Symes quick in Wellington

Harry Symes, here winning during the relay at the December's NZ Schools championships, maintained his form over the holiday break to win the graded 100m at the Capital Classic in Wellington on Friday.

The Central January Classic Meet series, which includes Whanganui's Cooks Classic, wrapped on Friday evening in cool conditions at Newtown in Wellington.

The Capital Classic was run in conjunction with the 3000m New Zealand Championships as the feature events.

Best Whanganui performance came from Harry Symes with his win in the graded 100m, with a time of 10.92s which would have placed him second in the elite field.

Perhaps because Symes is better known as a sprinter over the longer half lap and one lap sprints, and that his best ranked 100m was in April, meant he was not included in the elite field.

Symes ran in the winning invitation relay team, clocking 42.40s for the one lap.

Other Whanganui athletes to perform well included young Sophie Andrews, who finished fourth in the Hammer with a huge personal best of 37.62m, which bodes well for the meetings ahead, while Genna Maples finished third in an Under 18 100m in 12.72s.

Maples finished fifth in the women's Long Jump with 5.22m.

She had been under canvas the night before at a Christian Camp on the Kapiti Coast when the first of the weather bombs hit and understandably had little sleep, as did her sister Lexi Maples who was below her best in the shotput for fourth place.

Aucklander Liam Back, who starts at Wanganui Collegiate this year, finished third in the 800m with a two minute, six second effort, which was close to his personal best.

Back finished fifth at NZ Secondary Schools and will relish the local competition from the likes of Jack Gay (Collegiate) and Travis Bayler (Whanganui High School).

In the men's 3000m, Olympian Hamish Carson - who is the 62nd Cooks Gardens sub 4 minute miler - outsprinted Eric Speakman (the 63rd) to win in 8m 5.23s.

Young Auckland triathlete star Dan Hoy ran a 12 second personal best for third in the large field.

Carson and Speakman did not run in Whanganui this month, saving themselves for Friday's race, but have expressed an intention of returning to Cooks Gardens to compete in the Cooks Classic "One Mile Championship".

Laura Nagel of Napier took the women's title in 9m 22.73s.

Australian visitor Alex Rowe, who had run in the 400m in Whanganui, took the 800m in a meeting record of 1m 48.42s, with former Collegiate athlete Josh Ledger finishing fourth after looking like snatching a podium finish.

Ledger won the handicap 400m at Cooks Gardens and looks like being on the cusp of a major breakthrough.

Normal club nights resume tonight at 7pm.