Pace quickens as Whanganui athletes prepare for the busy part of the season

The award for the largest improvement in personal best performances came from Jessica Johnstone on club night at Cooks Gardens.

Today is the first day of November and for many school aged athletes by the last day of this month they will have completed the 2018 NCEA exams and the first of three days of the New Zealand Schools Championships in Dunedin — busy days.

Over the last few days Whanganui athletes have produced a series of confidence boosting performances that auger well for the major competitions ahead.

These performances were headed by Tayla Brunger who ran under 40 seconds over 300 metres for the first time stopping the clock at 39.88 seconds slicing half a second from her own Wanganui Collegiate record. Fellow NZ Schools international Emma Osborne was second reversing the result of Saturday's 400 metre race in Christchurch.

Osborne was only a smidgeon below her best. Genna Maples, Ana Brabyn and Sophie Williams in third to 5th position all set personal bests.

Liam Back following his success a week earlier over 800 metres impressed with a 3:57.43 win in the 1500 metres with his second best run over the metric mile. Zach Bellamy, George Lambert, Ben Conder in the next three places all setting bests and in the case of Lambert by nearly 10 seconds.

Rebecca Baker was pulled through to an excellent 1000 metres in the boy's race completing the first 800 metres in 2 minutes 18 seconds. Sarah Lambert, sister of George, won the girls 1500 metres with a time close to her best in a race that also produced a raft of best performances.

Close competition always lifts performances. This was highlighted by close battles between Connor Munro and Travis Bayler. Munro won the 300 metres and 100 metres by narrow margins clocking personal bests in both (36.58 and 11.91 respectively). We can look forward to more close battles as the season develops.

Munro's success follows further bests over 300 metres hurdles and Pole Vault at Hastings at the weekend.

Heavy rain set in by the time the 100 metre races on Tuesday and someone at Cooks said that the 100 metre race could have been titled the 100 metre freestyle.

Genna Maples splashed her way to victory over training mate Tayla Brunger winning in 12.59 from Bruner's 12.69 which was only two one hundredths outside her best.

This followed a successful Regional League effort at the weekend in Hastings. Maples took the 100m/200m double 12.40 and 25.72 and backed this up with a second in the Long jump (5.62 metres only 2 centimetres below her lifetime best). These performances spearheaded Whanganui's victory in the12 club competition.

The regional meet featured the emergence of some young promising athletes.

Lucy Brown was second in the Triple Jump with her first 10 metre jump (10.17) — such barriers are always significant in a young athlete's life. Brown also finished third in Long Jump only centimetres below her best.

Year 9 athlete Sophie Williams ran well to take third behind Maples in the 100 metres. Her 12.55 seconds was a wind aided best. Williams finished second to Maples over the 200 metres but headed Maples into the home straight. Her time of 26.17 was close to her best.

Paris Munro impressed over the 80 metre hurdles and backed this up with a promising Triple Jump and anchored the female 4 x 100 metre relay team to victory in a good early season 50.82.

The award for the largest improvement in personal best performances came from Jessica Johnstone who finishing second to New Zealand Schools representative Charlotte Floodsmith-Ryan. Johnstone took nearly 20 seconds off her previous best to cross the line in 5:10.73. A good reward for perseverance in training.

The second round of the Regional League is in Palmerston North at the weekend where Whanganui will be looking to increase their lead in the team competition and athletes will be seeking new personal bests and confidence lifting performances.