Quality performances to end champs

PHOTO FINISH: Sophie Ensor (second in the tight Intermediate Girls 100m) in sprint action with top triple jumper Roimata Hipango during the Wanganui Collegiate School House match in February.PHOTO/ROB VAN DORT ENSOR

THE curtain came down on the 2015 Wanganui Schools Championships at Tuesday's club night when the more esoteric events (300m Hurdles, Steeplechase and Hammer) were contested in cold blustery conditions. Although entries were small there were some quality performances.

Myah Jex-Blake produced her fastest 300m Hurdle time of 2015, stopping the clock at 46.96s. Jex-Blake had finished fourth in the NZ Championships 10 days earlier and goes to North Island Secondary Schools, hoping to improve on last year's second place. Alice Bird, third in the NZ Youth Championships, won the steeples in a time that was faster than her run in Wellington. Although not back to her best this was encouraging.

Jane Lennox won the Intermediate Girls' 1500m with a national class performance of 7:44.10s. Jamie Gillespie took the Boys' event with a personal best of 6:35.73s, which has further narrowed the gap to national leaders in the event.

Harry Symes, athlete of the championships, won the 300m Hurdles (42.63s) and had his first competitive go at Hammer throwing a creditable 35.43m. Symes took six Wanganui titles and played a key role in both winning relay teams.

As meeting manager, one tends to get only a snapshot view of the championships and often miss a number of events. A clear picture was that although there were pockets of good competition from other schools, Wanganui Collegiate with 56 out of the 88 titles, tended to dominate the meeting. There were many encouraging performances as indicated above from individual athletes, but the health of the sport in the city requires greater depth of competition if our athletes are to continue their success nationally. As I mentioned earlier in the season there are many encouraging signs with more quality in the organisation of school championships highlighted by the excellent hosting by both Wanganui Girls College and Cullinane at the Wanganui School's Championships and there has been a real effort to bring more athletes to club nights. I have applauded the efforts of Wanganui High School in particular in attempting to harness the ability of their large school roll. There is talent in every school and such encouragement can only help produce results. Athleticism is an important ingredient of all our sport and investment in athletes will pay rich dividends across many sports.

There were a large group of double winners, including Grace Godfrey (WCS) who won the 100m and 400m, both with personal best times. Godfrey, at 14-years-old, had three days earlier won her place in the NZ Youth (U18) 400m Final where she finished seventh. At Wanganui Schools she took a further 2s of this time and comes ever closer to running under 60s for the first time. In the 100m she was involved in a very tight finish with a group of runners who show genuine promise. Her team-mate, Sophie Ensor was second with Abigail Buchan (WHS) third and the promising Millie Manning (WHS) in fourth with only a couple of tenths of a second separating all four. Further progress will be made if these promising athletes, along with 200m winner, Lexi Maples, can compete against each other more often.

The Intermediate Boys' 200m was impressively won by Adam Boult (Cullinane) and it is pleasing to note that he intends competing at North Island Schools, while Tayla Flight (WGC) demonstrated throwing potential by winning both the Intermediate Girls' Javelin and Shot. Jesse Theobold (Cullinane) impressed in senior jumps, winning both the High Jump and Long Jump (1.76m and 1.93m respectively). Roimata Hipango (WCS) won the long and Triple Jump double in the senior gils the latter with a national class 11.17 metre leap.

In the junior grades, Jack Gay (WCS) won both the 800 and 1500m with strong front running performances, while Rebecca Baker (WHS) impressed in the Junior Girls' 1500m overturning the result with Caitlyn Alabaster (WCS) in the 3000m. Both runners have immense middle distance potential.

There is competition and coaching opportunities available for these and other talented young athletes and it is hoped that we will be able to expand the city and region's pool of athletes.

The North Island Secondary Schools is the final major athletics event on the school calendar and will be held at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, on March 28-29.