Athletics: Demelza blitzes senior fields yet again

By Murray McKinnon

Fourteen-year-old Demelza Murrihy continues to demolish New Zealand's senior women's middle-distance runners.

The Taumarunui runner won the 800m and 1500m at the northern regional athletic championships at Porritt Stadium, Hamilton, over the weekend.

Murrihy stamped herself as a seasoned champion on Saturday, coming from behind with a 62s final lap to run close to her best, recorded last week, with 2m 8.22s in the 800m.

Yesterday it was a repeat operation, surging with 600m to run in the 1500m.

Murrihy provided the perfect example of how to win races, surging again with 200m remaining despite holding a comfortable lead. She finished in 4m 33.89s, outside her best of 4m 24.24s, but 5s clear of 1997 national champion Vanessa Nikora.

Michael Calver, the 1993 national 800m champion, was impressive in the senior men's 800m, putting 5s on 1995 and 1996 champion Mark Turner. Calver was in total control, easing up in 1m 50.95s.

Craig Barrett, disorientated in the Kuala Lumpur heat, had all his wits about him this time in the 5000m track walk, knowing exactly how many laps he had covered. Unfortunately, Scott Nelson, the race leader, took the call from the lap recorder and finished the race after completing a final lap on hearing the bell.

Barrett, storming through over the second half, ignored the call to finish and carried on for a further 400m to officially win in 20m 45.60s.

As Barrett had completed the full distance, Nelson and two visiting Irish walkers, Jamie Costin and Pierce O'Callaghan, were disqualified.

Russian Sergey Lyakov warmed up for the Porritt and Tait Classic meetings, winning the discus with a throw of 58.83m.

Simon Potter won the senior 200m and 400m double, recording 48.99s in the 400m. Younger brother Ben won the under-20 100m in 11.23s, while Matt Cunningham, second in 11.26s, had earlier won the 200m in 22.12s.

April Brough, of Counties, extended her talent in the under-16 division, adding the 400m title in 58.17s to the 100m (13.06s) and 200m (25.58s).

Hamish Meacheam, of Frankton, and Jason Cresswell, of Tauranga, continued New Zealand's fine tradition in middle-distance running.

Meacheam won the under-20 800m in 1m 55.51s and the 1500m in 4m 00.09, while Cresswell won the same double in the under-18 division with equally impressive times of 1m 57.43s and 4m 2.49s.