Megan McPhail (Waitaki Girls') can rise to the occasion.
McPhail (17) did this at Wellington at the weekend at the
39th annual New Zealand secondary schools championships.
She won the senior girls sprint double in the 100m (12.39sec)
and 200m (25.18sec).
They were both personal best times and it lifted her
Athletics New Zealand ranking in the women's 19 grade in the
100m this season from sixth to first. She retained her top
200m ranking.
The Brent Ward trained sprinter travels from Oamaru to
Dunedin to train with the elite sprint squad.
Her efforts were rewarded when she was one of seven Otago
athletes named in the New Zealand secondary schools paper
team after the championships.
The other athletes named in the team were Rebekah Greene (St
Hilda's), Andrew Whyte (South Otago High School), Dean
Rusbatch (Otago Boys'), Anna Kean (Otago Girls'), Caitlin
O'Brien (St Hilda's), and Sophie Napper (Columba College).
Rusbatch received the reward for his consistent training over
the winter months when he finished runner-up in the senior
boys hammer throw with a personal best 55.22m.
Kean, a solid middle distance runner, finished second behind
Greene in the 1500m in a time of 4min 42.64sec.
O'Brien, a member of coach Jim Baird's stable with Greene and
Whyte, was second in the senior girls 800m.
Napper was third in the senior girls 100m, fourth in the 200m
and was a member of the Columba College 4 x 100m relay team
that won the senior girls title from Mount Albert Grammar in
a time of 49.89sec.
The other members of the team were Renaye Flockton,
Melissa-Jane Austen and Laura Saville.
Nikita White (Otago Girls') won five gold medals in the
senior girls AWD class in the 100m, 200m, 400m, shot put and
javelin. They were all New Zealand records.
Holly Robinson (Taieri College) was also dominant in the
girls AWD class and broke the New Zealand discus record with
a throw of 32.31m.
George Woodhouse (Otago Boys') won the junior boys' 100m in
11.47sec.
Sam Porter was one of 13 athletes from East Otago High School
at the championships and won a silver medal in the junior
boy's javelin with a personal best 45.74m.
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