If Thursday was Otago’s day on the track, yesterday was Otago’s day in the field.
Para throwers Rorie Poff and Jonti Dimond led the charge with a double-podium finish in the men’s para shot put at the national track and field championships in Auckland yesterday.
Poff had a day to remember, setting an Oceania and New Zealand record with his throw of 8.65m (70.50%) to be crowned national champion.
Otago thrower Jonti Dimond claimed silver with his throw of 9.31m (69.01%).
Alexa Duff continued Otago’s hot streak in the field.
She produced a personal best of 49.07m to secure silver in the senior women’s javelin.
Skye Wilson was crowned the champion of the women’s under-16 long jump with a leap of 5.41m, ahead of Southland’s Ashlee Cla,y who was runner-up with 5.34m.
Kalyan Bhusal, Riley Horne, Connor Horne and Jack O'Neill earned silver in the men’s under-18 4x100m relay in 45.66sec, a race that had a dramatic start after Canterbury was disqualified.
Jade Wilson took bronze in the women’s under-20 400m hurdles in 1min 08.70sec and Otago Paralympian Anna Grimaldi finished fourth in the women’s senior 200m in 26.13sec.
Some of New Zealand’s top Olympians set the tone yesterday before the track stars window tonight.
Olympic triathlete Hayden Wilde swapped the roads for the track, claiming silver in the senior men’s 5000m in 14min 05.01sec.
He was pipped by Wellington’s Toby Gualter, who caught up to Wilde and overtook him on the final leg to win in 13min 59.58sec.
Olympian Lauren Bruce (Canterbury) won the women’s senior hammer throw with 68.95m and Tori Moorby, who represents Waikato but grew up in Southland, won the women’s senior javelin with a season-best 58.78m.
The national championships wrap up tomorrow.
