Whanganui athlete Jordan Hume prefers the team environment

Whanganui teenager Jordan Hume relishes the team environment of relay racing. PHOTO/Stuart Munro

Most athletes have their specialty and for Jordan Hume it's relay.

The Wanganui Collegiate School 17-year-old is more comfortable in the team environment rather than testing her skills on an individual level.

Collegiate head coach Alec McNab said Hume was one of a small group of athletes at New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) competition who's entry read "Relays only".

"Unlike most athletes at the event who were concentrating on individual events, her complete focus was on stepping onto the track as a member of a successful relay team," McNab said.

"Few change a baton better than Hume and running in the key second leg in the 4x100m where she has to give and receive the baton, she has proved be right at the centre of her team's success."

Hume made her first appearance at NZSS as part of the winning under-16 4x400m team when with Kate Tylee, Olivia Seymour and Grace Godfrey, they were clear winners. The success in Timaru began a series of three wins with different combinations at junior level bringing two successive New Zealand Schools records.

Last year Hume was part of a senior team that finished fourth with a combination that won their heat with an impressive display of outstanding changeovers.

This time would have won the final, but unfortunately a small mistake at the last change (not involving Hume) cost them the title.

There was a sense of unfinished business and the quartet, all of them returned to school in 2017, were determined to step onto the podium.

"The strength of a squad is its depth and this was certainly the case in 2017. Lead out runner Sophie Ensor was diagnosed with glandular fever, meaning that the team of Lexi Maples, Hume, Olivia Seymour and Grace Godfrey, who had run so well together at the Brien Clay meeting in California, stepped out for the heat in Hastings at the start of December and qualified for the final," McNab said.

"Unfortunately a repeat hamstring injury to Grace Godfrey sustained at the end of the end of the race meant another change with Sophie Redmayne running a superb anchor leg to take silver.

"Godfrey, a 400m specialist, was a greater loss to the 4x400m team that moved from strong medal contender to seventh in the final."

Hume played a key role in both and helped enhance Wanganui Collegiate's strong record in relays and helped the best record of any school in Hastings with three medals and a further four teams running in finals.

Hume, with her skilled baton changes, helped in this and gives the edge over many schools who put together four sprinters without the necessary relay skills and dedication to team success.

"Hume has shown potential in 400m and will explore both the individual 400m and 800m in her final year and at the same time continue to hone her considerable skill and experience at number two in the relay team."