Athletics: Sizzling sun pushes pole vault to 5pm

Hastings Athletics Club's specialist pole vaulting coach, Murray Andersen, has been gleaning heaps from the week-long clinic conducted in Hastings. Photo/file

Because it's "cooking" here the Vaulters in the Bay meeting in Hastings has been delayed to a 5pm start today, according to Hawke's Bay specialist pole-vaulting coach Murray Andersen.

"Those not in the Commonwealth Games trials will be competing [today] and the others will be on Saturday although they are looking at putting in a couple from the trials as well," said Andersen of the country's elite pole vaulting coaches, Jeremy McColl and Brent Booker, who have been conducting a clinic at the HB Regional Sports Park in Hastings this week.

"There'll be some very good competition to watch," he said, adding decathlete Brent Newdick, of Auckland, might come down to compete as well in the field of 14 pole vaulters, including secondary schools' and national age-group champions.

The former Hastings Athletics Club decathlon coach has been gleaning information as well at the clinic which culminates with the Vaulters in the Bay today as a precursor to the annual Allan and Sylvia Potts Memorial Track and Field Classic on Saturday.

Andersen yesterday invited his top two pole vaulters, Erin Kelly, of Havelock North High School, and Lucy McKay, of Karamu High School, to the clinic.

With the 16-year-olds sponging information from the two elite Auckland coaches, Andersen preferred to put the teens through the hoops before they entered any competitions.

"These girls are learning fast and doing well but their main target is the North Island Secondary Schools' Championship," he said of the champs to be staged at Whanganui from April 6-8.

McColl and Booker would come from Auckland to mentor the Bay stable of 12, including two boys, and the athletes would go to the Big Smoke.

"They want to build another strong centre for pole vaulting in the North Island and we've got the biggest group outside of Auckland so we're trying to build ourselves."

Andersen said the Bay weather was considerably better than Auckland.

"Late afternoons we get a nice pale breeze which is perfect condition for pole vaulters so that's why they are here."