Athletics: Weekly round-up 30 May 2016

USA

IAAF Diamond League, Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field Eugene Oregon - 27 May 2016

Tom Walsh was second in the shot put with 20.84m. Throwing in cold conditions at the home of athletics in the US, Walsh hit his longest throw in his last attempt, well behind American world champion Joe Kovacs who had a big series of throws (20.41, 20.49, 21.26, 21.57, 21.66, 22.13) with a winning performance and world leader of 22.13m. 2007 world champion in Osaka and London Olympic bronze medallist Reese Hoffa finished third with 20.58m. Walsh picked up another six points for second, repeating his Shanghai Diamond League placing two weeks earlier and sits second on 12 points in the Diamond League shot put, two behind leader Kovacs. Walsh said after the competition that he was "reasonable happy" with the result, given the quality of the field and the less than ideal conditions. Coach Dale Stevenson was satisfied with Walshs progress this early in the season, saying after the Eugene result that, "Things are on track heading towards Rio." Walshs series of throws; 20.20, 19.81, 20.50, 20.76, 20.24, 20.84.

Walsh and Stevenson will be based in Athens, Georgia, until the Olympic Games, making trips to Europe for further Diamond League events ahead of Rio.

NCAA Div 1, East Prelim, East Jacksonville FL, 26 May: Julian Oakley 1500m 3:48.84 (5h3).

NCAA Div 2 Championship, Bradenton FL, 26/27 May: Cody Thomas decathlon 7590 points PB (1), (100m 11.12 (-1.9), LJ 7.53m (+2.3), SP 11.93m, HJ 1.99m, 400m 47.88, 110m H 14.74 (-0.1) PB, DT 37.35m, PV 4.50m PB, JT 50.74m, 1500m 4:44.69).

NCAA Div 1 West Prelim, West Lawrence KS, 26 May: Matthew Baxter 10,000m 30:13.60 (21). 28 May: Jeff Lautenslager 1500m 3:47.24 (5h2).

FRANCE

Regional Meeting, Bourg en Bresse, 20 May: Matthew Bloxham HT 64.26m (1), Alexander Parkinson DT 53.62m (1).

Teams Championships, Aix en Provence, 22 May: Matthew Bloxham HT 63.09m (1), Alexander Parkinson DT 52.27m (2).

Meeting National dPozenas, 28 May: Portia Bing JT 35.61m (1).

Meeting Elite de Forbach 29 May: Matthew Bloxham HT 63.86m (5).

ENGLAND

BMC Grand Prix, Watford, 28 May: Katherine Marshall 800m 2:03.90 PB (7rA).

GERMANY

Garbsen, 22 May: Liz Lamb HJ 1.80m (4).

BELGIUM

Atletissima, Namur, 25 May: Cameron French 400m H 52.05 (6).

International Flanders A, Oordegem-Lede, 28 May: Hamish Carson 1500m 3:36.97 (2r4), Hayden McLaren 1500m 3:47.79 (13r3). Cameron French 400m H 51.01 (4r2), Michael Cochrane 400m H 51.99 (6r2).

AUSTRALIA

Run Noosa Half Marathon, 29 May: Ben Ashkettle finished second in a personal best 1:03:32. His previous best was 1:04:12 on the Gold Coast in July 2013.

Queensland Half Marathon, 29 May: Jacqui Marshall (Taihape) 1:40:55 (6).

SOUTH AFRICA

Comrades Marathon 89.13km PMB City Hall Pietermaritzburg to Durban, 29 May: Wayne Botha (Takapuna) 7:44:56 (810). David Gatebe (South Africa) won in a new downhill race record of 5:18:19. Up to 22,000 took part.

PORTUGAL

Lisbon, 22 May: Correction to last weeks roundup Nick Southgate cleared 5.25m indoors to better his New Zealand indoor record of 4.60m set at the Millennium Institute on the North Shore on 4 April 2012. He had earlier vaulted 5.25m outdoors in Fatima on 19 May.

AUCKLAND

Athletics Auckland Grand Prix Cross Country, Lloyd Elsmore Park Pakuranga - 28 May 2015

Barry Magee coached runners Jono Jackson and Olivia Burne won the senior men and senior women honours in the combined 10km race. Jackson had to contend with the rapidly improving Peter Wheeler early in the race before breaking clear and going on to record 33:13. Wheeler who won the first Grand Prix race at Pukekohe three weeks ago was second in 33:53 with Ben Moynihan gathering in Hamilton Hawks Harry Ewing over the last lap for third in 34:32.

Jackson said it was a good work out before tackling the Christchurch marathon next Sunday.

"I knew that Peter Wheeler was in good form, he won the first Grand Prix race, so I wanted to come out and have a good tussle with him.

"The first mile I just jogged and then I took off on the long back straight of the course and just went honest from there and got rid of Peter and then tried to grow that gap.

"The last lap I just finished comfortably and it was a good knock out before the Christchurch marathon," said Jackson.

Burne likewise had a challenge over the opening laps from former Wellington Scottish runner Nicole Mitchell now based in Hamilton with the Hawks. But Burne with plenty of mileage under her belt was able to withstand the strong wind that swept the Park and forge ahead over the second half to win by nearly a minute in 37:36. Mitchell recorded 38:31 with Ashleigh Williams now with North Harbour Bays third in 38:50.

"It was quite tough circle windy conditions and I definitely felt it in the first two laps and as Barry (Magee) has got me doing quite a lot of mileage it helped with the strength that I had in the last three laps," said Burne.

"I had Nicole coming up on my shoulder so I had to put the pressure on."

Burne with a best half marathon of 1:17:49 from third in Auckland in November now heads to Christchurch next Sunday for the New Zealand half marathon championship.

"The aim now is the Christchurch half next Sunday and then Ill do cross country all the way through, Auckland, North Island and nationals," she added.

Dan Hoy won the under 20 8km in 26:55, Grace Wood claimed the under 20 women 6km in 23:48. The under 18 races went to Theo Quax in 21:22 for the 6km and Cambridge visitor Gina Butler in the womens 4km in 15:58. Zane Powell dominated the under 15 4km in 14:34 and Arabella White had to call on all her reserves to outsprint Lucy Burrell in the under 15 girls 2km in 8:06.

The best of the masters were Chris Robb in the mens 8km in 29:14 and Carly Graham in the womens 6km in 25:22.

TAURANGA

Tauranga Open Cross Country, Waipuna Park - 28 May 2016

Jai Davies Campbell won the senior 7.912km in 29:07. Jason Cameron was the fastest master in the combined race with the seniors in 30:10, Michael Pugh was next in 31:11 and John Caie recorded 31:52. Sally Gibbs was a clear winner of the senior womens 4.043km in 15:37 from Malesa McNearney 16:39 and Veronica Lang 17:06. Samuel Tanner won the JM 5.978km in 21:19. The JW 4.043km went to Emerson Deverell in 16:49 and Charli Miller was the first youth woman over the same distance in 15:59 from Grace Ritchie. The B14 2.960km went to Benjamin McManus in 11:47 and the G14 2.960km to Maia Flint in 11:50.

PALMERSTON NORTH

Manawatu Striders Marathon, Massey University - 29 May 2016

Mike Van Kampen 3:06:06, Brendan Worthington 3:08:19. Nicole Goldsmid 2:47:04, Klaartje Van Schie 2:58:36, Natalie Sutton 3:39:21. Walk; Rob Weir 4:50:55. Half marathon; Hamish Hammond 1:16:28, Patrick Dravczynksi 1:20:51, Richard Day 1:22:50. Natalie Gaskin 1:27:11, Melissa Black 1:29:19, Tammy Reed 1:32:09. Walk; Eric Kemsley 2:06:12. 10km; Shanon Stallard 35:56, Clark Ellice 36:49, Bryce Hirschberg 37:07. Tessa Webb 38:52, Elizabeth Stannard 39:48. Walk; Lisa Mcdonald 1:06:17. 5km; David Martin 18:23.

DUNEDIN

Ponydales Leith Cross Country Relays, Three Mile Hill - 28 May 2016

Hill City University (Kirk Madgwick, Jared Monk, Oli Chignell, Sam Bremer) won the open mens relay in 37:32 from Caversham 39:45 and Caversham number 2 40:10. Bremer ran the fastest 2650m lap in 9:16, with Chignell recording 9:18 and Madgwick 9:24. HCYU also won the open women their team of Jean Kozyniak, who had the fastest 2000m lap of 7:52, Bella Bloomfield, Shireen Crumpton and Sabrina Grogan finishing in 35:23. The master men went to Leith, the master men 50 plus to Caversham, the master women to Caversham, the youth men to Taieri and the youth women to Leith.

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