On the 17 of March was the start of the Jennian Homes Athletics New Zealand 2017 Track &
Field Championships. During the first day of competition athlete Joseph Millar lived up to expectations, running the fastest NZ 100m championships race, smashing out a time of 10.18, a brand new New Zealand resident record. The time, although outside the qualifying standard of 10.12 for the IAAF World Championships in August, was very impressive and took 0.09 off the old resident record held by Chris Donaldson.
Canterbury distance runner Daniel Balchin won the men’s 5000m title with a time of 14:15.88 ahead of Aaron Pulford and Ryan Sissons. The women’s 5000m was won by Hawkes Bay’s Laura Nagel with a time of 16:04:45.
Defending champion Siositina Hakeai and fellow Aucklander Te Rina Keenan delivered one of the closest finishes of the day in the women’s discus. In the end keenan was the victor with a final throw of 56.06, however Hakeai could only return with 55.04 and her run of national titles was at an end.
The women’s 800m at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track and Field Championships promised to be a close race and it delivered on that prediction, with five-times winner Angie Petty adding title number six after an intense battle with, Katherine Camp. Petty hung on tenaciously and passed Camp to win by less than a metre, recording 2:03.35, to Camp’s 2:03.54 with Schaef taking third place.
Also providing another close finish was the women’s long jump as the 2015 champion Mariah Ririnui best jump was 6.24m, only to see 2016 champion Kelsey Berryman jump a huge 6.40m aided by a following wind.
The race with the most drama was the women’s 100m hurdles. Fiona Morrison (Canterbury) and Rochelle Coster (Auckland) ran with the defending
champion Morrison. near the end of the race Coster triped over the last hurdle crossing into the next lane and took out Leanne Ryan. Morrison crossed the line victorious in 13.35, Ashleigh Sando came in second and Ryan regained her feet to cross for the bronze medal. Coster was later disqualified.
Quin Hartley took out the men’s 400m while the women’s title went to Megan Kikuchi. Joshua Hawkins retained his 110m hurdles title in 14.31 from James Sandilands.
In the women’s throwing events, Maddison Wesche won the shot put in the absence of Valerie Adams, with a throw of 15.04 metres, Nicole Bradley took out the hammer throw.
For more information on the championships visit the Athletics New Zealand News page click here.
For a Full list of results click here
