Wanganui teens chase champ

Chase Morpeth, of Wanganui, won the Primary Boys' title at the recent NZ Speed Skating Banked Track Championships in Timaru. Photo/Supplied

Wanganui teenagers Jessica van Bentum and Rebecca Smith continue to push Timaru professional Nicole Begg to the limit, but the former world champion remained up to the task at the recent NZ Speed Skating Banked Track Championships.

Van Bentum broke Begg's national record of 29.011 seconds in the senior women's 300m time trial, only to see Begg beat the new 28.963s mark by 0.483s soon after at the championships, held in Timaru on February 15-16.

Wanganui club spokesman Ken Smith said van Bentum, 17, finished second to the 26-year-old Begg in all the events, similar to last time they met at the Tour of Timaru in January.

"She forced Begg to show her full abilities in the [senior women's] 500m by making a break that had Begg flying to chase her down before the line.

"Rebecca Smith pulled the same move in the open 15km elimination, 400m from home, and had Begg and van Bentum at full stretch to run her down, finishing a strong third."

Smith, 16, was also third to Begg and van Bentum in the senior-intermediate 10km points race. Begg went national record-hunting and put a 100m lead on van Bentum, with the chasing pack another 300m back. However, Ken Smith said timing-gear failure robbed her of a record.

Away from Begg, Rebecca Smith had a strong day in the intermediate ladies class winning the 1000m title with a commanding performance.

Smith claimed silver in the 500m after a slow start forced her to spend most of the race getting around Timaru's Dahna Penty, leaving it too late to catch Penty's town mate, Judah Kelly.

She was also third in the 300TT.

In other results for Wanganui club members, Chase Morpeth continued his domination of the primary boys' class, winning all three titles on offer, with Timaru's Ryan Caldwell providing the most competition.

Eden Smith, after a two-month injury break, picked up a couple of brave third placings in the junior boys' 300TT and 1000m races, while Steffan Teers showed improving speed in this grade.

Sophie Tang captured a bronze in the junior girls' class.

Renee Teers bagged a clutch of bronze medals in the juvenile girls' class, after finishing behind the Timaru pair of Ella Benson and Charlotte Clarke.

Renee Teers, Eugenia Lee and Caitlin Ferguson picked up the silver medal in the girls' (aged 9 to 12 years) 3000m relay behind the Timaru No1 combination.

The Wanganui senior ladies' team were disqualified from second place in their relay after missing an exchange.