Athletics: Young runner shows potential for stardom

By MURRAY McKINNON

New Zealand has yet another promising middle-distance runner on the horizon, 18-year-old Tom Heaphy of Nelson.

Heaphy showed the potential for greater honours, coming from the back of the field to win the annual John Walker junior mile on Saturday at Mt Smart.

While the time of 4m 20.79s was of no consequence, the manner in which he won, with a devastating sprint over the final 80m, earmarks him as a runner to watch.

On the final bend the race looked set to be fought out between leader Paul Hamblyn, Jason Cresswell and Jamie Voss. Cresswell snatched the lead with 50m remaining, before Heaphy, with a final 440 yards of 57.7s, stormed through for victory. Cresswell, the national under-20 3000m champion, was second in 4m 20.83s with Hamblyn third in 4m 20.93s.

Heaphy, the national under-18 2000m steeplechase champion and third in the under-18 800m and under-20 3000m, is studying commerce at Otago University.

Gus Nketia sharpened up for this weekend's New Zealand league final in Wellington with a win over 60m in 6.95s.

New Zealand-ranking performances at the North Island under-18 interprovincial contest at Sovereign Stadium came from Rory Hyslop of Auckland City with a 1.90m high jump, April Brough of Counties Manukau with a sprint double of 12.53s (100m) and 25.62s (200m), Louise Jones (Counties) a 58.31s 400m, Demelza Murrihy (Waikato) a 2m 16.76s 800m and Gea Stegenga (Waikato) with a 1.62m high jump.