Athletics New Zealand – News – Julia Ratcliffe improves 1.80m on her NZ Hammer Record and Weekly R’up

USA – Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton University New Jersey – 19 April 2013
Julia Ratcliffe added 1.80 metres to her New Zealand senior and under 20 national hammer throw records with her third round effort of 68.80m.

Her series was 64.64m, F, 68.80m, F, F, 61.99m. It also bettered her Oceania junior record.
The 19 year old from Hamilton, who is studying economics at the prestigious Ivy League Princeton University, won the competition throwing over four metres further than Victoria Flowers of Connecticut, to rank her second this season in the States. Ratcliffe twice New Zealand hammer throw champion set her previous record of 67m, on her 19th birthday at the world junior championships in Barcelona last July where she finished fourth.

Mt Sac Relays, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, California
18 April: In her first ever 10,000m track race Laura Nagel finished second in 33m 46.69s. 1500m races; Brendon Blacklaws 3m 47.27s 7th section 2, Matt Russ 3m 49.71s PB 3rd section 3, Reid Hunter 3m 54.53s 8th section 6, Annika Pfitzinger 4m 29.32s 7th section 3, Olivia Ritchie 4m 32.95s PB 10th section 6. Christina Taylor 3km Steeplechase 10m 51.85s 8th Open B.
19 April: Malcolm Hicks cut just over three seconds off his personal best set in Belgium last year in finishing 17th in the 5000m in 13m 43.96s. Dominic Channon recorded 14m 00.89s over 5000m for 2nd in the open A. Jullian Matthews was sixth in the 1500m in 3m 41.88s, 1.5s outside his best recorded in France last year. Lucy Van Dalen was second in the 5000m in a PB 15m 21.08s, clipping 2.46s off her time in finishing fourth last year in the same race. Van Dalen was fractionally outside the B performance standard of 15m 21s for the Moscow world championships.

Bryan Clay Invitational, Cougar Stadium, Azusa Pacific University – 19 April 2013
Annika Pfitzinger 800m 2m 13.35s 12. Michael Vercoe-Curtis 800m 1m 53.86s PB 10. Molly Florence 100m 11.92s (+2.6) 4. Dale Pritchard SP 14.78m 17.

Cougar Invitational, Mooberry Track Complex, Pullman Washington – 20 April 2013
Charlotte Muschamp (Washington State) won the triple jump with 12.46m (+1.3). Her series was 12.19m (0.0), 12.46m (+1.3), F, 12.16m (+2.7), 11.74m (+1.0), F.

Beach Invitational, Cerritos College, Norwalk California – 20 April 2013
Christina Taylor (North Texas) 1500m 4m 37.16s 19.

Boston Marathon – 15 April 2013
The leading New Zealand runners who finished the marathon up until the explosions near the finish line were: Chris Hartshorn based in Concord MA USA 2h 27m 58s 59, Glynn Hadley based in Scottsdale AZ USA 2h 49m 58s 823, Anthony Collie based in Sydney NSW 2h 55m 17s 1282, Andrew Wharton (Wgtn) 2h 58m 10s 1728, Christina Kersey based in Abu Dhabi 3h 6m 25s 3068. A total of 23,336 started and 17,580 finished just after the bombs went off.

One of the last to be able to finish, before the finish area was closed down, was 63 year old Joe Curcio from Chalfont Pennsylvania who finished 17,094 in 4h 8m 36s and the runner who was knocked over by the blast and photographed around the world was Bill Iffrig (78) from Lake Stevens Washington State who recorded 4h 3m 47s in 16609 place.

LONDON MARATHON – 21 April 2013
Tim Prendergast was 11th in the T11-13 (visual impairment) classification in IPC World Cup at the London Marathon in 2h 48m 34s.
Other New Zealanders who ran the 42.2km in under four hours were: Sophie Grant 3h 14m 20s 2654, Michele Allison 3h 21m 54s 3523, Ronald Adams 3h 46m 37s 7678, Melanie Ann Patterson 3h 49m 37s 8311, Rebecca Cash 3h 52m 16s 8903, Michael Eyre 3h 55m 51s 9790, Mary Lochhead 3h 58m 16s 10,469.
Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia won in 2h 6m 4s and Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya was the first woman in 2h 20m 15s.

AUCKLAND
HEB Cross Country, Pukekohe – 20 April 2013
Rachael Kingstone winner in 2011 returned after a year’s absence from racing to win the women’s 5km in 19m 58s, 34 seconds ahead of Amelia Watkinson.
“Previous injuries played a bit of havoc last season so I did a bit more cycling and I’m really surprised coming out here and winning,” said Kingstone.
“The course is great, it is one of my favourites with the hills and farm land,” she added.
Former Taranaki runner Matt Baxter stamped his authority on the junior ranks with an emphatic victory in his first win wearing his new blue Auckland City Athletic colours. Baxter headed in George Knowles and Leo Roper by a wide margin in the 5km race staged in heavy rain.
“It brings me back to the old Taranaki weather, with a bit of rain, bit of mud and the hills and stuff – I really enjoyed it,” he said.
Baxter who is studying for a criminology degree at AUT has fitted in well to the training regime since shifting to Auckland.
“The big thing is just having guys around that I can do my training with,” he said.
Baxter has already been around the world famous Arthur Lydiard Waitakere 35km circuit.
“I went around with Jono Jackson and it was a wake up call, it was good fun though, I’d definitely recommend it for training,” said Baxter.
Jono Jackson won the senior 7.5km, a week after taking fastest time in the 3km relay and winning the round the bays run last month.
Jackson led throughout the demanding three circuits to record 26m 6s, nearly a minute ahead of three times winner of the HEB event Stephen Lett. Josh Maisey was third in 27m 16s. Jackson said that he was just running on strength.
“My training partner Josh Maisey and I have been putting in quite a lot of miles, and for cross country that’s what we need really – just going out hard and keeping it as long as you can,” said Jackson.
But Jackson is not getting too carried away with his early season success.
“I’m going to come up against stronger and stronger opponents and the guys I have been racing with will get stronger and people like Alex (Parlane) and Brent (Henley) will be back and the racing will get better, but for now it’s pretty much just time trialling,” he said.

CHRISTCHURCH
Lionel Fox Memorial Relays, Woodend Beach – 20 April 2013
Christchurch Avon team of Matt Dryden, Sean Eustace, Matt Prest and Cameron Avery won the senior 4 x 5km relay in 1h 6m 45s, beating Papanui Toc H who recorded 1h 8m 36s. Ben Musson running for Toc H had the fastest 5km lap of 16m 7s. Sumner won the master men and women relays with Richard Bennett recording the fastest masters time of 16m 39s and Karen Muller fastest masters women’s time of 20m 4s. University of Canterbury won the senior women’s relay with their team of Leesa Edge, Tracey Croft, Libby Vincent and Angie Smit. Their total time was 1h 22m 30s, 21 seconds ahead of Christchurch Avon. Reubyn Bisschops had the fastest women’s time of 17m 32s. Papanui Toc H won the Boys 17 relay and Christchurch Avon the Girls 17. Tom Moulai was the quickest boy around the 2.5km lap in 7m 55s and Ari Graham the fastest girl in 8m 50s.

ROAD RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY

Auckland
O’Hagan’s Viaduct 5km, 16 April: Teklay Zinaw 16m 19s, Warick Brenan 16m 24s, Michael Rodliffe 16m 54s.
Rat Race 5km, Takapuna, 17 April: Stuart Grange 16m 29s, Peter May 17m 24s, Gene Rand 17m 45s. Alana Lythe 18m 23s.

Waihi
The Nugget Trail Run, 20 April: 21km, Kerry Suter 1h 40m 50s. Lesley Turner Hall 2h 3m 26s. 10km, Regan Bones 44m 55s.

Nelson
Alpine Lodge Loop 25km Trail Run, 20 April: Tane Cambridge 1h 43m 30s, Kevin O’Donnell 1h 50m 49s, Ian Reeves 1h 51m 35s. Nicki McFadzien 1h 57m 18s.

Dunedin
The Frontrunner Three Peaks Mountain Race, 21 April: 2007 national marathon champion Stafford Thompson won the three peaks 26km mountain race event in 2h 6m 53s. Phil Novis was second in 2h 15m 34s. Louisa Andrew was the first woman in 2h 33m 43s.

SPORT NZ SPORT AND RECREATION AWARDS CEREMONY
Dave Norris received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual awards ceremony in Wellington last Monday. This is the citation presented at the ceremony.
As a competitive athlete, Dave Norris ONZM specialised in the long jump and triple jump events. Born in Birkenhead, Auckland, he represented New Zealand at the 1960 Rome Olympics and competed at five British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1958 to 1974. He won a long jump silver medal at Perth in 1962 and a bronze in the triple jump at Cardiff in 1958. Dave has won 28 national titles and broken 11 records in jumping and hurdling over his career. A former high school principal at Glenfield College, he was also a North Shore City Councillor, chief executive of Basketball North Harbour and helped create the Millennium Institute of Sport. He is currently vice president of Athletics New Zealand, an organisation on which he has served for many years.

ATHLETICS OTAGO ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Coach: Raylene Bates. Contribution: Deidre Helm. Junior: Holly Robinson. Senior: Andrew Whyte. Women Winter: Rachel Kingsford. Men Winter: Peter Meffan. Otago Athlete of the Year: Andrew Whyte.

Murray McKinnon
Athletics Correspondent
Athletics New Zealand
0274 806086
murray@mckinnon.co.nz

 

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