Georgia Hulls (centre) romps home to win the 100m women's race. Photo / Ian Cooper
Georgia Hulls (centre) romps home to win the 100m women's race. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hawke’s Bay athletes have won their fair share of titles during the prestigious Potts Classic track and field meet in Hastings.
The event attracts many of the country’s best athletics stars and budding Olympians each year and was held at Mitre 10 Sports Park on Saturday.
Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, an Olympic bronze medallist, was among the stars competing and is making her return to competition following a long lay-off with injury.
The Auckland-based athlete won the women’s pole vault event with a clearance of 4.36m.
“I woke up sick this morning, which was unfortunate, so I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent,” she said.
Eliza McCartney at the track and field meet on Saturday. Photo / Ian Cooper
“It was a tough competition and that’s why I pulled the pin after clearing 4.36m but I’m really pleased with how it went.
“At the moment, the focus is to jump consistently in competition again, so I competed off a shorter run-up because it takes a variable out and I can focus on jumping.”
Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay-raised sprinter Georgia Hulls won the women’s 100m event in a time of 11.69s during the final.
Hulls, who is coached by James Mortimer, was given a tough examination by Livvy Wilson, her training partner, who led for the first half of the race and crossed the line 0.09s adrift in second.
Napier runner Holly Manning mounted a successful defence of the feature race of the meet – the Sylvia Potts Memorial 800m – to battle to a hard-earned victory from Stella Pearless.
Manning staved off a late charge from the vastly improving Pearless to win by half a second in 2:05.52.
Nick Palmer from Hastings won the men's shot put event. Photo / Ian Cooper
Shot putter Nick Palmer, from Hastings, set a lifetime best of 19.16m at the Pre-Potts meet last week and followed that up with victory on Saturday in the men’s shot put with a best of 18.74m.
Auckland sprinter Tiaan Whelpton ignited the track to twice equal his joint ownership of the New Zealand resident record for the men’s 100m, registering 10.18s in the heats before matching that mark in the final - claiming the men’s 100m title.
The overall 100m record by a Kiwi is 10.08s set by Edward Osei-Nketia last year in the US at the world championships.
For a full list of highlights and results click here.
