Athletics Insight: Whanganui athletes excel as North Island Schools Championships near

Whanganui's Auguz Thongskul (right) on the podium with his bronze medal in the under-18 long jump at the Athletics New Zealand Championships in Dunedin in March 2025.

Year 11 Whanganui High School long jumper Auguz Thongskul has had a memorable month.

At the Athletics New Zealand Track and Field Championships early in the month, Thongskul had a 46cm personal best to take bronze. Last Tuesday, he won a competitive Whanganui Schools 100m title and last night he confirmed his place in the Whanganui Schools Team to North Island Schools in Hamilton at the start of April in the long jump.

Thongskul was one of many athletes competing in field events which were abandoned a week earlier at the Whanganui Secondary Schools Championships. Thongskul, although below his Dunedin performance (6.47m), was the event leader in the long jump by almost a metre (5.93m).

Lulu Dufty (Whanganui High School) was the leading female long jumper (4.67m) and also won the triple jump (10.37m). In the triple jump, Maareca Kedrewaca (Whanganui Collegiate School) impressed with a personal best 9.58m which bodes well for the junior grade at the North Island Schools. In the boys, there was a close battle between Lucas Howard (Whanganui High School) and Presley Bretherton (Whanganui Collegiate) with Howard winning in the final round with a 11.36m to win by 5cm. Both recorded personal bests.

Rangitīkei College Year 10 Angus Ratana travelled from Marton to trial in the high jump. He won the combined grade competition with an excellent 1.70m jump, a good reward for his travel. He is clearly a young jumper with considerable potential.

The trial events in the field included high, long and triple jumps, shot, discus and javelin in the extended programme. It was a busy final Club Night of the season with a normal track programme, the selection trial events and Whanganui Schools Hammer and Steeplechase Championships in an evening with more than 160 recorded performances.

Hannah Byam (Whanganui Collegiate) won the Whanganui Secondary Schools girls' 2000m steeplechase with a four-second personal best (7m 18.42s).

Byam, who turned 16 only this month, moves to number five in the Whanganui Collegiate School all-time rankings and should be encouraged that all four ahead of her went on to wear the New Zealand black singlet. Byam last week won the 3000m by over a minute, finished second in the high jump and a week earlier she finished second to close rival Grace Fannin (Whanganui Girls College) over 300m hurdles. Olivia Gilbertson (Collegiate), although 30s back, took the senior girls' steeplechase title (7m 57.48s) with a massive personal best.

Lennox Brotherston (Whanganui High School) added the boys' 2000m steeplechase to the 1500m and 3000m won a week earlier. In all his races he ran boldly from the front.

The other Whanganui Schools title went to Year 9 Whanganui Collegiate School thrower Phoebe Corin in the hammer. Although small in stature, Corin impressed with her 29.17m throw which was almost 10m beyond the North Island Schools guideline standard. Corin won the discus last week and was also the leading triallist in the shot.

Jonathan Maples returned to Cooks Gardens for the first time after his medal-winning performances in Dunedin which were followed by a bout of Covid. Although in a transition phase before entering a new phase of training, he looked good, especially over 150m (16.34s) backed up with a win over 60m. These are events he has not previously run this summer and he goes to the top of the Whanganui rankings in both.

There were many personal bests set on an evening that, unlike recent Tuesdays, had perfect conditions. Such performances only 11 days out from the North Island Schools will lift confidence.

James McGregor (Whanganui High School), who took three titles (300m hurdles, 100m hurdles and 400m) at Whanganui Schools, should be delighted with his 300m (39.90s) as will teammate Sean Frieslaar who won his 300m, stopping the clock at 38.55s. Earlier he was paced by Damian Hodgson to a personal best (1m 31.58s) over 600m. Both races provided ideal preparation for his middle-distance events in Hamilton at the end of next week.

Grace Fannin (Whanganui Girls College), who had taken earlier Whanganui Schools titles in the 300m hurdles and 400m, had another confidence-lifting personal best over 300m (45.17s). Grace O’Leary (Cullinane) impressed in the 600m (1m 47.74s) and looks to be an exciting middle-distance prospect.

Next week I will preview the season-ending North Island Secondary Schools Championships and also look back on Juliet McKinlay’s outstanding medal-winning performance at the New Zealand Combined Events Championships last weekend in Auckland.