If the trio of events last week, the Cooks Classic in Whanganui, Jumps to Music in Hawera and the Potts Classic in Hastings were the entree to the second half of the season, it is clear the main course is going to be something special.
Cooks Gardens further strengthened its reputation for top middle distance running with all the top eight athletes setting personal bests in an outstanding under 20 New Zealand Championship won by Liam Lamb (Wellington) who sliced an amazing 26 seconds off his best (8:24.79). Whanganui athletes Liam Back finished with bronze (8:32.26), Andres Hernandez in fourth (8:33.89), George Lambert 10th (9:02.78) and Ben Conder 16th (9:26.20) - all personal bests.
Holding an athletics New Zealand Jumps Camp at Whanganui Collegiate over the weekend guaranteed an outstanding high jumps in Whanganui with co New Zealand record holder Hamish Kerr taking the win in the men's and Josephine Reeves taking the women's from Keeley O'Hagan on a countback (1.77m).
They were both in action last Wednesday at the annual "Jumps to Music" in Hawera. The Hawera event features just jumps with each athlete selecting their 1980s music played as their name was called and during their trial. The colourful presentation and the enthusiasm of participants and the closeness of the appreciative audience makes this a special event on the calendar.
Kerr was the men's winner with Reeves repeating her 1.77 leap to win the women's. Whanganui athlete Harvey Meyer, who in December took silver at New Zealand Schools in the junior grade with a 1.83 jump, responded well to the atmosphere jumping 1.82 metres and narrowly missed 1.87 only two centimetres above the Collegiate junior record.