Athletics guru Harris to manage NZ youth team

Masterton athletics guru Mark Harris has been appointed manager of the New Zealand team to contest the IAAF world youth track and field championships in Sudtirol, Italy from July 8 to 12.
It is the second major managerial role given Harris by Athletics New Zealand in a matter of months.He was in the same role when a New Zealand squad competed successfully at the Youth Commonwealth Games held in Pune, India last October.
Athletes keen to compete at the Italy event have until April to better the qualifying times set by Athletics New Zealand and Harris anticipates between 10 and 15 making the grade.
"Right now there are seven who have qualified and indicated their intention of contesting the worlds, and I would expect that number to grow over the next few weeks," he said.
Harris anticipates the manager's job in Italy being somewhat easier than it was in India because the latter were not as experienced from an organisational viewpoint and there were hiccups with some of their systems and infrastructure. "It was nothing we couldn't handle but compared to that Italy should be a breeze," he said.
"You'd expect everything to be spot on there."
Harris, who has worked as high performance manager for Cycling New Zealand and New Zealand Squash, has made a huge name for himself in the coaching sphere in the Wairarapa region and he will also assist in that role in Italy, although to what extent he is unsure.
"That will depend on how many coaches travel with us and in what area their expertise is," he said. "But whatever happens in that respect it's more about ensuring the athletes do what their own coaches want, and that they do not become too fatigued.
"It's more of a watching brief than anything else."
There will be a hands on approach from Harris, however, when several of the Wairarapa athletes he coaches travel to Newtown Park to participate in the Capital Classic, the biggest track and field meet in Wellington this season outside the nationals which are to be held there next month.
Harris expects the Wairarapa squad to comprise at least 15 athletes and while the vast majority are still eligible for junior competition and will be competing in open grades he is "quietly confident" of them making a big impact.
On the track the hugely talented Stevie Paine, who is just 13, will be up against a star-studded field in the women's 800m but is a realistic medal hope if she runs up to her personal best time of 2mins 14secs. Ellen Schaef is also expected to give plenty of cheek in the women's 400m as should Michael Wilson in the men's 200m.
The field events have mainly attracted small fields and the Wairarapa brother-and-sister duo of Courtenay and Alex Fafeita, who are both coached by John Quinn, seem certain to feature prominently there.
They should star in at least three disciplines, discus, javelin and hammer throw, while Josh Greig is also a likely placegetter in the javelin at least.