News & Updates

Christian De Vaal is currently riding on a crest of a wave enjoying considerable success in middle distance running which saw him claim the New Zealand under-18 3000m record.

He will be looking to carrying that success further when he contests the senior boys 1500m and 3000m at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track, Field and Road Championships in Inglewood this weekend.

De Vaal was second in the junior boys 3000m at the last held secondary schools championships in Tauranga in December 2020. He was beaten on that occasion by Cameron Maunder who he will face again in the senior championship. The 3000m has attracted a strong field which also includes Ronan Codyre, Elliott Pugh, Angus Monro, Jamie Mora, Karsen Vesty, Tomas Barry, Nick Davies, George Hamilton, Pai Wynyard and Daniel Sinclair.

If the pace is honest from the start the schools record of 8:15.50 set by Matt Baxter in 2012 will be under threat.

The line-up for the 1500m is equally impressive with De Vaal and Maunder joined by Vesty, Codyre, Barry, Mora, Monro, Hamilton and Pugh.

The women’s sprints is headed by Chayille and Addira Collette. They are down for the 100m, 200m and 400m. Amelie Fairclough will follow up her third in the junior 400m two years ago with a close race with Mia Powell in the 400m.

Kiera Hall has entered the 800m with Samantha Fookes the junior champion aiming for the senior 800m title this time. Kate Borton and Lucy Shennan, third in the juniors, will also take on the 800m. Bella Earl will tackle the 1500m and 3000m double. National schools cross country champion Zara Geddes and Catherine Lund are in the 3000m with Geddes also contesting the 2000m steeplechase along with Louise Brabyn and Sara Jury.

The final of the senior boys 100m should see Tyrone Trego, Oliver Krijnen, Ryan Shotter, Ben Lambert, Joe Dolphin, Ethan Lagatule, Seastian Ferro, Kadin Taylor and AJ Madondo going to their marks.

Dolphin, Lagatule, Ferro, Taylor, Trego, Krijnen, Lambert, Rylan Noome and Asher Pettengell-Brand are down for the 200m. Lagatule won the junior boys sprint double in 2020.

James Ford, the last junior 800m champion, will be seeking the 400m 800m double. Thomas Cowan and James Trathen are down for both events. John Mottus, Jordan Veitch and Joe Berman add interest in the 400m.

Angus Sevier will follow up the 800m with the 1500m. Callum O’Keeffe and Liam O’Donnell will race the shorter distance.

In the hurdles Grace Wisnewski has the 100m and 300m hurdles double in her sights. Sophie Hancock will contest the 300m hurdles as well as the shot put and the long and triple jumps. Beau Brackenridge and James Hansen will complete the 110m and 300m hurdles with Wiremu Knowles also in the 300m hurdles.

The 3000m track walk should produce an interesting race with Jonah Cropp, Toby O’Rorke, Quinn Gardiner-Hall and Lucas Martin entered. Martin was second and Cropp third two years ago. Alana Mathews is the favourite for the 3000m race walk. Madeline Thomas has set herself a tough schedule of events having entered the race walk, 400m, 300m hurdles, long and triple jumps.

Nadja Kumerich the junior winner in 2020 will try and make it the senior titles in the shot put and hammer throw. In the discus Suzannah Kennelly, Karmen-Elizabeth Maritz and Losaline Lose will vie for the gold medal.

Jessica Hendren and Naomi Waite feature in the high jump and Lillian Bing and Talaya Vorster should dominate the pole vault. Ruben Vogel and Tai Rhodes are in the boys pole vault. The leading long jumpers Charlotte Goldsmith, Jorja Gibbons and Jody Mccarthy Dempsey will be in action. Hannah Collins will juggle the triple jump and the shot put. Mya Phillips and Alexa Duff will head off in the javelin throw.

There is a strong entry in the boys high jump with Ethan Bone, Ben Walker, Hugo Jones and Kaelan Paranihi trading heights. Paranihi is also in the long and triple jumps along with Forbes Kennedy in the long.

Shot put and discus exponents Harrison McGregor and Blessing Sefo will face off along with Couper Killick in the shot put and Percy Maka in the discus. The three leading throwers in the hammer Levi Pupualii, Alexander Hewitt and Canon Puriri are entered while Douw Botes and Daniel Shaw will contest the javelin throw.

A 3km year 9, 4km junior and senior girls and 6km senior boys road races will be held on Sunday morning.

By Murray McKinnon

All three days of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track, Field and Road Championships from 9-11 December will be livestreamed see links below

Friday 9 December Day One: Livestream here

Saturday 10 December Day Two livestream here 

Sunday 11 December Day Three livestream here 

For official results go here 

For road race results go here