Athletics NZ weekly roundup 3 January 2018

WORLD RANKED NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES IN 2017

Senior athletes in the top 50 in the world in their event:

Men: Tom Walsh SP (4), Jake Robertson 10km (14) and half marathon (31), Quentin Rew 20km (45) and 50km (18) race walk, Jacko Gill SP (22), Marshall Hall DT (30), Ben Langton Burnell JT (32),

Nick Willis 1500m (32) and 1 mile (31).

Women: Eliza McCartney PV (4), Julia Ratcliffe HT (32), Camille Buscomb 10,000m (33), Angie Petty 800m (42).

Junior athletes in the top 30 in the world in their event:

Men: Ryan Ballantyne SP (12).

Women: Olivia McTaggart PV (7), Lilli Burdon 1500m (14) and 5000m (21), Maddison-Lee Wesche SP (28).

Youth athletes in the to 30 in the world in their event:

Men: Nick Palmer SP (1), Connor Bell DT (2), Samuel Tanner 1500m (20), Isaiah Priddey 1500m (22), Nick Moulai 1500m (23).

Women: Olivia McTaggart PV (3), Hannah OConnor 2000m St (3), Katrina Robinson 1500m (9) and 5000m (6), Charli Miller 2000m St (6), Imogen Ayris PV (12), Phoebe McKnight 5000m (14),

Tatiana Kaumoana DT (27).

From lists compiled by Steve Hollings

COMMONWEALTH RANKED NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES IN 2017

Based on three athletes per country in each event.

Men: Tom Walsh SP 22.14m (1). Quentin Rew 50km RW 3:46:29 (2), 20km RW 1:21:12 (6). Marshall Hall DT 64.55m (5). Jacko Gill SP 21.01m (6). Nick Willis 1500m 3:34.74 (8). Ben Langton Burnell JT 82.44m (8). Zane Robertson 10,000m 27:48.59 (9). Nick Southgate PV 5.45m (9). Hamish Carson 1500m 3:37.55 (15). Joseph Millar 200m 20.37 (17),100m 10.18 (24). Cameron French 400m H 49.84 (17). Aaron Booth decathlon 7592 points (17). 4 x 400m relay NZL (Oliver Miller, Sam Gouverneur, Felix McDonald, Harry Symes) 3:15.73 (19). Brad Mathas 800m 1:46.97 (23). 4 x100m relay NZL (Scott Walker, Joseph Millar, Zac Topping, William Smart) 40.74 (24). Alexander Parkinson DT 56.79m (27). Michael Cochrane 400m H 50.57 (29).

Women: Eliza McCartney PV 4.82m (1). Julia Ratcliffe HT 70.35m (3). Alana Barber 20km RW 1:32:23 (3). Camille Buscomb 10,000m 31:45.02 (7), 5000m 15:19.81 (14). Olivia McTaggart PV 4.40m (8). Te Rina Keenan DT 57.55m (8). Torie Owers SP 17.08m i (10). Tori Peeters JT 56.84m (10). Angie Petty 800m 2:00.44 (11). Nicole Bradley HT 64.44m (11). Siositina Hakeai DT 56.11m (12). Portia Bing heptathlon 5752 points (13). Veronica Torr heptathlon 5717 points (15). Stephanie Wrathall JT 54.18m (16). 4 x 100m relay NZL (Abby Goldie, Zoe Hobbs, Kelsey Berryman, Mackenzie Keenan) 45.85 (18). Lilli Burdon 1500m 4:11.19 (22). Elizabeth Lamb HJ 1.83m (22). Grace McConnochie 10,000m 33:31.74 (24). Katherine Camp 800m 2:02.90 (32).

From lists compiled by UK based Stan Greenberg

EDGECUMBE

Open Hammer Competition, 1 January: Anthony Nobilo 5kg HT 63.55m. David Couper 7.26kg HT 34.13m PB. Brenda Davis 4kg HT 32.21m PB. Michelle Bitcheno 4kg HT 30.22m.

AUSTRALIA

Albie Thomas Allcomers Meeting, Bankstown Sydney, 23 December: Lilli Burdon 1500m 4:22.85 (2).

OBITUARIES

A stalwart of Oceania Masters Athletics Jim Tobin of Napier died on Wednesday 20 December 2017 aged 85.

Jim was an OMA council member 1990-92 and 2002-14. He was vice-president 1992-96, acting president 1995-96 and president 1996-2002. With his wife Helen, who was OMA secretary for 12 years from 1996-2008, they contributed enormously to the progress of masters athletics. Jim was recognised with a world masters athletics gold pin and life membership of New Zealand masters athletics. He received an Athletics New Zealand long service award and an Athletics New Zealand merit award in 1999. And earlier this year was honoured with life membership of HBG masters athletics.

When he transferred from Gisborne to Napier in the early 1980s to continue his work as a surveyor he carried on his involvement with veteran/masters athletics, serving as president of the HBG masters for 25 years. He introduced a year round calendar of walk/run events which lifted the groups profile and membership. Under his leadership the centre was awarded the 1991 veteran national track and field championships and the ninth Oceania Veteran Games. He was the editor and official photographer for Vetline, the official magazine of New Zealand and Oceania Masters Athletics.

Jim was a keen and determined distance runner who competed for some 70 years and completed 136 marathons. He was twice honoured in Hawkes Bay Gisborne as masters athlete of the year. Both Jim and Helen completed 30 Rotorua Marathons. His first Rotorua Marathon was in 1966 running 2:49:18 and his last in 2011 finishing in 6:30:32 and his last run at Rotorua was in the quarter marathon in 2014 recording 1:23:39.

He was an official at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games as a recorder and timekeeper at the marathon and walks. He was also an official at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games as an electronic data measurement operator.

Well known Canterbury running identity and official Bob Creed died in late December 2017 aged 85.

He was president of the University of Canterbury Athletic Club 1970-71 and was made a life member of the Club in 1976. Bob was an integral part of the Club for many decades and continued to serve and support the Club, most recently organising the duty club at the Takahe to Akaroa relay. Bob was a member of the University team that won the masters grade at the 1976 Takahe to Akaroa relay. He had earlier run for the Victoria University Harrier Club during the 1950s and was Club captain in 1959. He was a long serving Centre official at the track and he was an official steward for the marathon and walks at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. Bob was a lap scorer at New Zealand track and field championships, the most recent at the 2015 championships in Wellington.

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