Athletics: Young Bay sprinters run hot

Napier Athletics Club sprinters from left Coby Price, Cameron Dawson, Ryan Shotter, Connor Leslie and Josh Adegoke are the toast of their club after recent national and international events. Photo / Duncan Brown

It's early days ... but don't be surprised if Hawke's Bay sprinter Ryan Shotter struts his stuff at Commonwealth or Olympic Games level within the next decade or two.

The Napier Athletics Club 10-year-old received four gold medals and two silvers at national and international events during back-to-back weekends this month. Last weekend he was the best of the Hawke's Bay athletes at the Auckland-hosted Trans Tasman Challenge with two golds and two silvers.

A member of the Auckland team which pipped New South Wales for the top team award, Shotter, won gold in his 100m final with a time of 13.84s and in the long jump with a leap of 4.52m. His silvers came in the high jump with a 1.31m effort and in the field relay where he recorded 6.30m in the shot put, 4.55m in the long jump and a discus throw of 20.18m.

The previous weekend Shotter, who is coached by his father Brent, won two golds at the Colgate Games in Palmerston North. One came courtesy of a 13.58s dash in the 100m and the other with a 28.76s sprint in the 200m. These were two of five finals he qualified for.

The fact Taradale Intermediate School year eight student Shotter, a natural sportsman, doesn't do any training adds to the significance of his feats.

"I just keep fit for athletics by playing rugby, basketball and cricket," Shotter explained.

"Imagine what you could do if you trained," remarked one of his clubmates, six-time Colgate Games competitor Coby Price.

Shotter responded with a huge grin which could easily be interpreted as watch this space. Shotter had to trial for the Trans Tasman Challenge and one of his goals is to be selected for next year's challenge in Sydney where he hopes to repeat the exploits.

Another is to repeat this month's dominance at next year's Colgate Games which will be hosted in Hastings.

Price, Cameron Dawson, Connor Leslie and Josh Adegoke formed the club's 12 years boys 4 x 100m relay team which won silver in Palmerston North. Their time of 53.96s was .2 of a second behind winners Titahi Bay of Wellington.

This team, which is coached by Price's mother Rebecca Price, has been together for four years and won gold at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Colgate Games.

"With the Hawke's Bay crowd behind us we will aim for gold when we compete in the 13 years age group in Hastings next year. No doubt Titahi Bay will be one of the fancied teams there too," Adegoke said.

Adegoke made the final in all four of his events at the Colgate Games, 100, 200 and 400m on the track and high jump, and returned home with a silver for the 200m and bronze for the 100m.