Preston leads Athletics Wellington’s athlete performances of excellence across a range of events.
Over the last week or so performances from International Track meets, to Schools Cross Country and excellent Half marathon performances have been clocked by Wellington athletes.
James Preston, of the Wellington Scottish Club clocked NZ’s 3rd best ever Men’s 800m performance running 1:45.37 personal best elevating him from ninth to third behind Sir Peter Snell and Sir John Walker on the New Zealand all-time list. Four days after this performance in the Czech Republic at the Kladno Hazia Kladenske Memorial meet in Kladno, he eclipsed it further to run 1.45.30 in Merck-Laufgala, Pfungstadt, Germany on 18 June.
Former Wellington female middle distance women who represent Athletics Wairarapa and Wellington Harrier Athletics respectively – Allison Andrews-Paul and Maia Ramsden have continued to clock outstanding performances over their specialist distances of 800 metres and 1500 metres.
Andrews Paul clocked another smart 2.04.47 to finish 5th in the Harry Jerome Classic at Burnaby Vancouver Canada, and she looks forward to upcoming the Canadian Championships. Ramsden finished her College season in style for Harvard running another set of PB’s at the prestigious NCAA finals weekend in Eugene ORE placing 10th in the women’s 1500m final in a time of 4.12.46 PB to better her 4.13.54 from two weeks prior. She had clocked 4.14.12 in her heat just two days prior. her finals performance She now ranks 13th on NZ women’s 1500m all time list.
Over the weekend in Nelson Wellington Secondary School athletes performed as group with distinction at the NZSS Cross Country and Cross Country Relay Championships. Top performances went to Ava Sutherland 7th who led her Wellington College team mates in the Senior Girls competition to win the three person and six person team for their school, while backing up to take the Interprovincial silver medal in the 5 person 2km relay on Sunday. Similarly the Wellington College year 9 team dominated the 3 person title. Poppy Healy was the best in Junior Girl’s taking 6th place. Rongotai College’s Desmond Reddy took the 3km Year 9 boys title in 10:12, George Gray, Wellington College was 2nd in 10:17. These lads with team mates won the year 9 Interprovincial relay as did their Senior boys counterparts.
Meanwhile back in Wellington on Sunday the Wellington Marathon and associated races was finally staged after Covid hold ups in the previous two years . An outstanding race record to Sarah Drought in the women’s Half Marathon was the standout performance. Drought’s 1:17:06 PB was a race record, ahead of inform Hannah Miller 1:18:08, Esther George 1:19:37. Mens Half marathon top three were Michael Voss 1:07:13, Toby Gualter 1:07:44 PB, Nathan Tse 1:08:14 PB
The Wellington Marathon titles went to Sam McCutcheon 2:30:09, and Lisa Brignull 3:07:39, respectively
