Athletics NZ weekly roundup 18 September 2017

AUCKLAND

Auckland Road Relay Championships, Mt Smart Stadium - 16 September 2017

Pakuranga under 19 team were first overall in the 13 x 2.4km, four person relay in 1:42:36, heading in the Pakuranga senior team by a minute. Recent New Zealand junior road champion Theo Quax was first up for the junior team running four laps before handing over to Flynn Palmer who completed two laps, Ryan Church three laps and they were anchored home by Andrew Catley who ran four laps. The senior team was Tom Osborne, Nick Rennie, Nick Pannett and Peter Wheeler. Auckland City Athletics team of Matt Manning, Jacob Holmes, George Cory-Wright and James Uhlenberg were third overall in 1:43:32. Wheeler and Uhlenberg had a great battle over the last lap Wheeler, the national 1500m bronze medallist, holding on to second by two seconds.

The Pakuranga junior team of Zane Powell, Joe Shiozawa and Kalani Hokianga won the 7.2km relay.

Spring Throws Meeting, AUT Millennium Stadium North Shore - 16 September 2017

Anthony Nobilo was in fine early season form throwing a personal best 55.01m with the 7.26kg hammer taking him to 24th on the New Zealand all-time list. He also had a personal best throw of 64.76m with the 6kg hammer and a 1.75kg discus throw of 36.16m. Alexander Parkinson 2kg DT 50.69m, Anthony Barmes 5kg HT 52.89m, Rizvan Caukwell 6kg HT 41.96m, Megan Otto 3kg SP 10.97m PB, Mellata Tatola DT 39.03m, Centaine Noom-Duckworth 3kg HT 34.62m.

CHRISTCHURCH

Takahe to Akaroa Road Relay - 16 September 2017

The Christchuch Avon team of Cameron Swales, Ieuan Van de Peet, Daniel Roswell, Ben Clark, Sean Eustace, Matt Scott, Cameron Clark and Matt Dryden won in 4:39:47 from Sumner 4:53:20 and Papanui Toc H 5:05:10. The B grade went to Run Timaru and the C grade to Sumner 2.

Papanui Toc H team of Don Greig, Greg Monk, Malcolm Cornelius, Anthony Duncraft, Darren Hoolihan, Shane Grose, Ian Curd and Richard Bennett won the master men in 5:02:21 from Port Hills and Run Timaru. Papanui Toc H also won the junior men with their team of Andres Hernandez, Goitem Gebremedihin, Tom Moulai, Mitchell Small, Sam Averill and Cam Bartlett running 2:18:25 to beat University of Canterbury and Port Hills. New Brighton Olympic won the master women. Their team of Shannon-Leigh Litt, Carolyn Forsey, Stephanie Rumble, Dianne Davis, Tessa Holland, Toni Taylor, Ronalda Reid and Mel Angland clocked 6:07:58 to beat Port Hills.

The junior womens relay went to Port Hills running Leila Dunlop, Liliana Braun, Louise Daly, Aimee Elliott, Martina Conner and Eva Pringle. They clocked 2:52:10 to beat Christchurch Avon and Port Hills 2. The over 60 relay went to Christchurch Avon.

AUSTRALIA

AV Walk Championships, Middle Park Melbourne, 10 September: Quentin Rew 35km RW 2:51:31, 30km 2:27:00.

Blackmores Running Festival, Sydney, 17 September: Christopher Dryden at 18 years of age ran a superb time of 1:09:58 to finish tenth in the half marathon. Dryden, who finished third in the New Zealand junior cross country championship in August, bettered his previous best time of 1:10:22 in Christchurch in June. Niam MacDonald was 11th in the 10km Bridge Run in 33:11.

USA

Ken Garland Invitational Cross Country, Denton TX, 16 September: Mike Lowe won the four mile event by 10 seconds in 20:10.

IAAF WORLD RACE WALKING CHALLENGE

Alana Barber finished eighth in the World Challenge with 13 points. Erica De Sena of Brazil won with 34 points.

The contest is taken from the results of ten World Challenge meetings, with walkers needing to compete at least three events to qualify for the overall title.

OBITUARY

Graeme McCabe of Mt Maunganui, who has given a life time of service to athletics, died on Wednesday 13 September 2017 aged 77.

An outstanding manager of New Zealand teams to international competitions, Graeme oversaw teams to three Olympic and three Commonwealth Games.

He was athletic section manager to the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He was assistant general manager to the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, assistant chef de mission to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, general manager of the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games team and athletic section manager to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and four other New Zealand teams over a period of 11 years. Graeme was a hurdler for the New Plymouth, Hawera and Putaruru clubs, competing at the New Zealand championships for 14 years until 1971, winning a national championship medal in 1969. He was coached by Arthur Eustace. He has been president of the Putaruru Club since 1973 and was made a life member in 1996. After finishing his competitive days he went on to officiating, managing teams and administration for Athletics Waikato Bay of Plenty. He was president for two years from 1980 and was made a life member of Athletics Waikato Bay of Plenty in 1994. Of late he has been on the committee of the Tauranga Ramblers Club.

Graeme was a long standing council member of the NZAAA and Athletics New Zealand representing Waikato Bay of Plenty from 1972 to 1986 and from 2003 to 2004. In 1986 he was appointed to the Board of Athletics New Zealand a position he held right through to 1996. During that period he served on various committees, chairing the tours and outfitting committee, the international competitions committee, and later the marketing and promotion committee.

He was an Athletics New Zealand Track & Field Selector from 1972 for 14 years and the Athletics New Zealand delegate to the NZ Olympic Committee from 1986 to 1993.

Graeme was currently a member of the Athletics NZ awards committee. Graeme received one of the inaugural Athletics New Zealand merit awards in 1988 and was vice-president of Athletics New Zealand 1999-2000 and was elected president in 2000 to 2001. He was made a life member of Athletics New Zealand in 2004.

For thirty years he owned and managed McCabes Toyworld in Putaruru and later for ten years in Matamata. For seven years he was chairman of directors of Nationwide Toy Retailers Group. On his retirement he shifted to Mt Maunganui. He and his wife Brenda continued to follow the sport overseas and attended a number of world championships in athletics. Graemes ill health prevented them from attending the recent world championships in London.

Graeme is a past president of the Putaruru Chamber of Commerce and a Justice of Peace since 1982. He received a New Zealand Commemoration Medal in 1990.

A celebration of his life will be held at 1.30pm on Tuesday 19 September at Legacy Gardens Papamoa, 53 Te Okuroa Drive, Papamoa.

In lieu of flowers, Graeme's family would be incredibly grateful for any donations towards the final Athletics project he was working on before his passing, the resurfacing and upgrade of Tauranga Domain Athletics Track.

Donations can be made at: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/graememccabememorial or via bank transfer to The Tauranga Millennium Track Trust Bank Account: 03 0435 0633253 25

Whangarei

Whangarei Half Marathon, 17 September: Harry Linford 1:17:25, Louis Young 1:21:55, Chris Mills 1:22:02. Ady McKenzie 1:27:35, Marisa Ruhter 1:29:34, Caris Teo 1:34:36.

Auckland

Glen Eden 10 mile road race, 17 September: Andrius Ramonas 57:20, Mick Keating 59:36, Olivia Burne 61:53, Sam Corbett 62:39. Katrin Gottschalk 72:44 (2 woman), Alana Lythe 73:55 (3).

Paeroa

Trail Trilogy, 17 September: Half marathon; Jake Wilkinson 1:19:23, Gene Rand 1:22:20, Jamie Robertson 1:31:51. Melissa Reid 1:40:52, Ewa Wystepek 1:42:43, Sophie Jaggs 1:44:56. Marathon; Bevan Jefferies 2:57:22, Kirsten Milne 3:35:33. 100km; Scott Thompson 10:39:00, Shane Beach 10:50:26, Jaime Stevenson 10:57:08.

Picton

Queen Charlotte Relay, 5 lap 34.65km, Waitohi Domain to Havelock Hotel, 16 September: Athletics Nelson team of Sam Mead, Kalani Sheridan, Fletcher Pickworth, Jared Lautenslager and Angus Wemyss won in 1:59:47 beating their junior mens team who recorded 2:12:21. Athletics Nelson junior women team of Kassidy Gibbons, Emily Dalton, Eloise Beattie, Lucy Martin and Breena Gibbons were the first womens team in 2:41:45.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand