REPEAT CHAMPIONS
Laura Nagel and Julian Oakley repeated their national 3000m titles in convincing fashion at the Team Ledger Harcourts Capital Classic meeting in Wellington on Friday 3 February both recording superior times to those of Hastings last January. Oakley was impressive setting sail with three laps remaining leaving Eric Speakman and the field in his wake to finish in 7:55.49. Oakley narrowly missed the Meet Record set by Rorey Hunter(AUS) like Oakley has just been selected to run at the World Cross Country in Bathurst. Nagel came from behind with a devastating last lap to overhaul new established national mile champion and resident record holder Rebekah Greene to claim the title in 9:19.18.
Oakley added the 3000m to the 10,000m title won at the Newtown Park track in November where he is developing a penchant for winning
MEET RECORDS
Four Meet records were set meaning there was shared a split of Team Ledger Harcourts Bonus Pool of $4000.00.
Joshua Hawkins [Auckland City Athletics] smashed James Mortimer’s 2006 meet record to win the 110m hurdles record with an almost flawless display over the barriers, clocking 14.08. Anna Percy went close to her best in the 100m hurdles winning in 13.88.
Tom Walsh [South Canterbury] continued his good form in the shot put posting a meeting record of 21.21m in the opening round, adding 20cm to his last year’s effort. All six attempts by Walsh were over 20 metres. Nick Palmer was second with 18.03m and Australian champion Aiden Harvey third with 18 metres. Para athlete Corran Hanning (NZ Secondary Schools team) also impressed with the 6kg implement setting a New Zealand U20 F12 record of 13.45m.
Australian triple jump champion Ayo Ore, set new meet record getting out to 15.60m beating Ebuka Okpala by just 4cm. Ethan Gow of Christchurch was third with 13.91m. Local National champion Anna Thomson was well clear with 12.01m to win the women’s triple jump.
In the final event of the night Anthony Nobilo [North Harbour Bays] bounced back to send the hammer out to 67.48m, adding five centimetres to Philip Jensen’s 2003 meeting record. Lauren Bruce took the women’s hammer with her best effort of 65.63m in the final round.
Hamish Gill was an impressive sprint double winner in 10.40 over 100m and 21.18 in the 200m. Newcomer to the sprinting scene Dhruv Rodrigues Chico came back from being DQ’d in the 100m to finish second in the 200m in 21.24. Georgia Hulls claimed the women’s sprint double clocking 11.65 in the 100m and 23.61 over 200m. Four-time Paralympic medallist and T36 athlete Will Stedman enjoyed a successful night claiming victory in the men’s para 100m in 12.72 before later recording a slick 25.55 to finish top spot in the men’s para 200m. Double Tokyo Paralympic sprint medallist Danielle Aitchison finished first in the women’s 100m para event, registering 14.53.
Holly Manning was again too strong repeating victory of 2022 over Jennifer Hauke and Stella Pearless in 2:06.62. James Ford scored a notable victory over Dominic Devlin in the elite men’s 800m in 1:52.52.
Alice Taylor scored a huge personal best in the high jump clearing 1.84m to beat Keeley O’Hagan 1.80m and Imogen Skelton 1.76m. Taylor later finished second in the javelin to Tori Peeters, who sent the spear out to 59.12m.
The first three in the men’s high jump were all over at 2.03m, Rafe Couillault winning on a count back from Adam Stack and Mate Poduje.
Natalia Rankin-Chitar won the shot put with a PB of 14.95m while Paralympic champion Lisa Adams with a mighty hurl of 14.73m claimed victory in a top-quality Para shot put. Behind, in second was joy for Sionnan Murphy who bettered her national U20 shot put F37 record with a throw of 8.54m.
Douw Botes won the javelin throwing 65.51m.
Laura Langley was 20 seconds outside her best in the 3000m race walk in 13:56.58. Jonah Cropp won from Lucas Martin and Toby O’Rorke.
The U20 miles went to Daniel Sinclair in 4:28.50 and Jessica McKenzie 5:21.97.
