Disappointing numbers, exceedingly high performances
Sprint sensation Cody Lawson (SBHS) again showcased his abilities at the Southland Secondary School Athletics Championships.
We take a look at the Southland Secondary School Championships held at Surrey Park on Saturday.
Considering the number of records (10) and near records from the Southland Secondary School Athletics Championships the standards were exceedingly high, despite the disappointing numbers in most fields.
While athletes have a lot to thank school coaches and PE teachers, the best performances came from athletes with outside coaches in non-school squads.
Sprint sensation Cody Lawson (SBHS) owes a lot to coach Chris Knight. Knight has added strength, speed and technique to Cody’s natural talent, with the end result three U14 titles to go with the three medals he earned last week at the New Zealand Championships.
His 100, 200 and 400 were the fastest of all grades at the championships. The 200 time bettered the existing record but the following wind was over the limit for record purposes Knight also had a role in Jakob Voorkamp’s wins (U15 80m hurdles and 800m). The 12.20 hurdle time equalled the existing record but the tail wind was slightly too much to be official while the 800 set a new U15 record.
Isla MacCullum (SGHS), another of Knight’s protégées, gained first in the javelin and shot and seconds in the discus and hammer. The shot a season’s best.
Close rival Carlie Scherp (SGHS), coached by her father Marty, set a new record in the discus, adding almost 3 metres to the previous mark. She also won the hammer and came second to Isla is the javelin and shot, Kennedy Taylor (SGHS) who took two records in her last school champs, is coached by Lance Smith and has been for her entire secondary school athletics career.
Her steeplechase and 3000m times bettered long-standing senior records.
Smith also coaches Ollie Davis (CSC) who took two records and shared in a third. His triple jump into a head wind broke the U16 mark set eight years ago by Regan Wilson, also CSC.
He followed this up by exceeding Quinn Hartley’s U16 long jump record by 6cm. Hartley in a sporting gesture, was one of the first to congratulate him. Ollie also won the U16 high jump and 100m and shared in the 4 x 100m record with CSC teammates Connor Gilliland, Charlie Forde and Timata Ropata, all from Smith’s coaching squad. This record has stood since 1997, well before any of the boys were born.
Connor Gilliland (CSC) shares the same coach as Ollie and came second to him in the three jumps as well as coming oh so close to the record in the 100m hurdles.
Smith’s influence was seen in James McLeay’s 800 and 1500 and steeplechase wins, with the 800 and 1500 just outside the record marks. Sienna Watson who had the best triple jump of all grades and won her senior grade long jump and long jump also has the same coach, as does William Robertson who won the senior long jump.
Best distance athlete of the champs was Siena Mackley (Wakatipu HS) who win the 3000 and 1500 outright from all grades. Both were championship U16 records. Her rise to be one of the country’s best young distance prospects (NZ Champs U16 3000m gold, Mountain running champs U20 gold) can be attributed to coach Neville Britton. Jude Deaker (also Wakatipu) is also from the Britton stable and although two grades younger, was the only runner to challenge and push Senior James McLeay in the 1500 and 800m. Finishing second to McLeay gave him the U15 titles.
One to watch is Millie McFadzien (St Peters Gore). Coached by her cousin Hannah Miller (NZ Marathon, half marathon, 10k track and road titles to her name) she set a new record in the U15 3000m and comfortably won her 1500 in a time not far behind Kennedy Taylor and Siena Mackley. She also put herself in the national rankings in her first ever steeplechase.
Ricky Gutsell coached Max McGregor came close to the U14 1500 and 800 records in easily winning both events. Max already has a NZ Championship medal (crosscountry) and showed he is destined to add to that in the future.
Yes, coaches are influential, but they can only add to the talent and commitment already there. There was plenty of that on display at Surrey Park.
Top finishers go through to the South Island champs in three weeks, here in Invercargill when Southland’s best go up against the best from all over the South Island.