Olly Parkinson has jumped to National Secondary Schools hurdles titles and played for the New Zealand Under-18 Maori rugby team in the past two years.

The Auckland Grammar prefect and athletics captain is a recipient of the Sir Wilson Whineray scholarship which entitles him to $15,000 towards University fees and for playing club rugby for Grammar Tec. Is Parkinson done on the track?

“It’s a huge privilege to get the Whineray scholarship. I’m one of two recipients along with my friend Corey Evans. I’m still going to do both sports. I’m in the Pathway to Podium program for hurdles and rugby’s gone well,” Parkinson enthuses.

At the National Secondary Schools athletics championships in Dunedin last weekend, Parkinson successfully defended his 110m hurdles title. The conditions were tricky at the Caledonian Ground.

“It was really windy which makes it hard to build up your stride before each hurdle. I ran 14.65 which is a little bit slow, but I was happy to win again,” Parkinson reflects.

Parkinson’s PB is 14.15 achieved at the equivalent meeting in Hastings last year. Hamish Lock from St Patrick’s College, Silverstream was second - a position Parkinson had to settle for in the 300m hurdles behind Mattheus Pio from St Paul’s Collegiate.

“I was second last year so I was disappointed to finish second again, but it was a pretty good weekend,” Parkinson said.

In addition to the hurdles Parkinson ran the last leg in Grammar’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay successes. In the shorter event Parkinson was joined by Dominic Overend, Jamie Chambers-Steward and Liam Wong. The 400m relay team comprised of Ben Kelsey, Wynton Richards and Finn Ward.

Parkinson is the captain of athletics at Grammar and the sport is a natural fit with his family enjoying a long history of involvement. His grandfather and father were nationally ranked athletes and Olly is coach by Joe Hunter, the New Zealand High Performance hurdles coach.

“I’ve being working with Joe for a couple of years. I had another coach before Joe who knew Joe. When Joe said he wanted to work with me we both agreed to a swap. I’m grateful for Joe’s expertise and passion,” Parkinson acclaims.

In rugby Parkinson’s speed made him an obvious fit on the wing, but it wasn’t until he switched to flanker things started to happen.

“I went to an Under-16 Central tournament and Matt Atiga moved me. I was a bit surprised, but after the switch I kept making rep teams so I stayed there,” Parkinson reflects.

Parkinson has been a member of the Auckland Grammar First XV for the past two years. In 2018 Grammar finished fifth, narrowly missing the semi-finals.

“That was disappointing. We had an awesome forward pack and dominated most teams up front, but we were inexperienced and a few things went against us,” Parkinson rues.

Parkinson was excluded from the New Zealand Schools and Barbarians squads gaining a representative lifeline in the New Zealand Maori which he conceded was initially difficult.

“It was a challenge. I’d never really taken much notice of my Maori side. All the tikanga was a culture shock, but awesome and encouraging too.”

The novel messages worked a treat. The Maori stunned the Barbarians 21-20 with Parkinson crossing the stripe for a try and then foiled a fast finishing Fiji 20-15. The Maori weren’t necessarily expected to win either game.

“I think the bond we created was a big part of our success. Our Maori culture is something we only share in common. We were all disappointed not to take the Schools and Barbarians so we all felt we all had something to prove,” Parkinson observers.

Parkinson has studied Maths, English and Geography and Business in class this year and will pursue the latter at AUT next year.
​
Note: Auckland Grammar enjoyed a successful meeting at the New Zealand Secondary Schools athletics championships. In addition to Parkinson’s triumphs other highlights included Dominic Overend winning the 100m/200m sprint double while Year 11 student Michael Percival-Afeaki struck gold in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump, Shot Put and Javelin in the para-athletics competition.

Those watching the closing stages of last Sunday’s Senior Girls High Jump at the NZSSA Track and Field Championships in Dunedin on Sunday had every had reason to be confident a 28-year meet record might be broken.
​
“I cleared 1.75m and so had Imogen Skelton [Samuel Marsden Collegiate]. She missed the next height which would have been 1.78m, but I cleared that on my first jump and that was the winner,” back-to-back champion Josephine Reeves of Chilton St James School, Lower Hutt explained.

The last competitor left, Josephine attempted to go higher. “I did 1.81m on my first attempt and then I did 1.83m on my first attempt too, which was also a PB. That is also six feet, so a good height to jump.”

The meet record of 1.84m was set by Carmell Corbett in 1990. The bar was raised to 1.85m. But it was not to be, Josephine missing her three attempts at a new record.

Nevertheless, she was delighted with her win. “If I had jumped 1.85m it would also have been a new New Zealand U18 record.”  

That New Zealand record was set in 2009 by Elizabeth Lamb, who later competed in the Commonwealth Games and is third on the all-time list of highest jumps by a NZ female at 1.90m. Josephine’s mark of 1.83m places her 11th equal on that list.

Josephine’s performance more than met her expectations heading into the meet. “I was confident of placing but I wasn’t sure how I would jump on the day and also how Imogen Skelton would jump.”

Josephine and Imogen are good friends and training partners in Wellington.

“Kate Davies [Villa Maria College] came third. She is a younger jumper and she jumped a PB of 1.69m.”

Conditions at the Caledonian Ground were windy, slowing down times on the track. Josephine said the high jump at one end of the track was mostly sheltered. “For the last two heights the wind picked up a bit but it wasn’t too bad.”

Josephine’s form at the NZSSA Championships continues a steady improvement over the past two years.

“I have been doing athletics since I was young and the high jump since Colgate Games but it was two North Island’s [NISS Championships] ago in April 2017 when I jumped my previous PB of 1.76m and also broke the Intermediate record and that was when I really improved. At the start of that season my PB was only 1.50m.

She then jumped 1.71m to win the high jump as a year 12 last December in Hastings in both her first national schools meet and her first as a senior. 

Earlier this year, she went to the USA to compete in the 40th annual Simplot Games indoor meet in Idaho.
 
“That was when I set my indoor PB of 1.80m and I won that event, against mostly Americans and one Australian.”

Chilton St James sent a small but top performing team to nationals.

As well as Josephine defending her senior high jump title, Elizabeth Hewitt was second in the Junior Girls Shot Put, year 12 runner Charlotte Floodsmith-Ryan was fourth in the Senior Girls 800m and Katelyn Sceats was ninth in the Year 9 Girls 3km road race.

Naturally, high jump is Josephine’s main focus. “I used to play netball at school and was a defender, and also orienteering which I still do.”

Now that she has just finished school, Josephine is just taking it things as they come. She plans on competing over the summer and moving into next year training and working in Wellington. 

The Senior girls 100m – 200m sprint titles are set to stay in the South Island for another two years at least if Maia Broughton continues her hot form.

The South Island champion in both events from earlier this year, Maia also beat the best in the North Island at Dunedin’s Caledonian Ground in a short space of time on Sunday afternoon to win the Senior Girls 100m-200m double.
​
She is already looking forward to defending her titles in Wellington in 2019. “In the previous two years I won the junior girls 200m and came second in the 100m – so I am hoping to win the senior 200m again next year and win four in row,” said Maia who has just finished year 12 at St Andrew’s College. 

 The 100m final was first up – which wasn’t her favoured event of the two.
​
“I wasn’t really expecting to win that. I didn’t make a very good start – I was a bit worried halfway through the race as I was behind everybody but it was just the last bit that got me the win,” explained Maia.

“I prefer the 200m, I wanted to run the 200m-400m but they made it so those two finals were too close together so I did the 100m instead.

“In the 200m I can finish a bit stronger, I was lucky to catch up!”

In the 100m final, winner Maia pipped Leah Belfield (Te Awamutu College) on the line in 1239s and 12.41s, with Sam Nicholls (Dunstan High School) coming third in 12.80s. Four of the first five sprinters home were South Islanders, with Celia Ward (Garin College) and Aria Carroll (Christchurch GHS) finishing fourth equal in 12.81s.

In the 200m final, Maia beat Belfield into second, again with a fast finish, with Ward third, Zoe Spinks (Darfield High School) fourth and Sophie Sandford (Mount Maunganui College) fifth.

Runner-up in both events, Belfield is a former 100m-200m NZSSA junior champion.

Both finals were run into headwinds. “The headwind was really annoying, it was really strong,” said Maia.

As well as the individual sprints in Dunedin (six races in total), Maia also ran in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. “We just missed out on third in the 4 x 100m – finishing fourth.” Maia ran the second leg up the back straight. St Cuthbert’s College won the 4 x 100m and Wanganui Collegiate took out the 4 x 400m in a record time of 357.87.

Maia’s wins was the result of hard work over the winter, after winning the SISS titles at the very end of last season in Timaru. “I don’t do any other sports, so it was pretty much full time training over the winter.”
Her coach is Bev Peterson, a former Commonwealth Games runner.

Maia is not resting on her laurels. “I have got the South Island meet in two weeks so I am still training for that, and might be going to a few of the Classic meets and then Nationals.”

Both the South Islands and Nationals are in her home town Christchurch this year.

Maia was born in Auckland, but has been living in Canterbury since she was 10 and she gets her speed off family members.

“It runs in the family – because my mum and dad were both sprinters and so was my auntie.”

Family were there supporting her in Dunedin on Sunday. “I was really lucky to have my mum and my nana and my brother there.”

In winning both titles, she emulated Lucy Sheat of Marlborough Girls’ College who did the 100m-200m double in 2017, Sheat breaking the 100m record in Hastings last year that had stood since 1973. Sheat also won the Senior Girls 200m in 2016.

Maia was selected into the New Zealand paper team and named as one of the senior athletes of the meet.
 
St Andrew’s College was represented with 25 athletes in Dunedin.
  
Tapenisa Havea won the junior girls Shot put and also won silver in the 80m hurdles – after hitting the first hurdle hard and recovering to finish second.
 
Luke Murray won silver in the senior boys High jump,  Ayrton Shadbolt was fourth in the 2,000m Open steeplechase. The senior boys’ made the final of the 4x100m relay, finishing seventh,  Eva Pringle was sixth in the senior girls 1500m and Neve Moulai was sixth in the junior girls 1500m.

For full results visit the Athletics New Zealand Results Page.
 
Dominic Overend proved to be the fastest school boy this year, winning the senior boys 100m and 200m as well as contributing to Auckland Grammar’s victory in the 4 x 100m relay. Thwarted by a strong head wind Overend sped to victory in the 100m in 10.90 and in the 200m in 22.16. Overend was later named along with Hannah O’Connor, Samuel Tanner, Connor Bell and Maia Anderson-Broughton as senior athletes of the meet.
 
Hannah O’Connor won three events: the senior girls 1500m in 4:31.75, the 3000m in 9:34.60 and the 2000m steeplechase in 6:55.98. Sam Tanner took out the senior boys 1500m/3000m double in 3:55.38 and 8:35.01. Connor Bell retained his discus title with a throw of 65.36m and Maia Anderson-Broughton was the senior girls sprint champion clocking 12.39 over 100m and 25.19 in the 200m.
 
Nick Palmer comfortably retained the senior boys shot put title with 20.76m. Nik Kini was second in both the shot and discus. Kayla Goodwin took out the senior girls horizontal jump titles with 5.76m in the long jump and 12.17m in the triple jump. Anthony Barmes won the senior boys hammer throw and was a close second in the pole vault clearing the same height of 3.85m as the winner Jared Neighbours. Cam Robinson won the javelin with a throw of 66.63m, with Neighbours second with 60.46m.
 
Jayden Williamson was named junior boy and multi-athlete of the meeting and Genna Maples the junior girl athlete. Williamson won the discus and hammer throws as well as setting a record of 2.01m in the high jump.
 
Maples won the sprint double in 12.34 and 25.19, the long jump with 5.64m, as well as anchoring Wanganui Collegiate to victory in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays, the team setting a record of 48.68 in the 4 x 100m relay.
 
Other records were set by Wanganui Collegiate, Tayla Brunger, Sophie Redmayne, Grace Godfrey and Emma Osborne recording 3:57.87 in the senior girls 4 x 400m relay and Zane Powell improved on his junior boys 2000m steeplechase record to 6:14.90. He also won the 3000m in 8:46.84.
 
Josh Adegoke won the junior boys sprint double, Quinn Hartley the junior boys long and triple jumps, Joanna Poland the junior girls 3000m and 2000m steeplechase,
 
William Stedman of Middleton Grange School won the Para senior boys long jump with 5.37m (-1.9) and the 200m in 25.86 (-3.6) and was named male Para Athlete of the meeting with Danielle Aitchinson of Hauraki Plains the female Para Athlete of the meet.
 
RESULTS
 
Senior Boys
100m: Dominic Overend (AGS) 10.90s 1, Mogammad Smith (KingsC) 11.00s 2, Jacob Stockwell (N/Ply) 11.16s 3.
200m: Overend 22.16s 1, Mattheus Pio (St Pauls) 22.78s 2, Isaac Oliver (St Patrick’s) 22.91s 3.
400m: Travis Bayler (Whanganui) 49.92s 1, Sam Potter (Albany) 49.93s 2, Michael Graham (Sacred Heart) 49.99s 3.
800m: Max Spencer (Rathkeale) 1m 54.06s 1, Joseph Sinclair (Wang) 1m 54.33s PB 2, Patrick Dowd (Ham) 1m 54.64s PB 3.
1500m: Samuel Tanner (Bethlehem) 3m 55.38s 1, Fletcher Pickworth (Motueka) 4m 1.69s 2, Ben Bidois (Cambridge) 4m 1.73s 3.
3000m: Tanner 8m 35.01s 1, Alexander Hull (Kerikeri) 8m 37.23s PB 2, Nathan Hill (Otago) 8m 40.65s PB 3.
3000m race walk: Ryan Jones (Napier) 14m 54.43s 1, Lucas Martin (Wanganui) 15m 6.55s 2, Alex Brown (KingsHS) 15m 19.08s 3.
110m hurdles: Olly Parkinson (AGS) 14.65s 1, Hamish Lock (St Patrick’s) 15.09s =PB 2, Ben Sewell (Timaru) 15.13s PB 3.
300m hurdles: Pio 37.35s 1, Parkinson 37.73s 2, Sewell 38.78s 3.
2000m steeplechase: Murdoch McIntyre (WBHS) 6m 3.74s 1, George Guerin (Timaru) 6m 12.21s 2, Buddy-Joe Small (Sthld) 6m 25.04s 3.
6km road race: David Moore (WBHS) 18m 50.03s 1, Toby Gualter (Tawa) 18m 57.39s 2, Max Yanzick (St Kevin’s) 19m 1.01s 3.
Shot put: Nick Palmer (Karamu) 20.76m 1, Nik Kini (Whangarei) 18.23m 2, Zion Trigger-Faitele (ScotsC) 16.06m 3.                  
Discus throw: Connor Bell (WBHS) 65.36m 1, Kini 55.25m 2, Metuaivii Herman (AGS) 50.55m 3.
Hammer throw: Anthony Barmes (WBHS) 63.07m 1, Reuben Gregory (Whang) 56.75m 2, Thomas Valentine (Timaru) 56.12m 3.
Javelin throw: Cam Robinson (Wgtn) 66.63m 1, Jared Neighbours (Papanui) 60.46m 2, Dean Andrews (Timaru) 54.64m PB 3.
Long jump: Shay Veitch (John McG) 7.11m (also 6.98m PB) 1, Charles Annals (Ham) 7.05m PB 2, Oscar Schmidt-Uili (St Patrick’s) 6.71m 3.
Triple jump: Andrew Allan (Gore) 14.24m PB 1, Annals 14.16m 2, Schmidt-Uili 13.75m 3.
High jump: Josh Inger (R’toe) 2.05m PB 1, Luke Murray (St Andrew’s) 1.93m 2, Charles Devlin (Glendowie) 1.93m PB 3.
Pole vault: Neighbours 3.85m 1, Barmes 3.85m 2, Edward Hsing (Christ’s) 3.55m 3.
4 x 100m relay: Auckland Grammar School (Liam Wong, Dominic Overend, Jamie Chambers-Steward, Olly Parkinson) 43.48s 1, Napier Boys’ High School 44.08s 2, Whanganui High School 44.14s 3.
4 x 400m relay: Auckland Grammar School (Ben Kelsey, Wynton Richards, Finn Ward, Olly Parkinson) 3m 26.04s 1, Whanganui High School 3m 50.53s 2, Sacred Heart College Auckland 3m 31.29s 3.
 
Senior girls
100m: Maia Anderson-Broughton (St Andrew’s) 12.39s 1, Leah Belfield (Te Awamutu) 12.41s 2, Sam Nicholls (Dunstan) 12.80s 3.
200m: Anderson-Broughton 25.19s 1, Belfield 25.48s 2, Celia Ward 26.70s 3.
400m: Emma Osborne (Wanganui) 56.28s 1, Charlotte Holland (St Cuth’s) 57.65s 2, Tayla Brunger (Wanganui) 59.11s 3.
800m: Sophie Atkinson (Glendowie) 2m 11.61s PB 1, Lucy Hegan (Wgtn) 2m 12.74s PB 2, Tillie Hollyer (Timaru) 2m 14.62s PB 3.
1500m: Hannah O’Connor (Sacred Heart N/Ply) 4m 31.75s 1, Rebecca Baker (Whanganui) 4m 35.64s 2, Aimee Ferguson (Rototuna) 4m 39.97s 3.
3000m: O’Connor 9m 34.60s 1, Ferguson 9m 57.05s 2, Baker 9m 58.51s PB 3.
2000m race walk: Alice Ritchie (St Margaret’s) 11m 16.63s 1, Taylor Bell (Rosehill) 11m 25.17s 2, Courtney Hillyer (Chch) 11m 27.08s 3.
100m hurdles: Hinewai Knowles (Cambridge) 14.22s PB 1, Alessandra Macdonald (Fairfield) 14.31s PB 2, Kayla Goodwin (Sacred Heart) 14.60s 3.
300m hurdles: Macdonald 43.58s 1, Jenna Thorne (Otago) 45.06s 2, Brianna Cadwallader (Mahurangi) 45.47s 3.
2000m steeplechase: O’Connor 6m 55.98s 1, Samantha Corbett (Te Kuiti) 7m 21.96s 2, Liliana Braun (Cashmere) 7m 26.16s 3.
4km road race: Olivia Cummings (Otumoetai) 14m 33.50s 1, Natalya Carter (Baradene) 14m 43.51s 2, Charli Miller (St Peter’s) 14m 44.01s 3.
Shot put: Jaidyn Busch (Chch) 16.00m PB 1, Kaia Tupu-South (WGHS) 15.17m 2, Amania Mafi (Upper Hutt) 14.12m PB 3.
Discus throw: Tupu-South 44.88m PB 1, Zharna Beattie (Taieri) 40.63m PB 2, Savannah Scheen (H’ville) 35.87m 3.
Hammer throw: Alana Ryan (Hawera) 51.02m 1, Aimee-Leigh Scott (Whangarei) 49.91m 2, Maria Naime (Man) 47.24m 3.
Javelin throw: Scheen 43.48m PB 1, Mikairi Beauchamp (BM) 40.65m 2, Jessica Senior (Sthld) 40.29m 3.
Long jump: Goodwin 5.76m 1, Sofia Lome (WGHS) 5.57m 2, Lydia Bamford (Pal/Nth) 5.48m 3.  
Triple jump: Goodwin 12.17m 1, Macdonald 11.36m 2, Lisa Putt (St Kents) 11.26m 3.
High jump: Josephine Reeves (Chilton) 1.83m 1, Imogen Skelton (Samuel Marsden) 1.75m 2, Kate Davies (Villa Maria) 1.69m 3.
Pole vault: Imogen Ayris (TGS) 3.90m 1, Isabella Brown (WGHS) 3.40m PB 2, Samantha van den Hurk (Dio) 3.20m 3.
4 x 100m relay: St Cuthbert’s College (Leilani Faaiuaso, Isabel Allen, Elena Edgar-Nemec, Charlotte Holland) 49.38s 1, Wanganui Collegiate 49.79s 2, Dunstan High School 50.03s 3.
4 x 400m relay: Wanganui Collegiate (Tayla Brunger, Sophie Redmayne, Grace Godfrey, Emma Osborne) 3m 57.87s (record) 1, Christchurch Girls’ High School 4m 5.89s 2, St Cuthbert’s College 4m 6.22s 3.
 
Junior boys
100m: Josh Adegoke (Napier) 11.40s 1, Max Brebner (Tga) 11.69s 2, Jack Rodgers (Chch) 11.74s 3.
200m: Adegoke 23.19s 1, Brebner 23.43s 2, Andrew Jenkins (Onslow) 23.54s 3.         
400m: Jack Rodgers (Chch) 52.30s 1, Luke Barrett (Rolleston) 54.24s 2, Lee Lober-Chan (AGS) 54.29s 3.
800m: Jai Dawson (Kerikeri) 1m 56.42s 1, James Harding (KingsC) 1m 58.81s 2, Finlay Seeds (Hutt Intnl) 1m 59.43 3.
1500m: Ryan Bagrie (Timaru) 4m 7.43s 1, Cameron O’Brien (KingsC) 4m 14.52s 2, Thomas Clarke (Papanui) 4m 14.87s 3.
3000m: Zane Powell (KingsC) 8m 46.84s 1, Mac Rowe (N/Ply) 8m 56.37s 2, Charlie Hazlett (Cashmere) 9m 1.66s 3.
100m hurdles: Cameron Moffitt (Otago) 13.76s 1, Harley Patel-Muxlow (Wgtn) 14.50s 2, Jay Davis (Kings HS) 14.65s 3.
300m hurdles: Moffitt 39.45s 1, Ben Strang (St Pauls) 40.75s 2, Adam Stack (Waimea) 41.53s 3.
2000m steeplechase: Zane Powell (KingsC) 6m 14.90 (record) 1, Luke Clements (MAGS) 6m 15.64s 2, Seeds 6m 24.36s 3.
4km road race: William Taylor (Chch) 12m 44.04s 1, Toby Saxby (WBHS) 12m 52.43s 2, George Lambert (Wanganui) 12m 57.36s 3.
Shot put: Stack 13.47m PB 1, Trent Hogg (Sthld) 13.11m 2, Cameron Moffitt (Otago) 12.96m 3.
Discus throw: Jayden Williamson (Rosmini) 50.24m 1, Max Abbot (Wgtn) 49.61m 2, Truman Tepai (St Peter’s) 45.53m 3.
Hammer throw: Williamson 53.7m 1, Joseph Quinn (Rathkeale) 51.96n 2, Liam Ngchok Wulf (Man) 50.12m 3.
Javelin throw: Hine Makaia (Niue) 52.79m 1, Guy Petersen (Pal/Nth) 47.91m 2, Caide Morris (Sthld) 45.09m 3, Jake Denniston (Dunstan) 43.94m 4.
Long jump: Quinn Hartley (James Harg) 6.75m 1, Stack 6.66m 2, Jamie Chambers-Steward (AGS) 6.26m 3.
Triple jump: Hartley 13.40m 1, Brad Spicer (Onewhero) 12.71m 2, Harley Patel-Muxlow (Wgtn) 12.53m 3.
High jump: Williamson 2.01m PB (record) 1, Stack 1.86m PB 2, Hartley 1.86m PB 3.
Pole vault: Cameron Hewitt (Burnside) 3.50m PB (record) 1, Jonathan Sceats (Hutt Intnl) 3.15m 2, Josh Woodhead (Hastings) 3.15m 3.
4 x 100m relay: Kings High School (Ryan Kreft, Isaac Dolan, Vaiola Palu, Jay Davis) 45.96s 1, Auckland Grammar School 47.27s 2, Avondale College 47.60s 3.
4 x 400m relay: Auckland Grammar School (Joshua Penney, Jole Naufahu, Lee Lober-Chan, Oscar Millington) 3m 39.71s 1, Whanganui High School 3m 41.01s 2, Christchurch Boys’ High School 3m 44.62s 3.
 
Junior girls
100m: Genna Maples (Wang) 12.34s 1, Sophie Williams (Wang) 12.53s 2, Abby Fisher (Mt Aspiring) 12.86s 3.
200m: Maples 25.19s 1, Annalies Kalma (St Peter’s) 25.69s 2, Williams 26.06s 3.
400m: Sophie Williamson (Chch) 58.04s 1, Jaimee Eades (Bethlehem) 58.51s 2, Isabel Allen (St Cuth’s) 58.58s 3.
800m: Ana Brabyn (Wang) 2m 15.37s 1, Peyton Leigh (St Cuth’s) 2m 17.95s 2, Chloe Hughes (Rangi Ruru) 2m 18.12s 3.
1500m: Zoe Smith (Mt Aspiring) 4m 47.18s 1, Rosie Trotter (Chch) 4m 49.98s 2, Jemima Antoniazzi (St Peter’s) 4m 51.03s 3.
3000m: Joanna Poland (Avondale) 10m 19.44s PB 1, Jemima Antoniazzi (St Peter’s) 10m 20.27s 2, Ashleigh Alabaster (Wang) 10m 35.17s PB 3.
80m hurdles: Sarah Langsbury (St Hilda’s) 11.96s 1, Tapenisa Havea (St Andrew’s) 12.31s 2, Samadiana Fariz (Macleans) 12.33s 3.
300m hurdles: Fariz 46.20s 1, Langsbury 47.58s 2, Taylah Holdem (Burnside) 48.18s 3.
2000m steeplechase: Poland 7m 10.84s 1, Alabaster 7m 23.14s 2, Emily Hay (James Harges) 7m 34.65s 3.
4km road race: Leila Dunlop (Cashmere) 14m 48.43s 1, Penelope Salmon (Baradene) 15m 0.69s 2, Hannah Gapes (John Paul) 15m 6.80s 3.
Shot put: Tapenisa Havea (St Andrew’s) 13.35m 1, Elizabeth Hewitt (Chilton) 13.17m 2, Hannah McGregor (Aquinas) 12.14m PB 3.
Discus throw: Violette Perry (St Margaret’s) 36.22m 1, Shekhinahglory Laulala (OTH) 35.85m 2, Nirvana Hepi-Breen (Logan Park) 33.88m PB 3.
Hammer throw: Mateja Matejevich (Whang) 43.52m 1, Emma Bull (Rototuna) 42.48m 2, Jesmine Salmoa (Man) 42.25m 3.
Javelin throw: Holly Barry (Kristin) 38.15m 1, Perry 36.93m 2, Amelie Spinks (Rangi Ruru) 36.68m 3.
Long jump: Maples 5.64m 1, Lara Hockly (Hawera) 5.57m (also 5.20m PB) 2, Marguerite Johans (Bethlehem) 5.55m 3.
Triple jump: Marque Johansson (Bethlehem) 11.67m 1, Emma McKay (Otago) 11.27m 2, Holdem 10.96m 3.
High jump: Julia Burnham (Villa Maria) 1.64m 1, Taylah Holdem (Burnside) 1.58m 2, Beth Hunter (Rangi Ruru) 1.55m 3.
Pole vault: Hannah Adye (MAGS) 3.40m 1, Amayah Wingfield (WGHS) 2.90m 2, Alysia Gilmore (Burnside) 2.20m 3.
4 x 100m relay: Wanganui Collegiate (Sophie Williams, Ana Brabyn, Lucy Brown, Genna Maples) 48.68s (record) 1, St Peter’s School 50.83s 2, Mt Aspiring College 51.58s 3.
4 x 400m relay: Wanganui Collegiate (Ana Brabyn, Jessica Johnstone, Sophie Williams, Genna Maples) 4m 9.04s 1, Mt Aspiring College 4m 17.03s 2, Craighead Diocesan School 4m 18.27s 3.
 
Year 9
Boys 3km road race: Mathijs Wetzels (Ham) 9m 33.65s 1, Joseph Morgan (Ham) 9m 34.90s 2, Christian De Vaal (Macleans) 9m 35.41s 3.
Girls 3km road race: Paris Carroll (Chch) 10m 49.13s 1, Amelia Green (St Mary’s) 10m 52.33s 2, Nikita Wain (Taradale) 10m 55.62s 3.

Established names and recent Youth Olympians are set to fire at this weekend’s 46th New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships and 44th Road Running Championships at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin.

The big guns to look out for will be headlined by recently minted Youth Olympics gold medallist Connor Bell (Westlake Boys’ High School), who two weeks ago extended his own New Zealand U18 discus record of 69.23m. His nearest rival is Nikolas Kini of Whangarei who threw a personal best of 54.84m at the recent Dick Quax memorial meeting at Pakuranga. Kini, on current form, is the favourite for the shot put and hammer throw titles.

Hannah O’Connor (Sacred Heart Girls’ New Plymouth) will contest four events, the 1500m, 3000m, 2000m steeplechase and the 4km road race. At the Youth Olympics O’Connor ran a personal best 3000m of 9:25.29. Two years ago O’Connor won three junior titles, the 1500m, 3000m and 4km road, but last year she won just one medal a third in the senior 3000m before pulling out of the shorter races with  a minor injury. Competition for O’Connor will come from Rebecca Baker junior 1500m winner last year, Charli Miller junior 3000m and steeplechase winner in Hastings, title holder Kirstie Rae, Aimee Ferguson and Liliana Braun, senior 3000m and steeplechase winner last year.

Murdoch McIntyre (Westlake Boys’ High School), who set a New Zealand under 17 2000m steeplechase record of 5:55.07 in Argentina, should win the steeplechase and he will also be defending his 6km road title.
 
Kayla Goodwin (Sacred Heart Girls’ Hamilton) is down to compete in the 100m hurdles, javelin throw, triple jump and long jump. Goodwin will be defending her triple jump title. Hinewai Knowles will challenge in the hurdles, Lisa Putt in the long jump and Jessica Senior in the javelin.
​
Additionally, William Stedman T36 of Middleton Grange School will contest the Para/Athlete 100m, 200m, 400m and long jump. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro Stedman won the bronze medal in the 400m and 800m.

Look out for the underdog, with upsets and out-of-the-box performances always part and parcel of one of one of the country’s biggest events of the secondary school sports calendar with approximately 1300 athletes from almost 210 schools competing, along with an international flavour with athletes from the Cook Islands and Niue.
​
Last year there were several such results to captivate the large crowds in the stand at Hastings, such as Central Southland College’s Dylan Forde pipping his more fancied rivals in the Senior Boys 800m final.
 
As always, much attention will focus on the sprint events, with strong fields in both the boys and girls sprints. Fifty four boys will line up in the heats of the senior 100m, 41 in the junior boys, 34 in the senior girls and 48 in the junior girls. Trackside on finals afternoon on Sunday will be the place to be.

Records

Overall records: View the meet records here: http://nzssaa.org.nz/static/record-holders.pdf 

Records broken last year:

• Junior Girls 4 x 100m Relay Wanganui Collegiate Tayla Brunger, Georgia Matson, Emma Osborne, Genna Maples 3/12/2017 49.45
• Junior Girls Pole Vault Aria Rhodes Pinehurst School 2/12/2017 3.50m
• Junior Boys 2000m Steeplechase Zane Powell Kings College 3/12/2017 6:15.61
• Junior Boys 4 x 100m Relay King’s High School Keanu Vanisi, Flynn Murdoch, Bradley McPate, Duncan Trevithick 3/12/2017 44.54
• Junior Boys Triple Jump Sam Colyer Southland Boys’ High School 3/12/2017 13.58m
• Junior Boys Pole Vault Joshua Bull Catholic Cathedral College 1/12/2017 3.00m
• Senior Girls 100m Lucy Sheat Marlborough Girls’ College 3/12/2017 11.59
• Senior Girls Javelin (500g) Tanya Murray Sancta Maria College 1/12/2017 48.95m
• Senior Girls  Shot Put (3kg) Maddison Wesche Lynfield College 2/12/2017 17.02m
• Senior Boys Discus (1.5kg) Connor Bell Westlake Boys’ High School 3/12/2017 65.63m
• Junior Girls Para Discus - F37 (750gm) Bhakti Patel Lynfield College 2/12/2017 11.79m
• Junior Boys Para 400m - T20 Aldrey Soria Fairfield College 3/12/2017 67.78
• Junior Boys Para High Jump – F20 Aldrey Soria Fairfield College 2/12/2017 1.25m BP
• Junior Boys Para Long Jump - F20 Isaiah Kouka-Albert Heretaunga College 2/12/2017 4.67m
• Junior Boys Para Shot Put – F37 (3kg) Daniel Meyer Pompallier College 2/12/2017 7.86m BP
• Junior Boys Para Discus – F37 (750gr) Daniel Meyer Pompallier College 2/12/2017 26.91m BP
• Senior Girls Para 100m - T38 Danielle Aitchison Hauraki Plains College 3/12/2017 15.77 BP
• Senior Girls Para 100m - T44 Anna Steven Westlake Girls’ High School 3/12/2017 15.90
• Senior Girls Para 200m - T44 Anna Steven Westlake Girls’ High School 3/12/2017 33.74
• Senior Girls Para High Jump - F44 Anna Steven Westlake Girls’ High School 3/12/2017 1.22m
• Senior Girls Para Long Jump – F41 Amy Dunn Hamilton Girls’ High School 2/12/2017 0.96m BP
• Senior Girls Para Long Jump - F44 Anna Steven Westlake Girls’ High School 2/12/2017 3.63m
• Senior Girls Para Shot Put – F41 (3kg) Amy Dunn Hamilton Girls’ High School 2/12/2017 3.95m BP
• Senior Girls Para Discus - F20 (1kg) Taiyana Taylor Allenvale School 2/12/2017 15.29m
• Senior Girls Para Discus - F41 (750gr) Amy Dunn Hamilton Girls’ High School 2/12/2017 10.82m BP
• Senior Girls Para Javelin - F41 (400gr) Amy Dunn Hamilton Girls’ High School 3/12/2017 10.08m BP
• Senior Boys Para 400m – T46 Anton Besseling New Plymouth Boys’ HS 3/12/2017 59.39 BP
• Senior Boys Para Shot Put - F36 (4kg) William Stedman Middleton Grange School 2/12/2017 8.87m BP

Oldest records:

The five oldest NZSAA records date back to the 1970s, these are:

Girls 100 Metre Sprint Junior 11.88 1973 Myra Matkovich - Kaitaia College
Boys Long Jump Junior 6.79m 1974 Kelvin Sefton - Pukekohe High School
Boys 2000 Metre Steeplechase Open 5:52.90 1975 Geoff Shaw - Northcote College
Boys 3000 Metre Run Junior 8:32.20 1977 Dave Burridge - Kamo High School
Girls 400m Junior Carlene Dillimore Waihi College 1981 54.42

Dominic Overend from Auckland Grammar School was the second youngest competitor in the 200-metres sprint at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina recently.

Despite inexperience and little competitive preparation, Overend ran a personal best time of 21.44s to finish 11th in the two-stage event.

“I was pretty happy with my performance. I held my world ranking against some pretty amazing competition,” Overend said.

Overend ran 21.75s in stage one, leading for 150m before fading. Overend would again set the initial pace in stage two, but the reasons for his retreat down the leaderboard were different in each race.

“In the first race I panicked when I saw I was ahead of the favoured Jamaican and went a little away from my technique. In the second race I came up a little too early after I went round the bend then it was a pretty long race from there. Everyone kind of got past me in the last 40m which wasn’t ideal,” Overend reflects.

Leading the world’s best for a sustained period of time bodes well for the approaching New Zealand summer.

Overend is refusing to rest on his laurels.

“It’s a bit of a shock to the body after winter, running 200-metres competitively. It takes a while to hit full stride. I resume training tomorrow and have my first local race next week. I want to get in as many races as I can before Nationals. I believe I can go quicker,” Overend warns.

How much quicker can Overend go?

“I don’t like to put a figure on it. I like to take each race one race at a time. If everything goes well though  my hard work will be reflected in my times,” Overend responded.

To have won gold in Argentina, Overend would have to have bettered 20.68s which was the time posted by champion Abdelaziz Mohamed from Qatar. Mohamed ran the 19th fasted time in the Under-18 age group ever and developed a formidable reputation quickly.

“He was definitely one of the favourites. He was really nice when I spoke to him. He’s coached by a top European which meant everything he did was real clinical,” Overend observed.  

Mohamed enjoys vastly superior resourcing. According to Time magazine, Qatar, with its two million population, only 225,000 of which are Qatari citizens – will spend $200 billion on the 2022 Football World Cup alone.

Mohamed is a product of the Aspire Academy which is funded by huge oil money. Founded in 2004, Aspire screened 3.5 million young athletes across three continents in their first decade, cherry-picking some of the most promising athletics in several sports in the world.  

While in Argentina, Overend got to enjoy some of the fruits of travel. He competed in a mixed team alongside seven boys from other countries to raise money for charity. He roomed with discus gold medalist Connor Bell and enjoyed regular sunshine, local cuisine and the support of a tight-knit New Zealand team.

Other New Zealanders to compete in athletics at the Youth Commonwealth games were Connor Bell and Murdoch McIntyre (both Westlake Boys’ High School), Hannah O’Connor (Sacred Heart, New Plymouth) and Kayla Goodwin (Sacred Heart, Hamilton).
 
Bell won gold in the discus, while McIntyre set a New Zealand U17 age group record in the 2000m steeplechase. Murdoch ran a 15-second personal best time of 5.55.07.
 
Goodwin was 11th in the triple jump with a jump of 12.30m and O’Connor was 20th in the 4km cross country, following her seventh place and PB time of 9.25.29 in the 3000m.