Athletics Insight: Improved Whanganui team performance at Regional League meeting

Whanganui's male team (from left) Samuel Hermann, Oliver Toohey, Damian Hodgson, Thomas Gowan and Oliver Jones all made a major contribution to the improved Whanganui performance at the latest Regional League athletics meeting.

Track and field is clearly alive and well in the lower North Island with a large increase in competitors at the second of three Regional League meetings, held in Palmerston North at the weekend.

There was a significant rise in entries from the opening round in Hastings a week earlier and it’s likely to further increase in Wellington for the final round on Saturday, November 23. There were close to 400 event entries from 215 athletes at the more central venue. This included 38 athletes in the 1500m (22 males and 15 females) with four heats required for both the men’s and women’s 200m. The Whanganui male team, still without the injured Jono Maples (hopefully back for the third meeting in Wellington), Travis Bayler (out until January) and returning tertiary students Lucas Martin and Nat Kirk not available until the final meeting, managed to come from the bottom of the table to fourth. In the women’s grades, we remained mid-table and will probably climb further with a stronger team in Wellington.

The Regional League caters for athletes of all abilities from young secondary school athletes through to Masters, allowing outstanding Masters athletes like Sally Gibbs solid competition alongside younger athletes such as Year 10 Toby Gill to record a personal best, even if at the tail of the big 1500m field.

Thomas Gowan had an outstanding afternoon with a personal best 400m, going under 52 seconds for the first time, stopping the clock at 51.52s. Later he stepped up to 800m, again setting a personal best with 2m 04.27s for seventh place behind Oliver Jones in sixth. Jones will be encouraged by his early season 2m 03.38s in preparation for his favoured 1500m. Gowan rounded off his afternoon by joining Whanganui High School teammate Damian Hodgson, and Samu Hermann and Oliver Jones from Whanganui Collegiate School, to win the 4 x 400m relay. Oliver Toohey, who has missed a fortnight’s training following an injury while playing for Whanganui Collegiate School’s sevens team, should be encouraged with his first sub 52s (52.58s) to finish third in the 400m.

The in-form Hodgson had another good meet and joined Gowan as one of two individual winners with a personal best performance over 300m, dipping under 40s for the first time (39.72s) and finishing fourth in the 200m with an outstanding last 50m to set a personal best 23.03s. Hodgson finished seventh in a strong 100m field with another personal best 11.55s into a headwind. He also ran in the winning 4 x 400m relay and the third-placed 4 x 100m relay.

Hannah Byam was our best-scoring female, finishing second in the steeplechase and the 300m hurdles. In the former, she was only a second shy of her personal best set at the Athletics New Zealand Championships when gaining a podium place in the under-16s. More significantly, it was 15s faster than at the first meet in Hastings and 10 seconds faster than at the same meet last year. With just four weeks to the New Zealand Schools Championships, this is a real confidence boost for this promising 15-year-old who hopes for a podium place following her fourth place last year. Over the hurdles, Byam was just outside her best set at last week’s Club Night and was her second fastest time. Byam also ran in the 4 x 400m relay team that finished second.

Year 11 Whanganui Collegiate School boarder Juliet McKinlay, representing Palmerston North again, was a major contributor to the Palmerston North team victory. The Oceania under-18 heptathlon medallist demonstrated her versatility by winning the 100m hurdles (15.85s into a stiff headwind) and finishing second in long jump (5.32m), triple jump (10.28m) and javelin (34.44m) and running in the winning 4 x 100m relay team.

Fifteen-year-old Auguz Thongskul repeated his personal best long jump from Tuesday Club Night with another 6m effort in Palmerston North into a headwind and, once his run-up problem is resolved, he will improve further. He ran 11.85s in the 100m soon after his long jump and was part of the 4 x 100m team. Lulu Dufty is closing in on her first 5m jump (4.91m, just short of her Tuesday Club Night effort) to finish fourth. Paige Cromarty made her return to the team after a long absence, showing glimpses of her promise and potential.

The Cooks Gardens resurfacing commences next week and Tuesday’s A programme was the last on the old track. Next week’s Children’s and Senior Club will be held at Whanganui Collegiate School with the usual start times.