Lisa Adams shines in Sola Power event
Although the World Athletics Permit meet events were Shot and Discus for Men and Women it was Para athlete Lisa Adams unleashing a world-class throw of 15.18m to win at the Sola Power Throwers meet on Saturday in Lower Hutt that shone most of all. Improving on her performance from the previous evening at the Team Ledger Harcourts Capital Classic by almost half a metre, the Paralympic champion Lisa Adams impressed with her longest throw for two years with a mighty hurl of 15.18m rating at 97.94% on the WPA scoring.
To put the performance of the reigning world and Paralympic shot put F37 thrower into context, Adams’ world record mark set in 2020 stands at 15.50m. After striking gold at the Tokyo Paralympics the Lake City AC athlete underwent surgery and she also admitted it was challenging to maintain motivation in the wake of the postponement of the 2022 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan. However, her performance at the SolaPower Throwing Academy suggested she is approaching her very best form.
Adams will look to compete at the Porritt Classic in Hamilton on 11 February before moving on to compete at the 2023 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington (2-5 March) before heading north for the Sir Graeme Douglas International Presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co in Auckland on 16 March.
Behind Adams, Sionnan Murphy bettered her national U20 shot put F37 record for a second successive day. The 17-year-old Takapuna Athletics athlete who powered the shot out to 8.54m the previous night at Newtown Park added a further 18cm to that mark to complete a very satisfactory couple of days work for the Aucklander.
New Zealand U20 shot put champion Natalia Rankin-Chitar (Papatoetoe), who posted a PB of 14.95m at the Team Ledger Harcourts Capital Classic, backed up that performance to win the U20 event with a best of 14.37m. Mikayla Sola (Lower Hutt) – daughter of event organiser, Shaka – won the U18 women’s shot competition with a PB of 13.49m.
Nick Palmer (Hastings) having finished 2nd to Tom Walsh at the Capital meet fired out his best effort of 18.72m in round six to claim a comfortable victory in the men’s shot from the improving Liam Ngchok-Wulf (Papakura), who recorded a best of 16.99m, almost hitting the 17.00m mark for the 2nd time in two weeks.
Another national para record tumbled as Jack Lewer added 8cm on to his New Zealand open shot put F20 mark as the Palmerston North athlete pinged the 7.26kg shot out to 12.03m. Para athlete Corran Hanning (Kiwi Athletic) followed up his national U20 shot F20 record of 13.45m at Newtown Park on Friday with a best of 13.31m. In the men’s discus he exceeded his national U20 F12 record, firing the 1.75kg implement to an impressive 37.89m.
The Men’s discuss was fine tussle with Jake Zaia, the 2022 national silver medallist of Titahi Bay, edged a close-fought competition with a throw by 97cm with a best of 48.54m from Nathaniel Sulupo, the Samoan international. Zaia’s club-mate Lui To’omaga Tapuai claimed victory in the U18 division with a best of 40.11m.
New Zealand U20 women’s champion Natalia Rankin-Chitar put in a dominant display to win the women’s U20 category with a best of 49.73m. A 40.24m toss by Ana Ellison-Lupena of Titahi Bay earned her top spot in the U18 division.
Aussie Damian Wells fresh from his Newtown Park performance claimed top spot in the men’s hammer with a best of 54.16m. The evergreen 55-year-old Phil Jensen who lost his 20 year old meet record at the Capital the previous night, grabbed second with 50.88m with 2022 New Zealand U20 silver medallist Max Abbot setting a PB of 48.76m in third. Alex Hewitt (Mana) shaded the U18 competition with a best of 53.14m from Heath Abbot (Karori), who set a PB of 52.73m for second.
Lexi Maples (Christchurch Old Boys) shaded a competitive senior women’s hammer event with a best mark of 55.89m from Taieri’s Dyani Shepherd-Oates (53.52m). The respective national U20 and U18 champions dominated their age divisions with Elizabeth Hewitt (Mana) hurling the hammer out to 51.06m (U20) and Mikayla Sola (U18) taking top honours with 45.50m.
The day after setting a PB of 58.04m at Newtown Park New Zealand U20 silver medallist Kaleb Sola (Lower Hutt) backed this up claiming the scalp of senior men’s national javelin champion Jared Neighbours. The 19-year-old Sola clinched top spot with a 53.42m to eclipse the best mark of the Christchurch Old Boys athlete by 1.38m.
Angus Lyver, the national U20 decathlon champion, enhanced his javelin personal best for a second successive day to win the men’s U20 division. The versatile Palmerston North athlete fired the 800g spear to 55.68m in Wellington last night before improving today with a 56.37m mark.
Leala Willman (Auckland City) was another athlete to improve across the two respective meets at Newtown Park and at the SolaPower Throwing Academy. Yesterday she hit 35.40m only to set another PB of 36.92m today to win the U20 women’s javelin.
