Special credit must go to Mark Searle, president of Feilding Athletics, for helping establish the new club. ♦ This weekend a number of Manawatū athletes are travelling to Taupō to compete in the North Island cross-country championships. The central location is a popular venue for athletes from all points of the North Island to converge and compete, with the added attraction of a recovery session in one of the nearby hot thermal pools adding to the appeal. ♦ The dates for this year’s winter track series have been confirmed, with Masterton hosting the first day’s events on Sunday, July 11. The events are the 100m, a distance option of 1000m, 3000m, 5000m, 1500m, 400m, or a 2x200m relay.
Based on his sub-11-second performances I would give Zac Topping the male sprinter of the year award The female sprinter of the year is almost impossible to determine. How do you split the performances of Addirra Collette, Chayelle Collette, Monique Gorrie and Kimberley Walsh? All are championship titleholders and worthy winners. I’m going to sit on the fence and make it a joint award to Addirra and Chayelle Collette. It is a lot easier looking at the male hurdler of the year. The award goes to Braxton Kauri and the female award to Juliette McKinlay. Winning a senior national title means Kara Macdermid is our female distance runner of the year. The male award is a toss up between Noah Macdermid and Benjamin Wall, with Wall just ahead.
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There has now been 69 sub-four-minute miles completed on the track. Benjamin Wall did not go with the early pace, but led the chasing bunch home, finishing very strongly for fifth place in 4m 3.95s. This was a personal best and a good indication he could be the first Palmerston North athlete. Noah Macdermid also achieved a big personal best, coming home 11th in 4m 10.22s. The meeting got off to a good start for Palmerston North, with Chayille Collette running a personal best of 12.39s in winning the women’s 100 metres. Later in the evening she ran another personal best of 25.39s, finishing second in the 200m.