Speed Skating: Wanganui club success in Timaru at banked nationals

Whanganui's Renee Teers, left, heading on the outside of Serenity Griffith, Ella Benson, and Charlotte Clarke to win the Intermediate Women's 500m in Timaru last weekend.

The Wanganui Speed Skating team ventured south to Timaru last weekend to take on the might of the South Canterbury club on their home turf in the NZ Banked Track National Championships.

In the Senior Women's grade, Monique Cleeve continued her winning form from the Road Nationals with wins in the 300TT, 1000m and 500m.

She also picked up a bronze in the 10km Open Ladies Elimination race.

Spokesman Ken Smith said Renee Teers also had a return to form after a disappointing Road and Track Nationals in the ultra competitive Intermediate Women's grade, which saw a different winner in each of the specialist races.

"Teer's was runner up to South Canterbury's Ella Benson in the 300 Time Trial and to Charlotte Clarke (South Canterbury) in the 1000m, before charging to a convincing win in the 500m."

Teers also took silver in the 10km points elimination behind Clarke.

In the Junior Boys grade, South Canterbury's Kaylum McAuley was too big and strong for the younger Whanganui star duo of Chase Morpeth and Drew Brennan.

However, Morpeth and Brennan took all the respective silver and bronze medals and "look set to dominate the grade next year", said Smith.

Tazia Parker showed she is a rising star in her first full season of competition with a string of silver medals in the heavily contested Juvenile Girls events, always chasing home Nelson's Mikaela MacDonald.

Whanganui's Keira Brennan joined her on the podium with a brave third in the 3000m.
In the Masters events, Krystine Davies was untouchable in all her races and Whanganui's Crystle Denbee was second.

Paul Cleeve had a good second place in the Masters Men's 300TT and was third in both the 500m and 5km Points.

Hadleigh Smith continued to show the promise he displayed at Road and Track Nationals with a string of seconds in the Primary Boys.

Wanganui club teams took silver in the Senior Women's and Junior Boys relays, while the team of Tazia Parker, Victoria Smith and Keira Brennan got bronze in the Junior Girls.