Southland athletes among medal chances at NZ Champs
Southland will send a 20-strong team to the New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington.
By Lance Smith
The pinnacle of New Zealand’s domestic athletic season, the national champs, starts this week in Wellington and will stretch into the weekend.
Southland will be represented by a young team that combines the experience of past appearances on the national stage and first-timers there to gain experience for future high-level competition.
For the first time the nationals feature an Under 16 grade, giving our 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds a taste of championship athletics. And the chance to see their athlete heroes, including a number of Olympians, in action.
If anyone is a certainty to medal it would be Quinn Hartley, although it must be said that at championship level there are no certainties.
Quinn is entered In the U20 high jump where he is ranked top in the country. He is also ranked 5th for the senior high jump but with Olympian and NZ record holder Hamish Kerr in the field, a gold medal is unlikely.
He will also contest the U20 long jump. He is ranked 5th at the moment but his best mark was in a low-key practise meet, but his best from previous years is likely to put him in reach of a medal, maybe even gold.
James McLeay is another Southland athlete to top the national rankings, this in the U18 1500. However, the next four are within a couple of seconds so anything is possible. But you can be sure it will be a hard-fought and exciting race. James is also entered in the 800m where he is sitting 6th in the national rankings, although again, anything is possible.
Abby O’Boyle and Cody Lawson are two under 16 athletes going for experience but could come away with some hardware as well. Both are three times gold medallists from the recent Colgate Games and the pair feature on the national U18 rankings, although Abby is still 13 and Cody only 14.
Abby is ranked 3rd of U16’s in the 800m, 6th in the 1500m and 3rd in the high jump. She is also a medal chance in the 2000m steeplechase, although the event is so unpredictable and rarely run that forecasts can be more guesswork. Southland’s Jorgia Tucker and Bea Christie could be pushing her hard.
Cody is the best ranked 400m runner among the U16’s, although the two just behind him are just 1 second adrift. The only prediction is that it will be a tough, close race, but determination and ability to run smart is not lacking in the young speedster.
Trent Hogg has won five NZ championship medals, but Southland’s best thrower will find it difficult to add to his tally as a first-year senior. He is ranked in the top 10 in both discus and shot but Olympic medallist Tom Walsh and Connor Bell who recently broke the national discus record will make a podium finish difficult for the 20-year-old. But being in the same competition and watching such superstars up close must be an added bonus.
Buddy Small has the 7th best 3000m steeplechase time posted in New Zealand so far this year but this was run by himself. The incentive of others around him could put him a few places higher in the rankings and field. As already mentioned, the steeplechase is a bit unpredictable and the difference between a medal and an also-ran could be just a slip on the water-jump or badly time hurdle.
Hayato Yoneto is Auckland domiciled (University) but a Queenstown club member. He recently broke the Southland 100m record and obviously has the speed to make the 100m and possibly the 200m finals where he will be up against the likes of current sprint sensation Tiann Whelton.
Kennedy Taylor (U20 Steeple) and Sienna Mackley (U18 mid distance) are also names to watch.
Some of the 20-strong Southland team will come home with medals, some with PB’s and maybe Southland records. But all will return with the experience of mixing it with the best.
Most of the teenage competitors will have to hold their championship mindset and stay motivated a little longer as the Southland Secondary School Champs is the following weekend.