Commonwealth Games bound athletes impress at national champs

Four Commonwealth Games-bound athletes impressed with dominating performances on day 2 of the Jennian Homes NZ Track and Field Championships in Hamilton.

Hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe (WaikatoBoP) only recently confirmed her selection for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, but today she dispelled all doubts about her fitness by throwing 68.39m, the best ever performance at a New Zealand Championships by 2.46m to win her fourth NZ title from Aucklander Nicole Bradley ( 61.93m) with Lauren Bruce from Canterbury third on 57.83m.

Canterbury runners Angie Petty and Brad Mathas will be both be contesting 800m events at the Gold Coast Games. In retaining their NZ titles, their resounding victories indicated they will acquit themselves well at the Games.

Petty, running from the front, won her seventh womens title by over seven seconds in 2.02.67 from Esther Keown and Ariana Harper.

Mathas had a closer race, also winning his seventh NZ 800m title in 1m 49.49s from Wellingtonian James Preston (1:50.10) and fellow Cantabrian Sam Petty (1m 50.39).

Holly Robinson won the womens Para javelin with a throw of 42.33m, just 0.35m short of her NZ record and looks forward to adding another international Para athletics medal on the Gold Coast.

Alex Haye (Wellington) upgraded his 2016 junior 400m title to the senior one in 2018, winning in 47.63s, from fellow Wellingtonians Josh Ledger (47.68s) and Jacob Matson (48.08).

Brooke Cull from Auckland won a dramatic womens 400m final. Portia Bing held a good lead into the home straight, but a determined run by her Glasgow Commonwealth Games relay team mate saw Cull pip her on the line, winning in 54.65 with a margin of just 0.10s and 800m winner Angie Petty third in 54.91.

Joshua Hawkins from Auckland won his fourth NZ 110m hurdles title in 15.19, slower than his three previous victories, but still a solid run. Second was Otagos Felix McDonald in 15.68 with decathlete Max Attwell (Canterbury) third in 17.03.

Fiona Morrison and Rochelle Coster had yet another epic battle on the womens 100m hurdles, with the title again going to Cantabrian Morrison in 13.92 from the Aucklanders 14.16. Waikatos Ashleigh Sando taking the bronze in 14.61.

Keeley OHagan won back the high jump title she first took in 2015 with a jump of 1.77m, while Kelsey Berryman retained her long jump title with a leap of 6.17m.

Jordan Peters from Manawatu Wanganui reclaimed the mens Long jump title he won in 2015, with a best jump of 7.32m and Tori Peeters (Otago) won the womens javelin championship title with 53.56.

Keegan Pitcher (Auckland) won a very close Para 400m against rival William Stedman (Canterbury), while Sunil Fernandez-Ritchie (WaikatoBoP) was the fastest in the Para 800m.

Rory McSweeney (Otago) tossed the javelin out to 51.91m in the mens Para event and Libby Leikis (Wellington) won the womens Para 400m.

Results:

Jennian Homes New Zealand Track and Field Championships

Men.-

Senior:

400m: Alex Haye (Wgtn) 47.63s 1, Josh Ledger (Wgtn) 47.68s 2, Jacob Matson (Wgtn) 48.08s 3.

800m: Brad Mathas (Cant) 1m 49.49s 1, James Preston (Wgtn) 1m 50.01s 2, Sam Petty (Cant) 1m 50.39s 3.

110m hurdles: Joshua Hawkins (Akld) 15.19s 1, Felix McDonald (Otago) 15.68s 2, Max Attwell (Cant) 17.03s 3.

Long jump: Jordan Peters (Manwtu/Wang) 7.32m 1, Brendon Barnett (Wgtn) 7.20m 2, Felix McDonald (Otago) 7.19m 3.

4 x 100m relay: Waikato Bay of Plenty (Morgan Foster, Cameron French, Michael Goldie, Joseph Millar) 42.57s 1, Canterbury 42.79s 2, Auckland 43.23s 3.

Under 20:

400m: Samuel Gouverneur (Otago) 49.39s 1, Conor McGiven (WaikBoP) 49.71s 2, Rowan Blaikie (Wgtn) 49.81s 3.

800m: Flynn Palmer (Akld) 1m 52.10s 1, Max Spencer (Wgtn) 1m 52.48s 2, Liam Turner (Sthld) 1m 54.16s 3.

110m hurdles: Oliver Miller (Akld) 14.62s 1, Oliver Parkinson (Akld) 14.94s 2, Matthew Aucamp (Akld) 15.36s 3.

Shot put: Ryan Ballantyne (Cant) 18.98m 1, Nick Palmer (HBG) 18.52m 2, Timona Poareu (Tahiti) 13.48m 3, Hamish Mears (Otago) 13.24m 4.

Javelin throw: Cam Robinson (Wgtn) 63.42m 1, Anton Schroder (Sthld) 54.81m 2, Jared Neighbours (Cant) 47.20m 3.

Pole vault: James Steyn (Akld) 4.65m 1, Sam Harris (Cant) 4.25m 2, Aucamp 4.05m 3.

4 x 100m relay: Waikato Bay of Plenty (Tevita Finau, Isaac Milne, Sam Diggelmann, Ethan Holman) 43.56s 1, Canterbury 43.60s 2, Wellington 43.64s 3.

Under 18:

400m: Mikael Starzynski (Wgtn) 49.89s 1, Trent Campbell (WaikBoP) 50.61s 2, Jack East (Otago) 50.73s 3.

800m: Ryan Sutherland (Cant) 1m 55.38s 1, Benjamin Wall (Manwtu/Wang) 1m 55.64s 2, Andre Le Pine-Day (Manwtu/Wang) 1m 56.27s 3.

110m hurdles: Daniel Parkes (Akld) 14.57s 1, Roderick Solo (Wgtn) 14.68s 2, Hamish Lock (Wgtn) 15.09s 3.

Hammer throw: Nikolas Kini (Nthld) 44.98m 1, Isaac Vaeau-Mulitalo (Akld) 44.07m 2, Jordyn Hetaraka (Nthld) 42.27m 3.

Triple jump: Sam Colyer (Sthld) 13.35m 1, Roderick Solo (Wgtn) 13.13m 2, Charles Annals (WaikBoP) 12.98m 3.

High jump: Jayden Williamson (Akld) 1.95m 1, Tom Moloney (Akld) and Josh Inger (Akld) 1.87m 2 equal.

4 x 100m relay: Auckland (Daymon Shute, Mogammad Smith, Tommy Te Puni, Dominic Overend) 43.18s 1, Waikato Bay of Plenty 43.81s 2, Wellington 44.23s 3.

Women

Senior:

400m: Brooke Cull (Akld) 54.65s 1, Portia Bing (Akld) 54.75s 2, Angie Petty (Cant) 54.91s 3.

800m: Petty 2m 2.67s 1, Esther Keown (Akld) 2m 9.17s 2, Ariana Harper (Cant) 2m 11.07s 3.

100m hurdles: Fiona Morrison (Cant) 13.92s 1, Rochelle Coster (Akld) 14.16s 2, Ashleigh Sando (WaikBoP) 14.61s 3.

Javelin throw: Tori Peeters (Otago) 53.56m 1, Stephanie Wrathall (Akld) 50.26m 2, Caitlin Bonne (Cant) 40.95m 3.

Hammer throw: Julia Ratcliffe (WaikBoP) 68.39m 1, Nicole Bradley (Akld) 61.93m 2, Lauren Bruce (Cant) 57.83m 3.

Long jump: Kelsey Berryman (Cant) 6.17m 1, Corinna Minko (Intl) 5.87m 2, Ashleigh Bennett (Tar) 5.86m 3, Brianna Stephenson (HBG) 5.68m 4.

High jump: Keeley OHagan (Wgtn) 1.77m 1, Imogen Skelton (Wgtn) 1.73m 2, Emma Sutherland (HBG) 1.73m 3.

4 x 100m relay: Auckland (Rochelle Coster, Portia Bing, Symone Tafunai, Zoe Hobbs) 46.08s 1, Canterbury 46.94s 2, Waikato Bay of Plenty 47.09s 3.

Under 20:

400m: Anna Hayward (Cant) 56.66s 1, Jordyn Blake (Cant) 57.35s 2, Laura MacCulloch (Otago) 57.78s 3.

800m: Stella Pearless (Akld) 2m 14.45s 1, Harriet Bush (Cant) 2m 15.99s 2, Sophie Glover (Cant) 2m 16.24s 3.

100m hurdles: Amy Robertson (Akld) 15.33s 1, Summer Rutherford (Cant) 15.42s 2, Alexandra Hyland (Akld) 15.52s 3.

Hammer throw: Dyani Shepherd-Oates (Sthld) 43.35m 1, Alana Ryan (Tar) 42.72m 2, Mellata Tatola (Akld) 40.86m 3.

Triple jump: Kayla Goodwin (WaikBoP) 12.19m 1, Jamie Speer (Akld) 11.28m 2, Emma McColl (Sthld) 11.19m 3.

Pole vault: Imogen Ayris (Akld) 4.00m 1, Hannah Adye (Akld) 3.57m 2, Aria Rhodes (Akld) 3.57m 3.

4 x 100m relay: Canterbury (Tegan Duffy, Summer Rutherford, Jordyn Blake, Anna Hayward) 48.24s 1, Otago 49.34s 2, Auckland 49.54s 3.

Under 18:

400m: Tayla Brunger (Manwtu/Wang) 56.26s 1, Maia Broughton (Cant) 56.45s 2, Charlotte Holland (Akld) 57.56s 3.

800m: Krystie Solomon (WaikBoP) 2m 12.81s 1, Maia Ramsden (Wgtn) 2m 15.18s 2, Sophie Atkinson (Akld) 2m 15.24s 3.

100m hurdles: Goodwin 14.87s 1, Tara McNally (Otago) 15.00s 2, Zoe Taylor (Akld) 15.12s 3.

Shot put: Jaidyn Busch (Cant) 14.98m 1, Amania Mafi (Wgtn) 13.38m 2, Shekhinalglory Laulala (Akld) 12.34m 3.

Discus throw: Zharna Beattie (Otago) 36.73m 1, Laulala 36.31m 2, Amania Mafi (Wgtn) 34.80m 3.

4 x 100m relay: Canterbury (Zoe Spinks, Pieta Hansen, Anoushka Chiswell, Maia Broughton) 48.69s 1, Auckland 49.21s 2, Waikato Bay of Plenty 49.46s 3.

Para-Athlete

Men:

400m: Keegan Pitcher (Akld) 55.39s 1, William Stedman (Cant) 55.65s 2, Ethan Rangi (Akld) 56.33s 3.

800m: Sunil Fernandez-Ritchie (WaikBoP) 2m 23.20s 1, Guy Harrison (HBG) 2m 53.25s 2.

Javelin throw: Rory McSweeney (Otago) 51.91m 1, Mitch Joynt (Akld) 19.97m 2.

Women:

400m: Libby Leikis (Wgtn) 77.80s 1.

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