Fresh back from the Australian Athletics Championships held recently in Brisbane, former Central Hawke’s Bay local Briana Stephenson was up for the challenge, taking on Australia’s finest senior women’s heptathletes.
Briana was up against 14 Australians, two of whom were Commonwealth Games representatives, one Canadian and three other Kiwis. Unfortunately during the week prior she had tender Achilles tendons and, worst of all, was diagnosed with shingles.
It was also her first international competition in four years due to Covid restrictions and a second knee surgery. Representing New Zealand unofficially as an exhibition athlete, Briana wasn’t going to let anything phase her.
She had a day one points personal best (PB) and was sitting in seventh place against 19 athletes. Recording 15.08 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles was satisfactory. She claimed a season’s best (SB) in high jump, leaping to 1.71 metres, 8 centimetres above her own height.
Shot put didn’t go to plan and was a good 50cm short of some useful points and she produced another SB in the 200m, sprinting 25.03s.
