Collegiate run hard inside

Ruby Redmayne takes an early lead in the 600m race at Collegiate's indoor athletics, followed by eventual winner Caitlyn Alabaster, then Grace Godfrey and Brittney Matthews.

Even more than the lengthening days and the fickle early Spring weather, the indoor athletics held on Tuesday evening at the Jubilee Stadium gave athletes the reminder that summer is fast approaching.

The Collegiate Inter-House event provided 100 minutes of non-stop action as athletes battled around the tight 100m lap in the stadium over team pursuits, relays and individual sprint and middle distance events.

The indoor athletics were first held over 40 years ago, but have moved from a championship-style event to a team event where the total emphasis is on team work.

They in seven grades (four for boys and three for girls).

All members from the team of six have to compete in at least one event out of the four in each grade.

These are 4x100m - always a thriller around the very tight circuit - a pursuit race over three laps which is based on the cycling pursuit, a 40m sprint and a 600m event.

The team nature of the athletics generates its own excitement as the evening develops over the 36 event programme.

There were 168 athletes competing - 40 per cent of the school roll.

The successful concept will be developed outdoors by Athletics Wanganui in late October and early November.

A team event for intermediate schools will be held in conjunction with the children's nights on Mondays, and a Year 9-10 competition on Tuesday's Club Night.

It is hoped the energy and excitement generated inside Jubilee can be transferred to Cooks Gardens.

Again, the club is grateful to Jodie Brunger and Clare Lynch at Sport Whanganui for giving momentum to this exciting initiative.

Grey House retained the "Collerton Trophy" for overall supremacy by just nine points from Hadfield but honours were shared over the seven grades.

The various grade results contributed towards the House Sport Festival, held over the last three weeks of the term across nine sports.

It was good to see many established athletes showing good form in what is effectively the season opener, but even more encouraging to see there is genuine depth with clearly strong competition to fill some relay slots for squads going to Auckland for the New Zealand Secondary Schools.

Harry Symes should be a potent force through the summer, providing he looks after himself and remains injury free.

Symes' house and school relay team-mate Luke Foster impressed.

Foster suffered a horrific motorcycling injury almost two years ago and after a long rehabilitation managed to reach the North Island 100m and 200m finals in April.

He has come through the rugby season and looks set to continue his improvement over the summer, both individually and in relays.

Charlie Waddy, who had finished fifth in the North Island senior 800m in April, looks set to make an impact nationally with some solid winter work and very impressive running indoors - both in the pursuit and in the 600m where he finished a close second to sub two minute 800m runner Christian Conder.

The junior girls 600m had a strong field and produced one of the races of the meet.

Caitlyn Alabaster, who has had such a wonderful winter, prevailed over the final lap to out-run Sophie Redmayne and New Zealand Youth 400m representative Grace Godfrey.

Genna Maples was all power and speed over the 40m and then in the 4x100m relay.

Her team mate Tayla Brunger looked technically outstanding with a balanced front-running win over 600m.

The two combined in a successful Harvey 4x100m win and with school Junior team captain Kate Tylee still to be added to the mix, it could be a major step towards retaining the junior 4x100m New Zealand Schools relay title in December.