Athletics: Adams wins 12th NZ title

Valerie Adams produced a series of consistent world-class throws to win her 12th national shot put title with a best throw of 20.37m. Photo / Getty Images.

Valerie Adams produced a series of consistent world-class throws to win her 12th national shot put title with a best throw of 20.37m.

The Olympic champion was never going to be beaten in the event but she was pleased to hurl all six throws beyond 20.18m. Adams leaves for her Swiss base in a fortnight and will compete in the first of the IAAF Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

Jacko Gill retained his New Zealand junior shot put title with throw of 20.53m, well short of his New Zealand record of 22.31m. Gill was pleased to be back competing after injury, but was hoping for a longer throw before heading to Europe for a stint of training and competition.

Gill is aiming to qualify for the world championships in Moscow later in the year.

The men's 400m final lived up to expectations and it was last year's junior champion Andrew Whyte from Otago who surged to the lead over the last 100m to win, finishing in 46.52 seconds and ahead of 400 hurdles specialist Cameron French and Daniel O'Shea.

Waikato BOP's Monique Williams took the women's 400m with ease from Louise Jones, stopping the clock at 54.40 seconds.

Favourites and defending 800m champions Brad Mathas and Angela Smit took out their respective events, winning unchallenged. Both lead for the full distance, Mathas recording 1 minute 50.71 seconds while Smit stopped the clock at 2:6.97.

Joshua Hawkins ran a stunning junior 110m hurdles in 13.80 seconds, shaving 0.03s off his previous national under-20 record, but he lost his under-17 110ms hurdles record to James Sandilands from Canterbury who ran an excellent 13.88 seconds to improve on Hawkin's 14.09s.

Michael Cochrane won the senior hurdles in a smart 14.27 seconds and the women's title went to Canterbury's Fiona Morrison in 13.64 seconds.

Phil Jensen from Wellington won his 19th New Zealand men's hammer title in a come-from-behind win over young teammate Ryan Tinkle. Tinkle had his best throw of 59.80m in round two and it wasn't until round five that Jensen went ahead with 60.73m to take the title. The women's hammer title was won by Auckland's Nicole Bradley with 56.81m.

Billy Crayford won his sixth national high jump title with a clearance of 2.09m, winning on countback from Waikato's Regan Standing.

Siositina Hakeai won the senior discus championship after a tussle with Te Rina Keenan. Hakeai added the junior shot put.

Waikato BOP once again proved the top sprint relay province, winning four of the six titles on offer and finishing second in the other two.