News & Updates

Brigid Dennehy maintained her outstanding track form of recent weeks by producing a come-from-behind victory to overhaul evergreen Lisa Green in a captivating final of the senior women’s 5000m on day one of the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington today.

Dennehy, who has been setting PB’s for fun during the track season, secured a near 30-second lifetime best, propelled by a scintillating final lap to win in 16:10.85 to take gold from Lisa Cross who lowered her New Zealand W40 record by almost 12 seconds, clocking 16:14.85. National cross country and 10,000m champion Anneke Arlidge (16:18.63) claimed bronze.

Played out under the recently installed floodlights at Newtown Park, the 41-year-old Cross launched an attack in the final mile and opened a 15m advantage on Dennehy and Cross. But the Auckland-based athlete bided her time and over the final lap she demonstrated the pace she showed last Sunday when posting a 1500m PB of 4:14.03 at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co to overhaul the plucky Cross and on to a memorable victory.

Irish-born Dennehy, who plans next to compete at the 1500m at Newtown Park, the final of which takes place on St Patrick’s Day (Sunday 17 March), said: “Lisa is amazing, but I knew if I kept her in sight I could have the kick at the end.”

“I didn’t have such a good track season last year, but I’ve found doing a lot of easy running works for me. I haven’t done a hard session for about four weeks.

“I have been surprised (with my track season) big time. I was writing myself off as a track athlete. Once the season finishes I am training for Gold Coast Marathon but that doesn’t mean I am saying goodbye to the track.”

“I watched my best friend and team-mate (Laura Nagel) win it (the 5000m title) over the last couple of years and she is one of the athletes I look up to, so winning a title like she has is something I’m proud of.”

William Little claimed the first national title of his career with victory in the senior men’s 5000m to cap a breakthrough track season in style, posting 14:44.72 for gold.

After a pedestrian first nine minutes or so of running, Little took the race by the scruff of the neck with four-and-half-laps remaining. Launching a vicious turn of pace, he produced a stunning 60-second lap to crack open the field. Only Connor Melton (Canterbury), the 2022 and 2023 national 5000m bronze medallist, was able to keep apace with the Aucklander as the duo seized control of the race.

Little appeared to be working harder than Melton but with around 500m to go, opened up a gap which gradually widened as he claimed a sweet first national title. Melton repelled the late-charging 2023 champion Julian Oakley to take silver in 14:50.51 by a 1.10 second margin with the Waikato Bay of Plenty athlete bagging bronze.

Little, who competes in the senior men’s race at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade later this month, said of his win: “I knew the top guys in the race were Connor Melton, my training partner, and Eric (Speakman) and Julian (Oakley) I knew none of them would want to take it on when the wind picked up. I went with four-and-a-half laps to go because I knew when I went, I had to make an impact.

“Connor dropped me with 500m to go and then I knew it was in the bag. Before this season I’d never won a national medal, not even an age group medal, so to win national bronze in the mile and the 3k and to win a national title here is pretty special.”

George Wyllie led home a Waikato Bay of Plenty 1-2-3 to claim his maiden national title with a performance of class and maturity to take gold in the men’s U20 5000m (14.49.92) – 1.47 clear of his training partner Elliott Pugh. Wyllie, the New Zealand Secondary Schools 3000m silver medallist was happy to track Pugh for the bulk of the race before making his winning move down the back straight of the final lap launching a ferocious kick finish to propel the 16-year-old to an impressive win. Az Cabusao banked bronze in 15:02.22.  

Wyllie, who was struggling with a vomiting bug only 48 hours ago, opted to race and I was rewarded with the ultimate prize.

“I didn’t want to lead until the last 400m so when Elliott took it on with four laps to go I tried to zone out and not think about anything. I have never won a national title, so this is special for me.”

Catherine Lund upgraded on the U20 5000m silver medal she won 12 months ago to take a comprehensive victory and secure the title today in 17:00.15. Battling the windy conditions, the Otago athlete missed out on the World U20 performance standard of 16:30.00 but the 18-year-old was nonetheless satisfied as she steps up her preparations for the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in a little over two weeks’ time. Zara Geddes (Otago) grabbed the silver medal in 17:30.91 with Kate Currie of Canterbury in bronze (17:51.65).

Earlier, World Para 100m T37 finalist Joe Smith edged top spot in the men’s Para 100m, clinching victory a time of 12.29 (89.10% of the world record) from his training partner World Para T64 200m bronze medallist Mitch Joynt 12.21 (86.90%). Facing a -0.7m/s windspeed teenager sprinter Jaxon Woolley placed third in 12.64 (84.97%).

Tokyo Paralympian Anna Steven took out the women’s Para 100m in 14.76 (-1.1m/s) from her fellow T64 sprinter Paddy Walsh (15.23). Steven won on 85.77% of the world record ahead of Walsh (83.13%). Kate Danaher (T37) completed the podium in 16.29 (77.29%).

Wellington toasted a one-two in the men’s U20 hammer as Alex Hewitt enjoyed a dream day to strike gold with no less than four PB’s in one competition to prevail with a best of 58.68m from Heath Abbot (53.21m). Hewitt, who is coached by Shaka Sola and mentored by 20 times New Zealand hammer champion Phil Jensen, came into the competition with a best of 55.55m before raising his performance to a new height with throws of 56.00m (round one), 56.79m (round three), 58.00m (round five) before his mighty toss of 58.68m in the final round.

“I’ve grown up on this track, so it is good to win a title at Newtown Park. I’m really pleased I haven’t been doing too much training because I’ve been focused more on rugby (Upper Hutt Rams).

“It was Monday at Sola Power (Academy) and putting some good throws out that gave me the confidence to perform the way I did today.”

Percy Maka retained his New Zealand U20 discus title with a narrow victory from his fellow Aucklander Blessing Sefo. At a sunny but windy Newtown Park, Maka’s fifth round toss of 48.64m was just enough to deliver gold from Sefo, who has set a World U20 performance standard in men’s shot, with a PB of 48.15m.

Hannah Collins (Canterbury) retained her national U20 triple jump title with a best leap of 12.38m (1.1). Alexa Duff (Otago) added the national U20 javelin crown to the U18 gold she snared last year with a best of 43.14m.

With the benefit of a 3.9m/s tailwind Emilia Goldsmith, the 2023 NZ U16 champion, added the national U18 crown to her collection with an 11.94 time edging New Zealand Secondary Schools champion Kendra Scally by 0.03.

South Island athletes dominated the men’s U18 100m final as Hunter Scott (Canterbury) was awarded the gold medal in a photo-finish from Otago sprinter Blake Dalton after both were credited with 10.93 (3.0m/s).

Imogen Barlow (Auckland), who secured the U16 girls 800m/1500m/3000m treble at the previous edition of the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships, enjoyed the golden glow once again to secure the national U18 3000m title in a PB of 9:58.23. Southlander Siena Mackley was rewarded with silver (9:59.92) with Scarlett Robb (10:05.23) – a second Aucklander on the podium.

Caleb Wagener with a 8:56.97 clocking stormed to gold in the men’s U18 3000m to lead home an Auckland one-two from Alex Wilkins (9:04.59).

The U18 women’s 300m hurdles races served up to emphatic winners as Zarah Rattray (WBoP) blasted to gold in 44.36 from Kiara Gilroy of French Polynesia (46.24). The men’s equivalent was banked by Canterbury’s Harry Williamson (38.23), who was equally convincing storming to victory by almost two seconds

Karmen Maritz of Auckland added the U18 women’s discus crown to the U16 title she won 12 months ago as she secured victory with a third-round throw of 46.61m to finish 31cm clear of Melelosaline Lose (WoP).

Wellington celebrated another winner as Keagan Sharkey posted a PB of 57.37m to edge the men’s U18 javelin by 24cm from Tyler Bratley (Canterbury).

The action on day two of the 2024 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships steps up a notch with Zoe Hobbs, fresh off her fourth-place finish over 60m at the World Indoor Championships, hunting a eighth successive national 100m title which is run as a straight final from 5.20pm. World Indoor representative Tiaan Whelpton will look to defend his national senior men’s 100m title with heats at noon followed by the final at 5.30pm.

World Indoor fourth place finisher Maddi Wesche competes in the women’s shot from 5.30pm with the day two action rounded out by an absorbing men’s 800m clash between defending champion James Preston and Sam Tanner.

For results go here

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