Athletics: Eliza McCartney, Tom Walsh, Brent Newdick, Liz Parnov give Hastings the big tick

Eliza McCartney hugs coach Jeremy McColl after earning the right to have a go at her own New Zealand record of 4.82m at the Potts Classic in Hastings. Photo/Warren Buckland

If you were in the hunt for winners at the annual Allan and Sylvia Potts Memorial Classic in Hastings you didn't have to look too far.

Take your pick at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park track and field venue on Saturday - Rio Olympics bronze medallist Eliza McCartney, world champion shot putter Tom Walsh, 800m champion Katherine Camp, 400m winner James Preston, senior men's long jumper Thomas Rawstron and 3000m steeple chaser Amanda Holyer, to name a few.

That is not to imply those who didn't find a perch on the deck of the podium aren't worthy of a mention in the meet that doubled as the Gold Coast Commonwealth qualifier for some events.

Take, for instance, Olympian Brent Newdick's return at the age of 32 with promising results in discus, shot put and pole vaulting to impress national selectors of his worthiness as a decathlete still capable of delivering not just on the Gold Coast but at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a 30-month injury layoff.

On the flip side, Imogen Ayris, who secured her Junior World Championship ticket to Finland last Thursday during the inaugural Vault in the Bay, didn't get on the podium on Saturday but she got invaluable experience competing in a senior field alongside fellow Aucklanders McCartney, second-placed Olivia McTaggart and Australia Olympian/model Liz Parnov.

Then there's homeboy Nick Palmer who not only claimed a personal best throw of 16.33m alongside undisputed heavyweight champion Walsh but also smashed the Hawke's Bay/Gisborne record.

But it's only befitting to ordain someone the champion of champions among the stellar performances here.

Should it be the effervescent McCartney who smashed her pole during the warm-up stage but regathered from her jarred confidence and contusion behind the ear to almost break her own national record?

Maybe it should be Walsh for he labelled his Classic record-breaking 21.14m effort as "it's not a bad day at the office" amid disappointment he didn't eclipse the 22m mark on his return from competition since September last year?

Well, it's none of the above, so to speak, and don't take my word for it either.

That's because it's the verdict of just about every champion post competition.

Said McCartney: "I have to say the track is fast, there's always the beautiful town [city] and it's hot so you can't get better conditions than that. All the vaulters here have been saying how great this track and runway is to compete on so I think we're very lucky to have such great conditions."

Parnov, despite her disappointment on being timed out, said: "It's a beautiful place, great weather and everyone's really friendly and helpful so I've really had a nice day."

Walsh said: "I've got no excuses for not throwing further because it's great weather and the crowd was awesome with a good bunch of people here."

For Newdick, who competed in his maiden decathlon event at the defunct Nelson Park track almost 16 years ago, it was nostalgic to return to the city to undergo a renaissance of sorts.

Meeting organiser Richard Potts, delighted with the calibre of athletes and super fans, said it was one of the best supported classics staged here.

"If we had lights at the venue it would be even better for the distance runners because after the meeting there wasn't any wind to speak of," said Potts, emphasising times could be better in marginally cooler serene conditions.

"In an ideal world we'd like to think we can have a perfect venue to cater for all the different disciplines," said the son of the late Allan and Sylvia Potts.

All the money collected from gold-coin donations at the gate will be given to the Cancer Society of Hawke's Bay.