 July at 11.00am.

Former sprint coach with the Kiwi Club and Tauranga Ramblers David Corrigan of Tauranga died on Sunday 24 June 2018 aged 91.

He was the coach of Laurie DArcy, New Zealand sprint champion in 1969 and 1970.

Long standing Otago official and administrator Colin Taylor of Dunedin died on Wednesday 27 June 2018 aged 76.

Colin was on the committee of Athletics Taieri for 40 years. He was vice-president of the Club in 1986 and president 1987-89. He was made a life member of the Club in 1999.

Colin was on the Athletics Otago management committee for 30 years, was a vice-president and received life membership of Athletics Otago in 2009. He received an Athletics New Zealand long service badge in 1994.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand