Creagh in record form for Kiwi debut

Talented Wairarapa athlete Molly Creagh was part of a New Zealand under-18 girls' 4x400m relay team which set a national record when placing fourth in their final at the combined Oceania and Australian junior track and field championships in Sydney earlier this month.
Creagh, at 15 the ''baby'' of the Kiwi line-up, ran the third leg and improved her team's placing from sixth to fifth before handing over the baton to a teammate who continued to make ground and almost took them into a medal position. Unfortunately, however, fourth was their lot but their time of 3mins 54secs was the still the best ever recorded by a New Zealand team in their age group.
Creagh also did herself proud in the under-18 girls' 400m individual event, although she failed to make the top eight for the final by just one placing. She clocked 58.87secs in finishing third in her heat to rank ninth overall.
While ''thoroughly enjoying'' the experience of competing at international level for the first time _ and the tensions which go with it _ Creagh admits it was tiring and probably affected her performance at the North Island secondary schools championships in Wellington on Saturday. There she finished second in the final of the intermediate girls' 400m in 59.41 with an effort which she labelled ''just okay'' because she never felt on top of her game. ''I think the tiredness was still there, it was hard work really,'' she said.
Highlight for a small but powerful Wairarapa contingent competing at the Wellington meet was the gold medal secured by Alex Fafeita in the open boys hammer throw.
He won with a throw of 45.29m, all of 4.3m ahead of his nearest rival. Fafeita was also second in the intermediate boys' discus with a distance of 51.61m in an event in which the winner, Jacko Gill of North Harbour, threw a New Zealand record of 61.80m.
Courtnay Fafeita, sister of Alex, was third in the senior girls' discus with a throw of 40.31m. The winner, Leesa Lealai-Salanoa of Wellington, broke the old national record with a throw of 50.21m.
Starring for Wairarapa on the track were April Campbell and Stevie Paine. Campbell was the closest of thirds in the final of the intermediate girls 100m with her time of 12.56 being the same as the second placegetter, while the winner ran 12.55. Campbell was also a close second in the final of the intermediate girls 80m hurdles, clocking 11.72.
Paine was second in the intermediate girls 800m final in a time of 2:15.52.