Modest Schaef targets NZ championships

Ellen Schaef is honest.
The 18-year-old Carterton athlete doesn't particularly enjoy competing over 400m but she does it because it seems to suit her.
Which is something of an under-statement judging by her second placing at the IAAF Black Singlet international track and field meeting in Auckland on Friday night.
Schaef, a former St Matthew's Collegiate who is studying biomedical science at Victoria University, battled torrential rain and gale force winds to finish runner-up to Southland's Rebecca Gibson in 58.63secs.
What pleased Schaef most about her effort was that after being fourth at the 200m mark she was able to pass two of the runners in front of her over the closing 290m, and make good ground on the nationally-ranked Gibson in the process.
"It was pretty much how we planned it," Schaef said.
"I wanted to go out hard enough to keep in touch with the pace but still have enough left to have a kick at the end, it seemed to work OK."
Schaef had gone to Auckland hoping for a personal best time in the high 57secs but the weather conditions ruined any chance of that happening.
"It was horrible, the rain was pelting down and the wind was blowing a gale, fast times were out of the question," she said.
The next major assignment for Schaef will be the New Zealand track and field championships in Wellington next month and she is aiming, under the astute guidance of coach Mark Harris, to record a time of around 56secs there.
"I know that's a lot of improvement to make but to be really competitive that's where I need to be," she said.
While Schaef admits to finding the 400m "hard work" she intends to keep at it until time her reaches the mid -50secs, at which stage she intends to try herself out over 1500m.
"That's where I want to head but it's a little way off yet," she said.