ATHLETICS - Whangarei athletics club opts to stay put

The Whangarei Athletics club has retained its Kensington Park base for this season despite the work soon to be done at the park to install the area's first all-weather athletics track.
With the construction of the track due to get underway in October, organiser Ian Babe said they took an offer by the Whangarei District Council, to stay at the park rather than relocate to Tikipunga Park for the season.
"We wanted to retain our presence at the park and follow the progress of the new track as it's being built," Babe said.
The club will split its club nights to accommodate the slight space squeeze and club nights will be on Monday at 5.30pm for children and seniors on Tuesdays at 6pm - starting next week.
Babe said there will be a 300m temporary track created at the park for the season and an extra jumps pit would probably be dug at the park's southern end.
He said some of the Northland Track and Field championship events would still be held at the park but the majority would be held at the Wellsford Club's track.
Athletics gets underway for most Northland clubs in the next week or two - if you are interested in participating, you can contact the following people:
Kerikeri - Peter Warren, athletics@striders.co.nz or PO Box 236, Kerikeri; Taipa - Diane Vette-Welsh, Ph 09 406 1457 or halletanne@hotmail.com; Kaikohe - Lily Coleman, Ph 09 401 0902 or john.lily@xnet.co.nz; Kamo - Renei Holland, Ph 435 3940 or bruce.renei@xtra.co.nz; Whangarei Harbour Athletics (Parua Bay) - Sue Cresswell Ph 09 434 0698 or suecresswell@xtra.co.nz; Whangarei - Ian Babe, Ph 09 437-1657 or ian@igrin.co.nz; Kaiwaka - Robyn Bruce, Ph 09 431 8145 or b.parsons@xtra.co.nz; Dargaville - Yvette Gilchrist, Ph 09 439 1774 or kaurix4@gmail.com; Wellsford - Kellie Edwards, Ph 09 423 7618 or edwardsk@xtra.co.nz .