SPRINTER: No longer at Wanganui Collegiate, Harry Symes continues to compete and was in outstanding form over the shorter trips and sprint relays in Sydney clocking personal bests.
As I said when I reported on the New Zealand Championships three weeks ago it was especially pleasing to see eight former students and athletes who I had coached competing after leaving school.
Four of the eight returned with a medal and three also competed last week at the Australian Championships in Sydney.
Max Attwell, who had won the New Zealand Decathlon, finished 5th in Sydney with another personal best score. Attwell ended the two days of competition by winning the 1500 metres in a smart time for decathletes (4minutes 22). Attwell has set a personal best at every decathlon entered and although 150 points shy of a World University Games qualifying mark he looks likely to be contesting the Oceania Championships at the end of June in Fiji.
Harry Symes left Collegiate at the end of the year with a silver medal in the 200 metres and a gold in the relay in his final New Zealand Schools Championships. Since then he has had to adjust to a working life beyond school and the challenges that brings not only to normal life but also to regular training.
At the New Zealand Championships in mid-March Symes came second in the under 20 400 metres but pulled out of the 200 metres and relays because of concerns about a niggling hamstring. He had held a strong lead coming into the home straight but faded over the final 80 metres. He put this all behind him in Sydney last week at the Australian Championships.
Symes had never run under 22 seconds over 200 metres but in the preliminaries in Sydney he won his heat in 21.64 seconds to go straight to the top of the under 20 rankings and is 5th in the open rankings.
Interestingly, former team mate Will Smart, who left Collegiate at the end of 2013, is currently ranked second behind the outstanding Joseph Millar. Symes ran 21.66 in the final to take a silver medal. Later in the championships Symes ran for a New Zealand combination in the 4x100 metres finishing second with a New Zealand under 19 record of 41.47 seconds. Symes nearly got his hands on a third medal when the 4x 400 team finished 4th with a NZ ranking topping 3:15.73.
Hopefully the success in Sydney will convince Symes that he has the ability to make a mark in the sport and with his excellent relay skills can help New Zealand establish a relay reputation such as Poland and Japan, who like us may not have top ranked individual sprinters but combine to be world class combination. Perhaps he and Will Smart could feature in the same successful team.
Meanwhile, 52 Whanganui athletes travel to Inglewood at the weekend for the season ending North Island Schools Championships. The Championships are contested by 12 regionally selected teams. Waikato with 70 Secondary Schools in their area have traditionally been the strongest.
Whanganui with nine schools is one of the smallest but traditionally have punched well above our weight.
Genna Maples won the junior sprint double last and although in Year 10 is young enough to still run in the junior (under 14) grade. She also competes in Long Jump an event she finished second in last year and recently took bronze at the New Zealand under 18 championships. Maples will add strength to the Wanganui Collegiate school relay combination who seek to repeat their win in the juniors last year.
The winning Whanganui High School junior 4x100 have also been selected as a team and will gain invaluable experience at the championships and will help build on the revival of the sport in the school especially amongst a strong junior boys section.
Rebecca Baker (WHS) and Emma Osborne (WCS) renew their rivalry over 800 metres in the Intermediate grade with Baker backing up with 1500 metres on the final Sunday morning session with Osborne also running the 400 metres, while the Collegiate training mates Liam Back and Jack Gay will contest the Intermediate 800 and 1500 metres.
Grace Godfrey (Collegiate) on the eve of her departure for California looks to be coming into good one lap form when it matters most. She also runs in the 200 metres and has a key role in both the 4 x 400 and 4 x 100 metre relays.
Hayley Artz in intermediate grade jumps and Dylan Te Kura Bishop in Intermediate Shot both from Ruapehu College are strong competitors and will gain invaluable experience.
Taihape College's Jacob Sciascia competes in Intermediate shot while Cullinane has three team members Shayden Gardner (junior Javelin), Ioane Hough- Aki (intermediate Javelin) and the talented Makaia Matthews in intermediate sprints. Wanganui Girls College is represented by Tayla Flight (senior Javelin) Hinerangi Taite-Thomson (intermediate javelin), Te Aroha Wilson (high jump) and Tyra Hough- Aki (junior Discus).
It is to be hoped that this promising group of throwers take advantage of the facilities and coaching available locally to advance their careers.
Whanganui High School provides 11 team members with Wanganui Collegiate providing 31 athletes. I will report on the championships next week.