Athletics: High twitch types take mark

Georgia Hulls.

Hawke's Bay's Georgia Hulls will face some quality competition in the women's 100 metres at the Potts Classic athletics meeting in Hastings tomorrow.

A New Zealand rep at last year's World Youth Championships in Cali, Hulls, will be up against Lucy Sheat, Zoe Hobbs, and Australian Christine Wearne who has a best time of 11.71. As good as this field is, it shouldn't take the gloss away from four-time national champion Angie Petty's attempt to win a seventh consecutive women's 800m title at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park and Kiwi Olympian Nick Willis' start in the men's 800m.

Willis with a best of 1:45.54 will be up against Australian sub-four minute miler Craig Huffer who has run 1:47.73. Also in the field is Hamish Carson, four times New Zealand champion Brad Mathas and New Zealand secondary schools champion James Preston. Kenyan Emmanuel Biwott has entered along with 1:55.00 800m runner Jack Rayner from Melbourne.

Andrew Carew, the Australian 200m silver medallist who has a best 400m of 46.63, will feature in the 400m. The women's 400m has a strong line-up of four times and current national champion Louise Jones, secondary schools champion Jessica Hood, Sarah Pearce, Brooke Cull and Australian Kendra Hubbard.

Jacko Gill will be a highlight of the field events, making his first appearance this season in the shot put. The world junior record holder with a best of 20.75m with the senior shot will be aiming to nail a 20.50m qualifier for the Rio Olympic Games.

National youth and secondary schools champion and world youth championships representative 17-year-old Ryan Ballantyne will be competing. In winning the schools title he was out to 19.53m with the 5kg shot.

Te Rina Keenan, who is knocking on the door of achieving a discus throw qualifier for Rio, will compete.

Six times national senior champion Marshall Hall will also be taking part in the discus. Montaya Wharehinga should win the women's hammer throw as should twice national champion Mariah Ririnui in the long jump. Competition in the men's long jump will be close with current national champion Jordan Peters, twice national champion Matthew Wyatt and Hamish Gill all entered. Gill is also down for the 100m along with Michael Goldie, Nick Smith, Terry Collins-Hawkins and Australian Jackson Miller-Gage.

The meeting will incorporate the New Zealand junior 3000m championships for men and women.

James Uhlenberg of Auckland who ran a personal best of 8:31.99 to win the New Zealand secondary schools title in Timaru last month will be wanting to repeat that performance in his quest to win the New Zealand junior title. The 16-year-old sprang to prominence last May when in Cairns he won the Oceania 800m and 1500m titles and was runner-up in the 3000m. Chasing him for the title will be Cameron Avery and Sean Eustace.