Maia Broughton – fast finisher

Maia Broughton (1834) pips Leah Belfield (2061) on the line to win the SG 100m. PHOTO: Caswell Images.

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.
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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. 

Maia tearing up the track in Dunedin. PHOTO: Caswell Images.

 The 100m final was first up – which wasn’t her favoured event of the two.
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“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.

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