Smith in tussle with rival in Timaru

RISE AND FALL: Eden Smith came back from his spill in the 300m time trial to win the 500m sprint ahead of rival Nick Frame for the intermediate men's grade at the Banked Track Nationals in Timaru. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Whanganui's Eden Smith did things the hard way at the 2016 Banked Track Nationals in Timaru last weekend.

The 16-year-old member of the Wanganui Speed Skating Club, racing in the intermediate men's grade, was up against Timaru's Nick Frame - who had a clean sweep of this class at the Road & Flat Track Nationals in Wanganui in January.

Spokesman Ken Smith said Eden Smith missed those events with a knee injury, which subsequently required surgery, and had only been back on his skates for two weeks before the Timaru event.

However, heading for victory in the 300m time trial, he fell 10m short of the finish, still sliding across to take the silver with a time only 1/2000th of a second slower than Frame's.

"Nursing a dose of gravel rash, he lost the 1000m to Frame due to a tactical error, but made amends with a terrific start to win in the 500m - winning by a skate length to claim the title," said Ken Smith.

Whanganui's duo of Chase Morpeth and Drew Brennan were again the ones to beat in the juvenile boys, but this time Timaru's Kaylum McAuley was on his home turf and so a terrific three-way battle ensued.

Once the dust settled, Morpeth and McAuley shared the overall division title with Morpeth the winner of the 300m time trial and 500m, while McAuley took out the 1000m.

Brennan won a tough 3000m race from McAuley, but the home town racer's consistency saw him finish equal with Morpeth on points overall.

The competition that raged in Whanganui for the junior girls grade between Renee Teers and the talented Timaru trio of Jazmyn McAuley, Ella Benson and Charlotte Clarke just rolled on down south with the quartet going at it hammer and tongs.

Benson took the time trial, McAuley won the 500m and 1000m, and Clarke raced Teers every metre of the 5000m points race but couldn't crack the Whanganui skater's fierce determination.

Teers scored the most points and was first across the line for the gold, while she also picked up bronze medals in the 500m and 300m TT.

Her best race, however, was the open 15km elimination, where she hung on against the seniors skaters for sixth overall and top junior, while her clubmate Rebecca Smith finished 5th.

Rebecca Smith, racing her last nationals, took third in both the 500m and the 1km senior women's class, but was up against a huge Timaru contingent in the longer races, lead by their unbeaten star Nicole Begg,

Similar to the marathon race in Whanganui, Smith was undone by Begg and her teammates tactics, and this time couldn't crack the podium.

Whanganui's Krystine Davies again dominated the masters women's class, winning all her events unchallenged.

Ken Smith said other Whanganui skaters to perform well were Andrew Jones, who entered the Senior Men's class up against a the record breaking Cantabrian Ollie Jones and classy international skaters from the USA and Japan as well as local Timaru sprinter Dale Christopheson.

"Monique Cleeve looked to be returning to form with a third in the intermediate 500m and some strong performances in the longer races and Keira Brennan took a good silver in the primary girls 1500m and 500m, as well as several bronze medals," said Ken Smith.

Johnmen Zhang won bronze in the masters men's grade.

In the relays the Wanganui senior men's team of Jones, Eden Smith and Stefan Teers finished a close third to Timaru, while Christchurch led by Ollie Jones won in record time.

The senior women's team of just Cleeve and Rebecca Smith nearly grabbed the silver, but were pipped on the line by the Timaru No 2, team, with the local No 1 squad the winner.