The New Zealand secondary schools championships — which also feature the secondary schools road race championships — get under way in Hastings on Friday.
About 35 senior and junior Otago athletes are scheduled to attend, representing a swag of schools from across the region including Taieri, Mt Aspiring, Wakatipu, King’s, Queen’s, Columba, St Hilda’s, Dunstan, St Kevin’s, John McGlashan, Otago Girls’ and Otago Boys’.
Otago athletes regularly punch well above their weight on the national stage — evident at the national track and field championships held at the Caledonian earlier this year — and this weekend is unlikely to be any different.
Queenstown long-distance runners Siena Mackley and James Weber have been making a name for themselves with their strong form, and Wānaka runner Phoebe Laker is always one to watch.
Many athletes competing were also in action at the Athletics Otago interclub held at the Caledonian Ground at the weekend.
Young runner Caleb Dobier came third in the men’s open 800m in 2min 9.16sec. He broke the Otago men’s 14-year record in the 2000m steeplechase with 6min 41.53sec last month and won the time-honoured Ness Cup last year.
Taieri runner Zac Whitley, 18, won the men’s 1500m in 4min 17.39sec, Donovan Couch, 17, won the men’s under-18 110m hurdles in 16.39sec, and William Evans, 16, won the men’s under-18 javelin in 50.59m.
Jade Wilson (Hill City-University), 18, won the women’s 100m in 12.34sec, clubmate Sadye Kawau, 15, won the women’s 200m event in 26.09sec, and Eva McLean, 14, came second in the 800m in 2min 20.68sec.
Skye Wilson, 14, won the under-16 80m hurdles in 12.58sec, and Ariki’s Tessa Krause, 16, won the under-18 100m hurdles in 17.97sec. Krause also won the women’s high jump in 1.45m.
Taieri thrower Charlee Farquhar, 15, won the under-16 shot put with a throw of 11.73m and the under-16 discus in 32.27m, while Ariki thrower Aurora Wills, 16, won the under-18 shot in 11.75m and discus in 29.31m.
Taieri thrower Sarah Evans, 18, won the under-18 javelin in 30.88m, and O’Hara Couch, 18, won the women’s long jump in 4.79m.
