Athletics: Relay track to top honours

Kavanagh College pupil Guy Woodhouse is a team player who understands that his best chance of breaking on to the international stage as a sprinter is in relays.

Woodhouse (15) won his first international medal as part of the New Zealand team that finished third at the Pacific Schools Games in Canberra last December.

He added another in Wellington last weekend when he anchored the Otago boys under-16 team that won the silver medal at the New Zealand athletics championships.

Woodhouse excels in the sprints on the local scene but knows that relay running is an important string to his bow.

He has been competing in athletics since the age of 8 and has won lots of gold medals at Colgate Games.

Woodhouse moved into a higher echelon of the sport two years ago when he joined Brent Ward's sprint squad and trained with athletes of the calibre of Chris Donaldson, Cory Innes, Andrew Moore and Anna Smythe.

"Chris is a cool guy and gives me a few tips," Woodhouse said.

Todd Johnston, who competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games at New Delhi last year, is also in the squad and has given him a target.

"My goal is to beat Todd."

Woodhouse has best times of 11.33sec for the 100m and 22.96sec for the 200m, and Ward recognises his potential.

"Guy is very focused and is improving his mental skills," Ward said.

"It is all ahead of him. He is aggressive around the bend in the 200m and is very competitive.

"He still has a few technical things to brush up, like getting lower out of the blocks and improving his arm action."

The Ward squad regularly practises baton changing at speed and this is an aspect Woodhouse is focused on to achieve his goals of representing New Zealand at Commonwealth Games, world championships and Olympic Games.