Yvonne van Baarle won her first national secondary school title with a personal-best throw in Wanganui at the weekend.
Van Baarle (15), of Blue Mountain College, won the junior girls javelin with a 36.97m throw.
Her mother, Anneke, said it was a ''nerve-racking'' competition to watch as her daughter won the gold medal with her final throw.
''She gradually got better, but her last throw was the winning one. That was the big one,'' she said.
Van Baarle beat second-placed Caitlin Bonne, of St Margaret's College, by 48cm and was more than 1.5m ahead of third placed Sarah Parker, of Waikato Diocesan.
The Blue Mountain College pupil's gold medal was one of 10 won by Otago athletes over the weekend in a total medal haul of 21.
Van Baarle, who also competed in the long jump, shot put and 80m hurdles, took up athletics three years ago and is focusing on the heptathlon.
She is working hard on improving her running and long jump for the heptathlon, her mother said.
Coached by Murray Speden, van Baarle finished second in the heptathlon at the Southland championships last month, finishing with 3413 points.
Van Baarle, who enjoys netball and horse riding, also won the long jump at the South Island Colgate Games in January with a 5.23m jump.
Blue Mountain College sports co-ordinator Sue Stark said javelin was van Barrle's forte and she was an athlete of the future.
Van Baarle will compete in the senior girls age-group next year.
- Robert van Royen
