It was another week and another personal best for Daniel Balchin (Caversham), when he took control to win the 1500m in difficult conditions at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
Balchin, a civil engineering student, turned 20 last August and his rise through the senior ranks on the track this season has been impressive.
He has been virtually unbeatable in middle-distance competition.
A week ago, Balchin cleaned up in the Otago track and field championships, winning the 800m and 1500m double, adding to the 3000m title he won a month earlier, and recorded personal best times in each event.
He bettered his personal best 1500m time of 3min 52sec again on Saturday, recording 3min 51.70sec, despite strong head and cross winds.
"That was a pretty tough wind," he said afterwards.
"I had a good result so I've got to be happy."
Balchin's 1500m race was set up by other South Island middle-distance runners, who encouraged him to enter and target a sub 3min 50sec time, following the cancellation of the ITM meeting in Christchurch on Saturday, where he was suppose to compete.
With David Catherwood (Christchurch Avon) setting the early pace, Bachin's time over the first 300m was 48sec followed by a 62sec 400m, after which Balchin went to the front and was left in control of the race, running a 61sec lap going to the bell, and his final 400m in just on 60sec.
Following Balchin across the line was 2009 Edmond Cup champion Callan Moody in 3min 56.62sec, with Canterbury 3000m champion Alex Gorrie third in 4min 1.51sec.
The cancellation of the Christchurch meeting brought some exciting racing in the sprint events.
The Jim Baird-coached Andrew Whyte (South Otago) and Nick Ash (Christchurch Old Boys) had been expected to race in the 400m at Christchurch, but instead went head-to-head in the 100m and 200m events in Dunedin.
Honours went to Whyte, who took the junior sprint double into a strong headwind.
The 3000m event gave witness to the emergence of a future star in Hamish Cooper (14), a year 11 pupil at Otago Boys' High School, who had his first open race over the distance and made the more seasoned runners look ordinary.
The large field remained bunched up for the first lap before it settled into a three-way battle between Cooper, Simon Kerr (Ariki) and Elliot O'Sullivan (Hill City).
Cooper kept up the pace when O'Sullivan attempted to break away when 1200m from the finish.
The pace proved too much for Kerr and with 800m remaining, Cooper kicked again.
His pace over the final two laps proved too much for O'Sullivan, and the youngster continued to open up the margin between the two with every stride.
Cooper ran the final 1000m in 3min 7sec, after completing his first 2000m in 6min 34sec.
