Three sports keep Ant busy

BIG HITTER:Wanganui's Ant Rountree ison the hunt for masters games medals at the squash this week and then the motocross at the weekend. PHOTO/STUARTMUNRO030215WCSMGAMES11

WANGANUI contender Ant Rountree has put his fitness to the test this week entering three separate sporting codes at the NZ Masters Games.

The 41-year-old has already completed one discipline when his touch side Team Gok finished fourth in the over 40 division, but he was far more confident of medal-winning performances in squash and motocross.

Rountree has been one of the Wanganui Squash Club's anchormen in recent years representing the city at various tournaments around the country and is No1 seed for the open men's doubles and the mixed doubles.

Rountree got off to a flying start yesterday winning for his first two matches with doubles partner Matt Doyle before waiting to link up with mixed doubles partner Keri Sutcliffe later in the competition.

"I won the masters men's open doubles two years ago with Mel Peters, so I'm hopeful of a medal at least this time around. Keri is a very good player and so is Matt," Rountree said yesterday.

Despite only returning to motocross nine months ago after a nine-year break from the sport, Rountree will be in medal contention again when the dirt flies on the Mission Rd course this weekend.

At his height some 15 years ago, Rountree was rated eighth in the country at motocross on the open class division on his YZF450, but gave the sport away to race rally cars.

"My kids started motocross, so I decided to get back into it again. I hope to be fairly competitive in my age group. We have the two-hour hare scramble and then the motocross this weekend," he said.