Athletes steel for national battle

Wairarapa could be represented by as many as seven athletes at the Australian national junior track and field championships to be held in Sydney from March 10 to 13.
Already qualified to compete on the track are Molly Creagh (400m), Stevie Paine (800m), Tom Quinn (800m), Joel Farley (800m) and Laura McKenna (100m and 200m) while Tim Girling-McLean and Jerry Peseta have done likewise in field events.
Masterton-based coach Mark Harris said all seven of the qualifiers were likely to be part of the action at the annual Sylvia Potts Classic meet at Hastings this week, as well as the Cooks Classic in Palmerston North next Tuesday and the Capital Classic in Wellington next Friday.
Harris said the quality of opposition they would meet at those three meets would provide ideal preparation for Sydney and for the New Zealand track and field championships to be staged in Dunedin from March 25 to 27.
"Right now, the emphasis is on having them reach their peaks for those major assignments so it's more about building fitness than actual results," he said.