News & Updates

New Zealand Competition Results

HASTINGS
Hastings Athletic Club Spring Series, Mitre 10 Park – 20 September 2020
Lauren Bruce sent the hammer into orbit and almost out of the park with a sensational throw of 73.47m to claim an Oceania and New Zealand record. The 23-year-old from South Canterbury added over five metres to her previous best and smashed Julia Ratcliffe’s New Zealand record of 72.35m. The 73.47m ranks Bruce sixth in the world in 2020, led by Hanna Malyshchyk of Belarus with 75.45m. Bruce, who has been runner up at the New Zealand championships to Nicole Bradley or Julia Ratcliffe on six occasions, was also over the earlier set Olympic Games entry standard of 72.50m. Bruce’s series was 68.19m, 72.12m, 67.93m, 70.62m, 73.47m, 71.58m.

Her coach Dale Stevenson said that the throw of that magnitude was not unexpected. “Lauren was in the shape to do it, since lockdown she has made a dramatic improvement and full credit to her to develop over the last six months,” said Stevenson. “There is more there and it is a matter of now testing her against the world’s best on the bigger stage once lockdown ends. She’s definitely got what it takes,” he added.

Tom Walsh won the shot put with 21.09m, from Nick Palmer 17.17m and Nathaniel Sulupo 15.83m. 

Three times national champion Ben Langton Burnell had the javelin out to 70.23m with Anton Schroder throwing 58.00m.

World junior champion in 2018 Maddison-Lee Wesche came within 5cm of beating Dame Valerie Adams in the shot put, Adams throwing 17.90m to Wesche’s 17.85m.

Connor Bell had another fine series with the 1.75kg discus throwing 65.63m, and national senior champion Alexander Parkinson sent the 2kg discus out to 57.47m. Corran Hanning F12 scored a personal best of 39.67m with the 1.5kg discus and he also secured a 11.42m distance with the 5kg shot.

Savannah Scheen discus throw 51.96m and Lisa Adams F37 had a personal best throw of 30.19m.

Liam Ngchok-Wulf 6kg SP 14.94m PB, 6kg HT 52.71m, 1.75kg DT 44.98m.

Max Abbot 6kg HT 41.47m, 1.75kg DT 45.40m PB.

National under 18 javelin throw champion Kaleb Sola had two career bests with the 700g JT 50.15m, and 5kg HT 52.66m.
 
Hastings Athletic Club Spring Series, Mitre 10 Park – 17 September 2020
Three times world champion and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tom Walsh was out to an impressive 21.62m in the opening round of the shot put, improving on his throw of four days earlier of 21.54m. His only other recorded mark was 20.89m in round four. 

Relishing the opportunity to compete against Walsh, local Nick Palmer, 2017 Commonwealth youth games silver medallist, was 17cm shy of his career best with 17.60m, improving on his 17.34m earlier in the week.

In her first competition since winning her sixteenth national title in March, Dame Valerie Adams was out to 18.28m in the third round. Caitlin Dore F37 from Otago threw the 3kg shot out to a personal best 10.04m.

Liam Ngchok-Wulf, national youth shot and discus champion, established a personal best with the 6kg shot. The 17-year-old from Manurewa sent the implement out to 14.60m, an improvement on his previous best of 14.36m at the Porritt Classic in February and better than his 14.33m at the opening Spring meeting.

AUCKLAND
Open 3000m, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore – 16 September 2020
Excellent racing by a group of under 19 runners produced three personal bests from the first six finishers. Jude Darby (18), third in last year’s national under 18 1500m, won in 8:50.01. Sam Berry (16) 8:51.33 PB was second followed by JJ Weston (17) 8:52.39 PB, Cameron Maunder (14) 8:52.45, Tobias Saxby (16) 8:52.80 and Arsh Kazi (18) 8:53.55 PB.
 
TAURANGA
3000m Challenge, Tauranga Domain – 19 September 2020
Sam Tanner acted as pace maker for the field. He won in 8:50.99 helping 18-year-old Hamilton runner James Corbett to a PB 8:51.29, a 15 second improvement. Fionn Cullinane was next in 9:17.13, followed by Liam Dooley 9:26.46 and Zach Bellamy 9:35.25. Hannah Gapes ran a personal best 9:55.02. Lulu Johnson recorded 10:41.45 and Olivia Cummings 11:05.47.

WELLINGTON
Athletics Wellington Road Championships, Wainuiomata – 19 September 2020
Hamish Carson scored a sub 30 minute time in winning the Wellington 10km road title in 29:56, an impressive personal best improving on his 32:23 from the 2009 Wellington championships. Eric Speakman in second also produced a substantial career best of 30:17, reducing his 31:40 time in the 2011 New Zealand championships. Daniel Jones was third in 30:56 PB and Isaac Murphy fourth in 31:24 PB.

Ruby Muir 2017 national cross country champion won the women’s title in 35:17, a 13 second PB over her 2017 national road championship silver medal performance. Nicole Mitchell was second in 37:33 and Esther George third 37:53 PB.

Master men; Brian Garmonsway 32:06, Geoff Ferry 32:34, Stephen Day 32:44. Master women; Mel Stevens 38:15, Ingrid Cree 38:31, Lindsay Barwick 38:57.

5km; Men U/20 Thomas Strawbridge 15:18, U/18 Will Anthony 14:57, U/16 Jack Hunter 16:01. Women U/20 Caitlin Bassett 18:24, U/18 Maali Kyle-Ford 18:49, U/16 Poppy Rae 18:14.

CHRISTCHURCH
Governors Bay to Lyttelton 10km Road Race – 19 September 2020
Hayden Wilde, fresh from his convincing victory in the New Zealand cross country challenge, carved nearly two minutes off his personal best in winning the classic 10km road race in 28:58. His previous best was 30:47 in finishing third in the 2018 New Zealand road championships. Chris Dryden in second in 30:11 also chalked up a career best, improving on his 30:56 in finishing second in the 2018 edition of the race. Tom Moulai was third in 30:14 and Saxon Morgan fourth in 30:17.

Blair McWhirter was the first master in 31:52, from Vajin Armstrong 33:18 and Chris Kelly 33:22.

Hannah Oldroyd, winner of the 2017 Auckland marathon and the 2018 Christchurch marathon, won the women’s 10km in a PB 35:58, bettering her 36:09 for third in the 2018 Canterbury road championships. Katherine Camp was second in 36:06 and Natalie Dryden third in 38:37.

In the masters women Nicola Handley was first in 41:21, Serena Kelly second in 41:55 and Natasha Mitchell third in 43:05.

Road and Trail Races Around the Country

AUCKLAND
Rat Race 5km, Takapuna, 9 September: Liam Bird 15:45, Mike Wanden 17:18, Dave Shannon 17:30. Amelia Lythe 18:34, Alana Lythe 18:59, Maia Lythe 19:24. 16 September: Callum Hockey 16:18, Sam Schofield 16:24, Mike Wanden 17:56. Jacey Cropp 18:14.
 
WELLINGTON
Three Peaks Challenge, Kelburn, 20 September: Wrights Hill, Hawkins Hill, Brooklyn Turbine 20km, James Richardson 1:28.00, Walter Somerville 1:31.00, Andrew Rutherford 1:35.00. Nina Preston 2:24.00, Marie Anstiss 2:30.00, Laura Cooper 2:39.00.