Ashley could have golden future ahead

BIG THROW: Grace Quinn (left), and Emma Kruszona, right, flank coach John Quinn after contesting the junior women's hammer throw.

Pahiatua paralympian Ashley Exeter won two gold medals at the New Zealand track and field championships at Newtown Park, Wellington, over the weekend and is now aiming for something bigger.

The International Paralympic Championships are scheduled for Dahar in October and Exeter's Carterton-based coach John Quinn believes she has the potential to make a strong showing in both her specialist events, shot put and discus.

"Ashley is right up there in the world rankings and there's plenty of scope for improvement, there is no reason why she couldn't be truly competitive at the very highest levels," Quinn said.

An amputee, Exeter, who was part of the Manawatu-Wanganui squad, had to battle some atrocious weather at the Wellington event and Quinn was delighted with her winning efforts in the shot put (8.50m) and discus (27.86m).

"The weather made it tough going at times but she didn't let it get to her, the attitude was spot on," he said.

Quinn also coaches Emma Kruszona who placed third in the junior women's hammer throw at the national championships with a personal best of 41.75m. Competing for Wellington she was involved in an exciting battle for second place with Otago's Elizabeth Tores and had the better of it until Tores managed 41.87m with her very last throw.

The hugely talented Lauren Bruce of Canterbury took gold with 41.75m and in fourth place was Quinn's daughter, Grace Quinn, who also came up with a personal best of 37.19m. Both Kruszona and Quinn are 17, which means they will be eligible for junior competition for another two to three years.

A third member of the Quinn family, Tom, was involved in the senior men's hammer throw and considering he is a newcomer to this grade he did well to place sixth with a best throw of 49.19m. And in the youth discus Jackson Hunter, of Wairarapa, was seventh with a distance of 39.72m.

On the track the highlight in the individual events for the Wairarapa contingent representing Wellington was the bronze medal won by Alison Andrews-Paul in the junior women's 400m.

She was clocked at 58.14s.

Andrews-Paul also placed seventh in the junior women's 1500m with a time of 4.42.92.

Jonty Morison was fourth in the junior men's 100m final in 11.23, Dhruv Raman fifth in the junior men's 400m final in 52.80 and Alex Howden qualified for the senior men's 100m final where he placed seventh in 11.02.

Morison and Raman came away with two relay medals, being part of the Wellington line-up which were second in the junior men's 4 by 100m event in 43.82 and third in the junior men's 4 by 400m event in 3.22.60.