Ava Edge winning the G11 800m at the Colgate Games. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED
Athletes nab six medals
ATHLETICS
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
Wellington centre championships to Jack Hunter and Lyon Rodger, and personal bests for Matthew Rodger and Liam Lamb were highlights for Wairarapa athletes at the first meeting of the Wairarapa Summer Series held at the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl on Saturday.
Hunter from Athletics Wairarapa [AW] won the boys 16-17 800m title in one minute, 56.87 seconds, with Flynn Register [ACM] in third place.
Lamb [Wairarapa Track and Field – WTF] continued his good middle-distance form, finishing third in the senior men’s 800m in 1.3.73, slashing more than four seconds off his previous best time.
Bradyn Grant set up the race as pacemaker for the first 400m, and Ben Wall who has a PB of 1.50.5 took control of the race on lap two.
In the home straight it was just the three of Wall, Eric Speakman, who won the Night of 5s in Auckland in December, and Lamb, and they finished in that order.
Lyon Rodger [WTF] took the major honours in the boys’ 15 and under 200m, with clubmate William Roe-White second in a new PB.
Matthew Rodger [WTF] set a new PB for the 100m of 11.37sec, knocking .09sec off his previous best after missing the start slightly. He also finished second in the boys’ 18-19 200m.
April Milne [AW] took the gold medal in the girls’ 16-17 200m, ahead of Mackenzie Murray [WTF].
North Island Colgate Games
Wairarapa Track and Field athletes came home with six medals, including two golds, from the recent North Island Colgate games in Inglewood, Taranaki.
The annual games attracted nearly 1200 athletes aged from seven to 14 from around the North Island for three days of intense competition, with many events featuring big fields.
Twelve-year-old Mia Hewson won gold in the girls’ long jump and placed third in the high jump.
Ava Edge picked up the region’s second gold medal in the 11-year-old girls’ 800m. She also finished sixth in a strong 400m field.
John Hewson featured strongly over the three days, winning three silvers in the eight-year-old boys’ long jump and 60m, and the B7 100m.
Other notable achievements included fourth to Charlie Edge in B11 800m, a fifth placing for Neve Meade in the G14 high jump, and sixth placings for Sovaia Sabutu [Athletics Wairarapa] in the G14 200m and 400m.
