Five from five for young athlete

Among Dunedin junior athletes who competed at the South Island Colgate Games are (from left) Max...
Among Dunedin junior athletes who competed at the South Island Colgate Games are (from left) Max Robb (7), Libby Norfield (9), Phoebe Robb (9) and Alex Walker (11), all of Hill City-University Athletic and Harrier Club. PHOTO: JESSICA WILSON
Aiming to win every athletics event you enter might seem ambitious for some.

But for Alex Walker it was totally achievable.

Alex, alongside about 40 other junior athletes from Dunedin, competed in the South Island Colgate Games in Nelson at the weekend.

When The Star interviewed Alex before the games, his goal was to win all five of his individual events — 100m, 200m, 400m, shot put and discus.

And he did.

He also won a bronze in the grade 11 medley with club mates Harlow La Hood, Bella Smith, Alex Walker, Isabella van Aart and Archie Rhodes.

The shot put competition was the toughest, as it was affected by heavy rain and wind.

Aside from some light rain during an early 400m race, which cleared up by the final, the weather provided "perfect" athletics conditions.

"It was great the rest of the time," he said.

In other results, Athletics Taieri’s grade 14 girls relay team - Georgia McHutchon, Jorja Gibbons, Neve Beattie and Ohara Couch - won its final.

Team members also nabbed silver medals in their individual events; Ohara and Neve in the grades 13 and 14 long jump, respectively, and Jorja in the grade 14 80m hurdles.

Georgia was third in the grade 14 1500m run, club mate Van Couch won the grade 12 80m hurdles and Charlee Farquhar got bronze in the grade 10 discus and shot put.

Another standout was Hill City-University athlete Manaia Lesa, who won gold in the grade 13 100m, 200m, 400m and 80m hurdle events.

His club mate Ruben Karawana was runner-up in the grade 11 shot put and discus, Alexa Duff was third in the grade 14 shot put and discus, and Shanti Kara won the grade 12 high jump.

The club’s grade 10 girls 400m relay team of Isabella, Honor Blaikie, Bella and Harlow finished second in its final.