Ballantyne sets world U18 shot put best for 2016

Ryan Ballantyne lit up the early action in the final day of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track, Field & Road Race Championships by obliterating his PB and recording a world leading under-18 mark to claim a decisive victory in the senior boys shot put final.

The St Pauls Collegiate student launched the 5kg out to a monster 21.66m in round two - 15cm further than previous world leader Odisseas Mouzenidis of Greece - to retain the title he won in Timaru 12 months ago. Coming into the competition with a best of 20.04m the 17-year-old exceeded that distance on five occasions with a second best effort of 20.82m coming in round six.

It was a hugely impressive performance from Ballantyne, who was both relieved and elated with his performance.

"We always say to set no limitations and try to aim high," adds the 2015 New Zealand World Youth Championship representative. "This has been a long time coming, but I probably had the best preparation leading in to it. It was well planned by my strength and conditioning coach (Michiel Badenhorst) and the cycle was planned perfectly and I was also mentally the best Id ever felt."

In the New Year, Ballantyne plans to move down to Christchurch to be closer to his coach Dale Stevenson, the Athletics NZ High Performance Throws Co-ordinator, and to train alongside Olympic bronze medallist Tom Walsh - whose best ever throw with the 5kg implement as a junior was 20.21m.

"To be the best, youve got to learn from the best," he says of the impending move.

Scott Gregory (Whangarei Boys HS), the winner of yesterdays senior boys hammer, claimed second spot with a best of 17.97m.

Yesterday, on day two of the programme St Bedes College student Nick Moulai triumphed in a high-class final of the senior boys 3000m. The 16-year-old Cantabrian outkicked Isaiah Priddey, the 2015 junior 3000m champion, to win by 0.60 in a swift 8:16.77. As a measure of the quality of the performance, Moulai slashed more than nine seconds from his lifetime best, smashed Dallas Bowdens national under-17 record of 8:21.95 and also came within a tantalising 1.27 of Matt Baxters championship record.

Offering further encouragement for the quality on show, Priddey (Hamilton Boys High) took more than 12 seconds from his lifetime best and also dipped below Bowdens previous national record for the distance. Bronze medallist Mitchell Small (St Andrews College) recorded 8:19.38 - to scalp more than 11 seconds from his PB.

While rising pole vault star Olivia McTaggart did not quite touch the heights of her world leading mark for a 16-year-old of 4.30m set in Auckland last weekend, the Kristin School student still managed to successfully defend her title with a second attempt clearance at 4.10m.

McTaggarts mark matched the championship records set by her training partner and Olympic bronze medallist Eliza McCartney. Meanwhile, a third member of the Jeremy McColl stable of vaulters, Imogen Ayris of Takapuna Grammar, added 10cm to her lifetime best to clear 4.00m at the second time of asking and become the third Kiwi this year to successfully crack the 4m barrier.

Staying in the field and Maddison Wesche mounted a successful defence of her senior girls shot title courtesy of a championship record performance of 16.75m. It was an Impressive display by the Lynfield College student, although it should be noted the distance was achieved with the 3kg implement and two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams holds the senior girls championship record mark with a 4kg shot of 16.02m.

Another eye-catching performance on yesterdays programme came in the girls 3000m junior final as Hannah OConnor claimed back-to-back titles. The 15-year-old Sacred Heart Girls College (New Plymouth) student destroyed Tracey Kennedys 32-year-old championship record mark by more than 14 seconds to stop the clock in 9:32.89.

Christopher and Kayla Goodwin claimed sibling double gold in the senior boys triple jump and junior girls long jump, respectively. Older brother Christopher of Hamilton Boys High took out the former event with a best effort of 14.26m. Meanwhile, his 15-year-old younger sister from Sacred Heart Girls College (Hamilton) was too strong for the rest to clinch gold courtesy of a 5.58m leap.

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