Juliet McKinlay (blue) and Lulu Dufty (green) in the 100m final at the Whanganui Secondary Schools Athletics Championships.
It is clear that Juliet McKinlay is on the road to recovery, as evidenced by winning all five events she entered at the Whanganui Secondary Schools Athletics Championships.
McKinlay, of Whanganui Collegiate School (WCS), was one of 64 event winners at the well-run championships, organised by Sport Whanganui.
The New Zealand under-18 heptathlon champion last summer is used to multi-tasking when it comes to juggling event disciplines.
She should be especially pleased with her 12.70m in the shot which was a huge personal best, winning by 2.71m. Lulu Dufty of Whanganui High School (WHS) was second.
The margin between the two was much closer in the long jump, with McKinlay leaving it to the last round (5.29m). The two also finished first and second in the 100m. McKinlay, recovering from glandular fever, also won the javelin (37.67m) and the 100m hurdles. Grace Fannin (Whanganui Girls College) ran a personal best to finish second in the hurdles and won the 400m and the 300m hurdles on Tuesday evening.
Olive Coombs (WHS) impressed in the intermediate grade, winning the high jump (1.50m), 80m hurdles and 200m. Coombs, who is rounding off an outstanding season, travels north to the North Island Schools as part of the Whanganui team, hungry for further success.
The Whanganui Schools Championships inevitably highlight athletes who have been performing well throughout the season.
Reiley Thomas (WHS) produced his best in long jump with a lifetime best of 5.89m as he prepares for the Oceania Championships in Darwin in May.
Isaac Ashworth (WCS), who a week earlier threw his first 50m javelin at the Athletics New Zealand Championships, came close again, winning by more than 14m with a throw of 48.87m and added a personal best to win the intermediate boys’ triple jump. He was second to Thomas in the long jump.
Auguz Thongskul (WHS), who has had to contend with injury throughout the season, convincingly won the long jump but had to settle for second to Hayden Stead in the 100m, with Stead winning in 11.21s. Stead earlier won the 200m in 22.63s. He has performed well annually at the Whanganui Schools Championships and came second in the high jump, losing on countback to Levi Sayer (Cullinane College).
Steeplechaser Hannah Byam (WCS) won the 3000m in 10m 54.93s. Byam, who took the under-19 2000m steeplechase silver at the New Zealand Championships earlier in the month, travels north looking to take a higher step on the podium in her favoured event but will also contest the 3000m the previous day.
The Whanganui Championships also see the start of exciting new athletic careers with new faces appearing each year. Hopefully, athletes will grasp the opportunities provided within track and field.
In the junior girls’ grade, Lilly Jean Dickenson of Whanganui Girls’ College (WGC) impressed, taking the 100/200m double. She was one of 10 athletes who achieved two or more championship titles.
Eva Bulloch (WHS) finished second to Dickenson in the 100m and third in the 200m. Ruby Bartley (WCS) took the junior 800m/1500m double on debut.
In the junior boys, Logan Plant (WHS) won the 100/200m double with his teammate Craig Sloan finishing second in both. James Macpherson (WHS) won the 80m hurdles and the junior 1500m. Lincoln Beamsley (Cullinane) took a junior boys double in the 300m and 800m, confirming the promise he demonstrated a year ago.
The intermediate boys’ grade proved to be highly competitive with titles shared by 12 athletes.
The three sprints were won by different athletes. Bruce McGregor (WHS) took the 400m, adding the 300m hurdles on Tuesday, with Ethen Wells (WHS) the 200m. Kopere Maihi-Walker (Whanganui City College) won the 100m in the closest finish of the day with only one-hundredth of a second separating Wells and Maihi-Walker (11.43s and 11.44s).
In the intermediate girls, Grace O’Leary (Cullinane), who had shown so much promise a year earlier, took the 800m/1500m double by a wide margin in both.
Liam Maher (Rangitīkei College) took the junior boys’ high jump (1.52m) and long jump (4.89m), backed up by a third in the 300m. Other winners from outside the metropolitan area included Maryanne Pio (Rangitīkei) in the senior girls’ discus, Rebekah Swift (Ruapehu College) in the senior girls’ 100m, teammate Maddie Demchy in the intermediate girls’ 400m and Wairanaki Rata–Hoete (Taihape Area School) in the junior girls’ discus.
On Tuesday evening, Phoebe Corin (WCS) won the hammer, Sean Frieslaar (WHS) the boys’ steeples, adding to his 1500m win last Thursday, and Sophie Dunlop (WCS) the steeplechase.