Athletics: Third time lucky for Radford

It was third time lucky for Katherine Radford (Taieri) when she won the senior women's heptathlon title at the Otago championships at the weekend.

Radford (20), a student at the Sports Institute of Otago, won the title at the Caledonian ground yesterday with a score of 3111 points.

It was only Radford's third heptathlon.

She was runner-up in the Otago junior championships in 2005 with 2947 points and was third in the New Zealand junior championships with 3401 points in 2006.

Radford suffered from glandular fever and missed last season's athletics season, and is still finding her feet as she comes back into the sport.

Her best performances came in her favourite 100m hurdles in 17.84sec (505 points) and 200m in 29.14sec (544).

Radford gained personal best performances in the shot put (8.66m, 442 points) and javelin (21.76m, 322 points).

Radford is coached by Megan and Joan Merrilees, from whose stable came two other champions at the weekend.

Joan Merrilees was coach of the New Zealand team at the Commonwealth Youth championships in New Delhi last month.

Julius Keepa (Hill City) won the men's aged 17 to 19 decathlon with 3871 points.

His best performance was in the 100m (12.05sec, 641 points).

He also impressed by jumping 2.50m in his first pole vault.

John Gilmour (Hill City) won the boys aged 15 and 16 octathlon with 3950 points.

His best scores came in the 100m (11.50sec, 753), long jump (6.37m, 668) and shot put (10.89m, 539).

Hamish Finnie (Hill City) was runner-up with 3049 points.

His best performance was in the shot put with 13.69m for a score of 709 points.

Jarrod Adams (Hill City) won the men's decathlon with 4193 points.

His best scores came in the 100m (12.16sec, 620), shot put (10.39m, 509), 400m (53.09sec, 678), and 1500m (4min 51.61sec, 609).

It was Adams' third decathlon.

He won in 2004 and came second to international Peter Cox (Ariki) in 2005.