OUTSTANDING ATHLETE: Geordie Beamish (right) after winning the under-20 1500m at the Potts Track and Field Classic at Hawkes Bay Regional Sports Park in January.PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND
OUTSTANDING ATHLETE: Geordie Beamish (right) after winning the under-20 1500m at the Potts Track and Field Classic at Hawkes Bay Regional Sports Park in January.PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND
GEORDIE Beamish has his immediate future mapped out after celebrating his last race in the Manawatu-Wanganui singlet with a national title at the New Zealand Athletics Championships in Wellington at the weekend.
Beamish had to dig deep to retain his 1500m title. He chose not to run in the 800mto keep himself fresh for the longer race. His main rival and junior 800m champion, Jordan Rackham of Southland also by-passed the 800m. Jacob Priddey of Waikato, pre-meeting favourite for the 5000m, also chose the 1500m.
Priddey, as expected, set the hard pace from the gun and by the end of the first lap the leading four had broken clear. Beamish made a significant break with 200m to run opening a five metre gap which he held to the line. The big improver, Marcus Karamanolis of Wellington, finished second with Rackham close behind. Priddeywas fourth.
The first four set personal bests, with Beamish stopping the clock at 3:49.35s. Priddey, Rackham and Beamish renew rivalry in Australia this weekend at the Australian Championships.
Over the last 15 months when coached by Alec McNab at Wanganui Collegiate School, Beamish won two NZ Secondary Schools 3000m titles, a NZ Schools Cross Country title, two Athletics NZ Junior 1500m titles and a NZ Cross Country title in 2013. He also won the Schools Division of the Australian U20 Cross Country Championships and took a bronze medal against older runners in the same race.
Beamish has yet to decide where his future lies longer term, although McNab confirmed yesterday the youngster would join his schoolmate Max Attwell on a two-meeting tour in the US next month.
"Geordie has left Collegiate and is back home in Havelock North. He hasn't decided what he will do. He is not going to university straight away. He may take a gap year, or possibly head to the States, although he has decided to join Max Attwell," McNab said. "His older brother Hugo, himself an outstanding athlete, has been out with a back injury, but ran his first race in two years recently in the USA finishing fifth over 5000m."
