26/3/2017
Overend Back On His FeetDominic Overend is a creature of habit. The Auckland Grammar School sprinter has specific routines he follows before and during major races. “The week before a big race I always have a pie and eat a packet of skittles. The night before I enjoy steak and shave my sideburns. I wear no socks when I compete like Usain Bolt. I don’t know why I do this, but I always have and it seems to work.” Overend explains. At last December’s National Secondary Schools Championships in Auckland the calculated Overend was forced off stride by Roderick Solo, an unusually close competitor. “We were even going into the second to last hurdle. Instead of staying calm I tried to accelerate past him. I over strode and kicked the hurdle over, falling out of contention. I was disillusioned and angry.” Overend laments. Overend channelled the fury of failure into the 200m and came away with a rousing victory and maiden National title. “The 200m was real tactical because there were three races so you had to pace yourself, but also ensure you got a good lane for the final. I started well, channelled my anger from the hurdles positively and came away with a victory I was really proud off.” Overend acclaims. Overend had a good start in athletics. His grandfather was an Auckland triple jump and sprint champion while his father was a decent competitor. Dominic reflects on his first major success while competing for the Waitakere Athletics Club. “When I was 11 the club toured Australia for a Trans-Tasman competition and I won the 100m, 200m and long jump. It was a big boost for my confidence and encouraged me to take school athletics seriously.” Overend is coached by Mathew White whom he praises as his “idol, mentor and friend.” This season Overend has made considerable progress reducing his personal best in the 100m to below 11 seconds (10.99s), running a 22.23s in the 200m and leaping 6.89m in the long jump. He stepped up to the Under-18 age group at the National Club Championships and finished fourth in the long jump and second in the 200m. “It was the first time I have stepped up to that level. I ran a personal best in the 200m and was pretty happy with the way I went. My goal is to run under 22 seconds for the 200m and jump over seven metres in the long jump.” Overend says. The College Sport Auckland Championships were held last Tuesday. There were seven records broken in the entire meet. Overend missed but claimed victories in the 100m, 200m and long jump. Any theories as to why the record books were relatively untested. “I think the Nationals on the weekend took a lot out of the leading competitors. I was just happy to win to be honest. It’s been a long season and it’s great to get rewards for hard work.” Overend says. In the winter Overend plays fourth grade rugby, but on Tuesday will head to Sydney for the Australian Nationals where he will compete in the Under-16 age group. The records broken in the Championships were.
Expect a strong contingent of local athletes at the upcoming South Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships at Dunedin’s Caledonian Ground. No fewer than 21 records tumbled at this past weekend’s Otago Regional Championships at the same venue, while several more were also broken at the equivalent Southland secondary school athletics meet. In cool conditions, much of the action ran hot in Dunedin. Several athletes broke two records apiece. On the track, Nathan Hill (Otago Boys’ High School), Zoe Smith (Mt Aspiring College) and Josh Hou (John McGlashan College) all broke two records, while Jackson Toms (Otago Boys’ High School), Zharna Beattie and Hamish Mears (both Taieri College) also set dual records in jumping events. In another notable record, 3000m race walker Alex Brown (Kings High School) lowered his personal best from 17.58.65 to 16.32.75. Meanwhile, several records also fell at the Southland Secondary Schools Athletics Championships on Friday and Saturday – including the Senior Girls Hammer throw record being broken four times in a single contest between Emma Ryan (James Hargest College) and eventual winner Dyani Shepherd-Oates (Fiordland College), who threw 45.81m on her final attempt. Other Hammer records to fall included Ben Henderson (Southland Boys’ High School) in the Boys 16, Uilealea Lavea (Southland Boys’ High School) in the Boys U15 and Skye Singer (James Hargest College) in the Girls U14 record. Dannika Collins (Southland Girls’ High School) broke the Girls U16 100m record, dating back to 1999. Jaxon Taylor (Southland Boys’ High School) set a new U16 1500m record of 4:20.51, beating the previous record dating back to 2000. The New Zealand Athletics Championships are in Hamilton this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, featuring some of these top performers and others around the country in the junior division. Top performers from the Southland championship will meet the best from the Otago schools at the Otago-Southland championships at Surrey Park in a fortnight, ahead of the South Island Secondary Schools Championships in Dunedin on 1 April. Records that fell in Otago at a glance: Ethan Walker (Tokomairiro) U15 Javelin: 48.72m (previous 45.03m) Zharna Beattie (Taieri College) U15 Girls Shot Put: 11.99m (previous 11.76m) Hamish Mears (Taieri College) U16 Boys Shot Put: 13.75m (previous 13.29m) Zharna Beattie (Taieri College) U15 Girls Discus: 36.52m (previous 32.00m) Hamish Mears (Taieri College) U16 Boys Discus: 47.59 (previous 45.12m) Jackson Toms (Otago Boys’ High School) U15 Boys Triple Jump: 12.43m (previous 11.88m) Jackson Toms (Otago Boys’ High School) U15 Boys Long Jump: 5.94m (previous 5.88m) Hannah Ashton (Taieri College) U15 Girls High Jump: 1.62m (previous 1.62m) Jack East (Mt Aspiring College) U15 Boys 400m: 52.09 (previous 52.67) Zoe Smith (Mt Aspiring College) U14 Girls 800m: 2.23.78 (previous 2.27) Dominic Morrison (John McGlashan College) U15 Boys 800m: 2.06.34 (previous 2.06.72) Josh Hou (John McGlashan College) U14 Boys 1500m: 4.29.19 (previous 4.31.56) Zoe Smith (Mt Aspiring College) U14 Girls 1500m: 4.47.97 (previous 4.57.51) Nathan Hill (Otago Boys’ High School) Senior Boys 1500: 4.04.07 (previous 4.06.65) Josh Hou (John McGlashan College) U14 Boys 3000m: 9.42.30 (previous 9.52.34) Drew Cairney (Kings High School) U16 Boys 3000m: 8.57.79 (previous 9.03.82) Nathan Hill (Otago Boys’ High School) Senior Boys 3000m: 8.43.71 (previous 8.57.33) Sammy Burke (Mt Aspiring College) Senior Girls 3000m: 10.13.36 (previous 10.14.52) Cameron Moffitt (Otago Boys’ High School) U14 Boys 80m Hurdles: 11.80 (previous 12.20m) Tara McNally (Taieri College) U16 Girls 300m Hurdles: 46.48 (previous 46.60) Alex Brown (Kings High School) Boys Open Race Walk 3000m: 16.32.75 (previous 17.58.65) Hutt International Boys’ School have successfully defended the Campbell Shield as Hutt Zone Athletics championships defeating Hutt Valley High School and eight other schools at Newtown Park on Friday. HIBS finished on 170 points, 51 points ahead of Hutt Valley High School who cleaned up the girls’ competition. The star of the meet was HIBS junior Finn Seeds who broke the 37-year old junior 800m record by six seconds and his own 1500m record by ten seconds. Leyton Tapa was the only other athlete from HIBS to break a record. He ran 38.43sec in winning the junior 300m. HIBS’ consistency across the board was the difference between the schools. Senior Jack Laird had a top meeting winning the 400m and long jump. National 100m and 100m champion Nick Smith recovered from a sluggish start to win the 100m from a determined Ben Cusin from Naenae College. Smith’s winning time of 11.80s is well below his best. The same order was repeated in the 200m. In perfect conditions there were several meet records broken in both genders.
Full Results: CLICK HERE Girls Zone Wellington Girls’ College were crowned Girls Zone Wellington Athletics Champions at Newtown Park on Wednesday. Wellington Girls’ College scored 89 points finishing 21 points clear of Wellington East Girls’ College on 68 points and St. Mary’s College on 63 points in the nine-school contest. Significantly there were three records broken that were over 20 years old. Elizabeth Hewitt from Chilton St James threw 33.50m in the junior discus to break the meet record from 1991. Caitlin Bassett from Wellington East Girls’ College ran 10:34.33 in the intermediate 3000m to break a record that goes back to 1989. Charlotte Ryan-Floodsmith broke the oldest record of the day when she ran 2:15.98 for Chilton St James to break the 1988 intermediate 800m record. Other standouts on the track were the following multiple winners.
Full Results: CLICK HERE Wellington College have celebrated their 150th Anniversary by scoring a record breaking win at the famous McEvedy Shield athletics competition at Newtown Park today. Bleak weather didn’t rain on Wellington’s parade as they won by a whopping 95 points, achieving their highest ever score and the third best in the history of the event which dates back to 1922. Wellington won 31 of the 55 events contested, including a clean sweep of the 4x100m relays and the 1500m which equals 64 points, more than Rongotai’s entire total of 51 points. Wellington won 19 of 31 events on the track and 12 of 24 events in the field. Such a commanding victory resulted in plenty of individual highlights, but perhaps the most satisfying victory was by captain Liam Webb in the open 400-meters. After a tough tussle for two thirds of the race, Webb powered home to win his first individual title at McEvedy after a series of injures and near misses. Harry Jones has had no such trouble with his body. He has the engine of a racehorse and won the 400/800m double in the under-15 age bracket as he did in 2016 in the under-14 age group. Lachlan Bruce achieved the same feat as Jones in the under-14’s this year. It was a great day for the Robertson family with both Tim and Cam winning javelin titles. Youngest Tim beat Cam’s event record in the under-15’s by throwing 49.86m which was 13-meters further than his nearest rival. Cam won the under-16 contest by more than three meters. The only other record broken was in the under-15 high jump. William Georgeson of St. Pats Town leapt 1.82m . Rongotai only won three events, but captain Sen Chut did himself proud winning the open triple jump and fighting hard for second in the open 100m. Town will take heart from the performance of Khya Wilson who won the 100/200m double in the under-15’s , but today was all about Black and Yellow. Note: St. Pats Town scored 241 points in 1988 and Rongotai College 271.5 points in winning by 133 points in 1989.
6/3/2017
McEvedy Shield Preview 2017The 94th annual McEvedy Shield athletics competition will be staged at Newtown Park in Wellington next Tuesday. Wellington College, St. Patrick’s College, Wellington, St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream and Rongotai College are the fierce annual combatants. The McEvedy Shield features four age groups, under-14,15, 16 and open. Ten track disciplines and six field events are held. Points are rewarded on a 4-1 basis for every event with the winner receiving four points. Who is looking strong in 2017? Wellington College Has won the Shield a record 50 times. The sheer size of the school role, nearly double the other schools, is a significant advantage. Last year Wellington won by 61 points, the biggest victory since 2004 suggesting athletics is strong in Wellington’s Sesquicentennial year. Wellington’s all-round excellence was the key ingredient in their 2016 triumph. Wellington won 22 of the 51 events staged. They won at every age group, with the under-14s grabbing 52 points, the under-15’s getting 44 and the open level 50. The under-16’s scored 75 points! Second place Town could only manage 43 points and the other two schools struggled to reach double figures. The performances of juniors, Felix Williamson and Harry Jones were memorable. Williamson smashed the field in the under-14 1500m and 3000m. Jones won the under-14 400m, 800m and hurdles. Joshua Williams is one to look out for in the U14 100m. He won this by a considerable margin last year as a 12 year old but is eligible to run in this grade again. Last year he placed second in the 100m at the North Island Secondary School Championships and made the final of the National Secondary Schools Championships. He will also compete in the shot put. Joshua Morgan-Ranui was a bronze medallist two years ago in the National Secondary Schools Javelin and will be favoured to win that event for a third year in a row. The team is captained for the second year by Liam Webb who is ranked in the top 10 nationally in the 400m. St. Pats Town Town has won the Shield five times in the last nine years and 20 times overall. There was a distinct impression 2016 was the last year of a great era in Town athletics – the depth coming through lacked the quality of the previous class. However Town won the Old Boys Cup against Silverstream by 113 points, nearly double the margin they achieved in 2016. Town won 44 out of 54 events in total. Yasheek Rosario is Town’s captain. The sprinter is ranked in the top five nationally for the 100 and 200m. He should win the open events. Town appears to have considerable strength on the track. Joshua Nairne won the three events at the Old Boys Cup and will push hard in the 200 and 400m. Similarly Isaac Oliver completed the 100/200m double at Old Boys and is a rapidly improving performer. Long distance runner Max Karamanolis has enjoyed success previously at McEvedy and will be hard to beat in the U16 1500m and 3000m Last year Zion Trigger Faitele and Josiah Lealamisa claimed record wins in the shot put; expect this pair to flourish again and Herman Seumanufagai is a standout in discus and javelin. St. Pats Silverstream Hasn’t won the Shield since 2003, but has prevailed 14 times overall and holds the record for most consecutive wins with six between 1968 and 1973. Silverstream claimed the Junior Neville Shield against St. Pats Town last year raising hopes of a competitive showing at the Old Boys Cup, but Stream was humiliated by an embarrassing 113 points. Silverstream have lost middle distance runner Max Press and sprinter Jacob Minshull who were both ranked inside the top 10 nationally in 2016. Eddie Korent is Silverstream’s captain. He was a national high jump champion two years ago (competing for HIBS) and should bag a few points. Fakaofo Solomona is an impressive young prospect. He won the U14 100, 200 and 400 meters at Old Boys while Mitchell Southell won the 100/200m double in the U15 age group. Euan Kortink, Todd Svenson and Josh McGregor are other individuals to watch. Rongotai College Hasn’t performed well for a long time finishing last 18 times in 19 years. However Rongotai holds the record for the largest victory ever in 1989 and has won the Shield seven times overall. Several Rongotai athletes have been training since before Christmas in a hope to reverse their fortunes. The team is led by Sen Chut of Cambodian background. He will compete in the 100m, long jump, triple jump, shot put and relay. Ezrah Vaigafa is a National U16 basketball rep whose aerial prowess will translate well in the high jump. Reon Paul is the nephew of All Black TJ Perenara and will compete in the U16 100 and 200m as well as the relay. Billy King is another fine sprinter in the U14 age group. King will feature in the 100,200 and 400m.
5/3/2017
Webb Wants McEvedy SuccessLiam Webb has the unusual distinction of leading the Wellington College athletics team at the McEvedy Shield for the second consecutive year. What’s more Wellington College is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017. “It’s a huge honour to lead the team again. I found out at Nationals in 2015 I would be the McEvedy captain in 2016 and that went really well so I am delighted to continue,” Webb enthuses. Webb has never won a race at McEvedy, but is ranked inside the Top 10 nationally in the 400m. Why does Webb believe he has been chosen as skipper ahead of athletes with more success at the McEvedy? “McEvedy is different from most athletics meets because it’s more team orientated and there is the pressure of the crowd. As captain I have to support all the athletes, especially those that get nervous before the start of their events. I try to make sure the team sticks to their routines and focus on the job,” Webb explains. Last year Wellington was well and truly focussed on the job at hand cursing to a 61 point victory, the biggest winning margin by any school since 2004. “I think it will be much tougher this year. Town had a huge victory at Old Boys Cup and the other schools will be motivated to improve,” Webb believes. However Webb is confident Wellington can win for the third year in a row and cites depth in the junior grades as a potentially telling difference. “We have some really good juniors coming through and Josh Williams who is a year young can compete in the under-14’s which is big because he went really well last year,” Webb reveals. Williams will compete in the 100 and 200m as well as the long jump, shot put and javelin. The performances of juniors, Felix Williamson and Harry Jones were memorable in 2016 as well. Williamson smashed the field in the under-14 1500m and 3000m while Jones won the under-14 400m, 800m and hurdles. Webb is a good shot of winning the open 400m, but Joshua Nairne from St. Pats Town is a tough opponent. Webb boast a PB of 50.4s run at Nationals last year, Nairne has run a 50.2s. “It will be a tough race, but I am feeling good. I have raced against Josh several times and they were always pretty close,” Webb says. Webb broke his wrist in Year 10, abandoning cricket to focus on athletics. He is a prefect at the college and would like to pursue a career in sports management or commerce after school. Evidently to coincide with the sesquicentennial celebrations Wellington College is building a new school hall and trophy cabinet. Webb laughs he wants to be the first McEvedy captain to put the Shield in its new place. |
Archives
October 2023
|
OrganisationCollege Sport Media is dedicated to telling the story of successful young sportspeople in New Zealand
|