The six Aspiring Athletes Club (AAC) members who competed at the Athletics Otago Interclub meeting at The Caledonian in Dunedin on Saturday (October 19) ran a total of six personal bests (PBs).

There would also have been a new Otago record but for the wind being too great.

Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College (MAC) year 11 student Phoebe Laker (15) better known as a 400m specialist (she is New Zealand’s Women’s U16 double champion), showed her versatility in the shorter sprints.

“In the Women’s 200m race she ran superbly, winning in an extremely fast time of 25.04 seconds,” AAC coach Michael Beable told the Wānaka App.

This bettered by 0.3 seconds the Otago Age-15 record - but the wind, at 4.3 metres per second (m/s), was over the allowable limit of 2m/s for record purposes.

Phoebe Laker (15) showed her versatility.

This time was more than 0.4s faster than any time so far recorded in the country this year for age 15 girls.

In the Women’s 100m on Saturday, Phoebe placed second with a PB time of 12.40 seconds, with a tail wind of 2.6m/s.

Year 13 MAC student Cody Armstrong continued his form after his sub-50 second 400m at the opening of the season on October 12.

On Saturday he set a PB time of 22.94 seconds, placing 2nd in the Men’s 200m. He was also second in the Men’s 100m race (with 11.41 seconds) and in the 60m (with 7.29s) - into a headwind.

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Teammate Matthew Botting (also in year 13 at MAC) ran a PB with 23.63 seconds in placing fifth in the Men’s 200m. He also placed second in the 18-19 age category in the Men’s 100m race with 11.77 seconds.

Year 8 MAC student Ruby Swamy (12) was not fazed in her first-ever track meeting at The Caledonian, in which the senior athletes competed.

She won Section 2 of the W12+ 100m in 14.23 seconds - a PB, and also placed second in Section 2 of the W12+ 200m, in a PB time of 29.05 seconds – “a big confidence boost for her”, Michael said.

Although early in her season, former MAC student Niamh Townsend (19) won the Women’s 60m race in a sharp 8.10 seconds, into a head wind of 1.4m/s. In the Women’s 100m she placed third in 12.56 seconds (with a 2.6m/s tailwind).

Georgie Bruce (19), also a former MAC student, ran 13.42 seconds for 100m and 27.22 seconds for the 200m.

“Both Georgie and Niamh, having left school, are using these early competitions as training for their main competitions, which will occur in the new year,” Michael said.

He said the athletes will now take a break from competition as they train for their next event on November 2.

The senior MAC athletes’ (Cody, Matthew and Phoebe) focus before Christmas will be the NZ Secondary Schools Athletic Association Championships, to be held in Timaru on December 6-8.

“Notwithstanding the interruptions to their training over the last two months due to the rain and using grass surfaces, their preparations for the nationals are shaping up nicely,” Michael said.

PHOTOS: Supplied