Athletics season sparkles

NABBED: Emma Osborne (green) loses on the line to the in-form Caitlyn Alabaster in the medley relay. Osborne has stuck a rich vein of form setting four personal bests in the last eight days.

Summer may have finally arrived and with the sparkling weather has come some sparkling Track and Field performances.

Good weather, good competition and good atmosphere are potent ingredients in producing quality results and over the past few days I have been lucky enough to see these factors producing some memorable athletic moments.

On Sunday at the Auckland Track Challenge Eliza McCartney demonstrated once again that not only is she an outstanding performer but also has personality and charisma that makes her stand out.

The spectators were allowed to sit close to the action on either side of the runway adding to the special atmosphere. The VIPs were even closer sitting at tables only metres from the action (seen first at Cooks Gardens four years ago when the young McCartney delighted our sponsors). McCartney did not disappoint the audience breaking her own New Zealand record and setting an Oceania Area record with a magnificent 4:82 metre vault which is a world leader for 2017. Significantly she used the same big pole used to take the bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro and this was still on her early season shortened run up - watch this space.

An hour earlier a big audience sat around the shot put area watching the best ever shot competition in New Zealand with a truly world class field.

Ryan Crouser, the Rio gold medal winner, twice got the 7.26 kilogram shot out to 22.15 metres with the American twice breaking the New Zealand all comers' record. Tomas Walsh also twice broke the New Zealand Resident record (the best throw in New Zealand) ending with a highly creditable 21.90 metres in only his second competition of the season. Twice Walsh stepped out of the circle with the shot landing over 22 metres. The presentation and the closeness of spectators made this an outstanding event.

Unfortunately the early evening track events did not quite match the excellence of the afternoon field events although it was good to see former Collegiate athletes William Smart and Josh Ledger feature in the senior events and Christian Conder run in the John Walker Junior Mile.

On Saturday evening the annual Wanganui Collegiate School House athletic match held over four hours before a large and vocal audience was an exciting affair. Again the atmosphere and conditions came to the party with a whole raft of outstanding personal best performances.

The girl's 800 metres saw no less than eight personal bests through the two grades.
The winning house Grey House team captain Jane Lennox sliced almost eight seconds off her previous best to run 2:19.68 urged on by vocal supporters and chased by the younger Caitlyn Alabaster who took a similar amount off her previous best (2:21.78) with Jordan Hume going under 2 minutes 30 for the first time was third.

The next two athletes also went into personal best territory. In the younger grade Year 10 Emma Osborne highlighted her class by winning the junior 800 metres with a substantial personal best (2:24.53). Later in the evening Osborne impressed in the 300 metres recording a personal best of 42.04. Osborne demonstrated that this was not a one-off performance by winning the schools 800 metres at club night in a new best (2:24.11) in relaxed form.

There must be something in the air at Cooks Gardens for young WHS 800 metre runner Rebecca Baker who won the Centre 800 metres with a personal best outrunning the aforementioned Lennox and Alabaster in 2 minutes 21 seconds.

The clear highlight of the championships was the outstanding high jumping of Hamish Kerr. Kerr was still in action after the rest of the meet was over and a large crowd gathered close to the high jump action to watch Kerr clear 2.10 metres and then 2.15 metres finally to clear 2.17 metres to equal his previous best setting a Cooks Gardens record and more importantly gain his second B qualifier for the World Universities in August. He had a close attempt at the A standard of 2.20 metres which will surely come soon. In the meantime he has secured the necessary two B standards.

Earlier in the evening Zac Topping (Palmerston North) held off the late challenge of Harry Symes while Genna Maples, still only 13, took the Centre 200 metres and Long Jump senior titles while Pati Leo had his first 40 metre + throw in Discus.

Hopefully the weather corner has turned and athletes can enjoy the conditions and revel in the atmosphere of good track and field as they approach the business end of the season that includes Whanganui Schools, the Athletics New Zealand Championships, North Island Schools and for four lucky Whanganui athletes, California.