Five athletes from the Aspiring Athletes’ Club performed well at the NZ Secondary Schools Athletics Association Championships in Timaru recently (December 6-8). 

The popular championships - the premier competition on NZ’s Secondary Schools Athletics Calendar - attracted approximately 1,035 athletes from 198 schools.

The five local athletes, all Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students, were kept busy, competing in at least two events each.

A highlight was the standout performance by year 11 MAC student Phoebe Laker (15), who is already a two-time national title holder in the Women’s Under-16 400m category. 

Phoebe Laker in action.

She won the Girls’ U16 400m final with a tactically well-run race, Aspiring Athletes senior coach Michael Beable told the Wānaka App.

“She pulled away by almost 0.9s from the rest of the field down the home straight (leaving the others in her wake). Other than confirming herself as the best junior girl 400m in the country, the win was a consolation for her after having missed competing last year because of troublesome knee tendon,” he said.

Phoebe’s time of 56.16s was a personal best (PB), and she set Otago records for girls aged 15, 16 and 17, for at least the seventh time, he added.

The busiest MAC athlete over the three day competition was year 13 student Cody Armstrong (18). He ran three 400m individual races in three days, achieving a creditable sixth place in the final out of a total of 30 competitors.

Year 9 student Eve Pfahlert (13) was entered in the Girls’ U16 200m for experience, and she used it as a warmup for the school’s mixed relay, which took place on the Sunday. Matthew Botting (18) also ran in the 200m and did well, making the Senior Boys’ semi-finals.

Year 12 student Ryan Enoka (17) was MAC’s sole competitor in the throwing events, achieving fifth place in hammer, and 14th in discus.

In the mixed 4x400m relay that MAC entered, two races were held and the final placings were decided on times across both. MAC won the second race, but was placed fourth overall, on time.

“The MAC athletes ran their hearts out, and the way in which the last MAC runners chased down the runners ahead brought a cheering crowd to its feet,” Michael said.

“With the lead runner ahead by 80-90m with just a lap to go, Cody ran a blinder of a last leg, getting ahead finally, with a last-ditch lean right at the finish line… It was a stirring performance by this new team which had not run together before.”

He said the relay was a fitting end to the athletes’ efforts at the event; and “something they, and the school, can be very proud of”.

The young athletes have done particularly well given not being able to train regularly enough on Wānaka’s grass track because of all the recent rains. About 20 training days had been lost due to rain over the latter part of winter, and in spring, Michael said.

Remaining competitions this season include the nationally ranked Lovelock Classic meeting in Timaru (January 11), one of only five ‘Classics’ to be held in the South Island this summer.

PHOTOS: Supplied