Athletics: Three medals for two sisters

Sian English
Sian English
It was the day for the English family in Hamilton yesterday when they dominated the senior girls 4km road race.

They came home to Dunedin with three medals from the New Zealand secondary school athletics championships to add to the growing collection of family trophies.

Sian English (18) won the gold medal and younger sister Hanna (16) was third.

Hanna English
Hanna English
They were key members of the Columba College team that won the gold medal in the team event. The other team member was Charlotte Cahill, who finished 13th.

''It feels good,'' Sian told the Otago Daily Times from Hamilton.

''It was a good race and I couldn't be happier.''

It has been a remarkable year for Sian, who has won four New Zealand championship gold medals in the past six months.

She was also a member of the Columba College team with her sister and Cahill that won the team event at the national secondary schools cross-country in June.

Sian won her fourth gold medal when she won the New Zealand junior road race title at the club national championships.

The English sisters are coached by Mike Weddell, who devised tactics for the sisters to dominate the race.

The sisters went to the front early and, at the halfway stage, there were three runners in the front bunch.

Sian made her move with just over 1km left and moved away to win by 50m.

Hanna English, Cahill, Maddy Spence and Zoey Flockton were members of the Columba College senior girls 4 x 400m team that won the bronze medal in 4min 16.94sec.

It was a successful championships for Otago athletes, who won 32 medals - 12 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze.

Last year in Dunedin Otago athletes won 36 medals - 16 gold, 16 silver and four bronze.

Joe Beamish (John McGlashan) timed his final burst to perfection to win the senior boys 2km steeplechase by 2sec in 6min 12.93sec.

A feature of the race was Beamish's efficiency over the hurdles. He gained ground on every jump.

Adriana Mawhinney (Dunstan) won a gold medal in the junior girls triple jump with a personal-best 11.17m. She also won a bronze medal in the high jump with 1.65m.

She is coached by Tania Murray, who won a gold medal in the high jump at the 1990 Commonwealth Games at Auckland.

The Brent Ward-coached Anna Grimaldi (Bayfield) won four gold medals in AWD events - 100m (14.07sec), 200m (29.39sec), 400m (67.39sec) and long jump (4.43m). They were all New Zealand secondary school records.

Josh Rosie (Kings) won three gold medals in AWD boys events - 100m (14.43sec), 200m (30.49sec) and long jump (3.74m).

The St Hilda's junior girls 4 x 100m relay team of Caitlin Kenny, Haley Shallard, Aria Park and Caitlyn George won the gold medal in 50.83sec.

George also won bronze medals in the 100m (12.64sec) and 200m (25.52sec).


NZ secondary schools
Otago gold medallists

Sian English, Hanna English, Charlotte Cahill (Columba College), Joe Beamish (John McGlashan), Adriana Mawhinney (Dunstan), Anna Grimaldi (Bayfield), Josh Rosie (Kings), Caitlin Kenny, Haley Shallard, Aria Park, Caitlyn George (St Hilda's).


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