News & Updates

Murray McKinnon runs the rule over the best of the open and Para field event action at the 2024 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships at Newtown Park, Wellington (14-17 March).

The field events should throw up some high-class competition across the four-day event with the recently minted World Indoor champion Hamish Kerr entered in the men’s high jump. Kerr soared to a new realm in Glasgow with his stunning world leading and national record leap of 2.36m and in Wellington will be pursuing a ninth national title – two behind Roger Te Puni who harvested 11 between 1982-1994. Hugo Jones, Adam Stack and Tia Wynard will also be among the podium contenders.

The women’s high jump looks like a belter as Imogen Skelton, off the back of her PB of 1.87m when winning the ITM, takes on three-time former champion Keeley O’Hagan and Maddie Wilson, who set a lifetime best of 1.86m en route to the national heptathlon title last month.

World Indoor silver medallist Eliza McCartney is in outstanding form and will take all the beating as she pursues a fifth national senior crown in the women’s pole vault. Three-time former New Zealand champion and Commonwealth bronze medallist Imogen Ayris will also be a factor.

Expect James Steyn and Nick Southgate to continue their regular rivalry in the men’s pole vault. Southgate is a seven-time former champion and Steyn, the title holder, has claimed this crown on three occasions in total.

The women’s long jump looks like a highly competitive affair as Mariah Ririnui chases a fourth successive title and her sixth national long jump title in total. Former champions Kelsey Berryman and Briana Stephenson are all also entered and watch out too for Phoebe Edwards and Maddie Wilson who last month posted PB’s of 6.10m and 6.05m respectively.

Two-time Paralympic long jump T47 champion Anna Grimaldi, who last year snagged World Para silver is entered in the open long jump.

Shay Veitch and Felix McDonald have shared two apiece of the last four men’s long jump national titles and both will be pursuing yet another crown. Veitch had the edge on McDonald at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co clearing 7.40m, 7cm further than McDonald. However, Lewis Arthur looms as the number one New Zealander this season with his 7.48m at the Potts Classic. Paralympic and World Para silver medallist Will Stedman starts in the Para long jump.

The men’s triple jump is poised to provide one of the best competitions at the 2024 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships. New Zealand national record holder with 16.67m Ethan Olivier will compete alongside his older brother Welrè Olivier, who briefly held the New Zealand resident record at 16.33m, before being eclipsed by Ethan with 16.44m last Sunday. Five times winner and defending champion Ebuka Okpala and two-time former champion Scott Thomson also compete.

Scott’s sibling Anna Thomson, the six-time former champion, will take on the rapidly improving Hannah Collins in the women’s triple jump.

Tom Walsh will be chasing a 14th national shot put crown seeking to wrestle back the title from Jacko Gill, the defending champion. Both men come into their latest showdown full of confidence after Walsh claimed World Indoor silver in Glasgow and Gill achieved his best ever finishing position at a senior global outdoor event by placing fifth in Scotland. Add into the mix Nick Palmer, who last month joined Walsh and Gill as the third New Zealand shot putter over 20m, and expect fireworks to fly in the men’s shot.

The women’s shot will be expected to provide another highlight as Maddi Wesche, fourth at the World Indoor Championships with a PB of 19.62, faces Kaia Tupu-South (17.17m) who is back for a stint in New Zealand from her US base.

Paralympic and World Para shot put F37 gold medallist Lisa Adams leads a strong women’s Para shot field which also includes World Para shot F46 silver medallist Holly Robinson, who set a national F46 record of 12.17m at ITM last month.

World Championships finalist Connor Bell has been in excellent early season form with a best of 65.93m and he will be red hot favourite to add a fourth national senior title. Defending champion Tatiana Kaumoana will be the athlete to beat in the women’s discus. Leading the opposition will be Savannah Scheen and Natalia Rankin-Chitar.

The senior men’s hammer will serve up an enthralling contest between Anthony Nobilo (69.72m), winner of the past five titles, and US-based Anthony Barmes (70.53m) as the two former Westlake Boys High School students go head-to-head for the title. Oceania record-holder Lauren Bruce pursues a hat-trick of women’s hammer titles up against other podium contenders; Elizabeth Hewitt and Nadja Kumerich.

National record holder Tori Peeters, the 2023 Diamond League final second place finisher, will take some stopping in pursuit of an eighth national title in the women’s javelin. Paralympic javelin F46 champion Holly Robinson is entered in both the open and Para javelin events.

Douw Botes, who has achieved a World U20 Performance standard with a best of 68.62m, will be prominent as he pursues a successful defence of the title he won 12 months ago in Newtown Park. Angus Lyver (65.21m) is also entered.

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