News & Updates

The Yvette Williams Memorial meet at the Caledonian Ground in Otago followed by a three-day javelin plus hammer clinic organised by Athletics NZ coaches Raylene Bates and Debbie Strange concluded on Sunday.

The meet last Thursday (13 Jan) attracted 19 javelin and 15 hammer throwers and served up a top-quality competition highlighted by a stadium record performance of 72.12m by Tokyo Olympian Lauren Bruce (South Canterbury).

Taieri thrower Dyani Shepherd-Oates placed second with 55.26m and Lexi Maples [Canterbury] was third with a PB of 54.84m. The men’s hammer was won by U20 thrower Kaleb Sola [Wellington] with 41.86m with Taieri’s Mike Scholten [Otago] second with 35.30m and Jamin Millar [Otago] third with a personal best of 32.42m. A big thank you went to all the officials for their Southern Hospitality.

Former Otago javelin thrower Tori Peeters [Waikato/Bay of Plenty], returned to her former home track to compete in the women’s javelin. A strong wind with cold temperatures penalised the javelin throwers but Peeters produced a highly creditable 56.32m well ahead of Caitlin Bonnet [Canterbury] 42.53m and 18-year-old Brianna Toledo [Auckland] 39.90m. The men’s event was won by Jared Neighbours [Canterbury] with 57.85m ahead of local Taieri thrower Anton Schroder [Otago] 51.06m and 18-year-old Kaleb Sola [Wellington] who hurled a PB of 50.62m.

The javelin and hammer clinic continued over the next three days, kick-started by a competition recovery session at the world-famous Moana Pools led by Raylene Bates. From then on athletes, alongside their coaches, focused on their own throwing techniques with by reviewing a video from the previous evening’s competition. This was to identify areas of improvement in technical models.

In the following sessions, Athletics New Zealand coaches Debbie Strange [javelin] and Dale Stevenson [hammer] led athletes and coaches through drills and exercises to help improve and strengthen technical models.

Clinic sessions were outstanding with international throwers Tori Peeters [javelin] and Lauren Bruce [hammer] demonstrating specific drills and exercises and at the same time being able to explain the ‘feelings’ they were trying to achieve in their movement patterns and the technical ‘cues’ they were using.

The Yvette Williams Clinic was designed to take participants from more general throws education experienced at the Christchurch Throws Camp held at the beginning of the week, to a more intense and specific educational opportunity with javelin and hammer.

Athletes and coaches departed sunny Dunedin excited at having a clear direction in their technical development having learnt many new and exciting drills and exercises.  

Athletics New Zealand’s Throws Coach Raylene Bates said; “It was so great to have an event of this calibre down South. Throughout the competition and clinic there was excellent collaboration between coaches and athletes with lots of sharing and learning. This was an excellent way of growing our sport especially the javelin and hammer events.”