Athletics: Slashed race times indications of good preparation

Sam Bremer (Hill City-University) keeps knocking his old times for six as he prepares for next month's New Zealand secondary schools athletics championships.

He has reduced his 1500m time by 8sec to 4min 3sec, and he reached new heights with his 800m time at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.

Bremer (17), a pupil at Kavanagh College, finished runner-up in the 800m in 1min 57.48sec.

His best time last season was 2min 12sec.

The race was won by experienced Canterbury senior athlete Daniel Balchin (Olympic) in 1min 56.44sec. Last season's New Zealand 17 champion, Rhian Ward (Alexandra), was third in 1min 59.01sec.

Bremer will compete in the senior boys 6km road race when the championships are held in Dunedin early next month. He was third in the event in Wellington last year in 19min 30sec.

Bremer won another bronze medal at the national club championships in Auckland in March in the men's aged 17 3000m.

His winter build-up was put on the backburner when he suffered stress fractures to his left foot and right tibia.

Liz Wilson (Hill City-University) celebrated her 50th birthday by breaking one New Zealand and two Otago masters aged 50 to 54 records in the sprints.

The New Zealand record came in the 60m in a time of 8.65sec. The old record was 9.09sec. Her 100m time of 13.70sec and the 200m of 28.30sec were both Otago masters records. The old records were 15sec and 31.26sec.

New Zealand squad members Larissa Dyke (Taieri) and Daniel O'Shea (Hill City-University) dominated the senior sprints.

Dyke won the women's 60m in 7.89sec and the 100m in 12.49sec. O'Shea won the 100m in 11.03sec and sprinted home over the last 30m to win the 200m in 21.98sec.

Christina Ashton (Taieri) won the women's aged 15 100m in 13.14sec and the 200m in 27.82sec.

Barbara Patrick (Hill City) broke her fourth New Zealand masters aged 65 to 69 record this season with her 800m time of 3min 11.94sec.

The English sisters dominated the women's 3000m, Sian winning in 10min 18.02sec and Hanna coming second in 10min 25.58sec.

Michael Scholten (Taieri) broke his own New Zealand masters aged 30 to 34 hammer throw record with a throw of 40.11m.

Visiting South Canterbury athletes impressed in the hammer throw. Rebecca Hodgson won the junior women's event with 49.85m and Lauren Bruce the girls under-15 section with 44.37m.

Todd Bates (Taieri) won the junior men's hammer throw with a personal best 53.70m and club-mate Bradley Tarleton won the boys under-15 event with 44.43m.

Dean Rusbatch (Taieri) won the junior men's discus with 41.26m and Libby Jones (Taieri) had a personal best throw of 34.06m when winning the women's aged 17 event.