Splendid 1500m win to Lowsley at Q.E.II Park

Press, 2 January 1979, Page 15

Splendid 1500m win to Lowsley at Q.E.II Park

Athletics b- ■

Bv

ROD DEW

A powerful sprint finish en- 1 shied the young steeplechase < specialist. Neil Lowsley (New Brighton*, to defeat more fav- < cured rivals in the tenioi 1500 m < ex ent in the final inter-club track J and field meeting of the year? at Queen Elizabeth 11 Park on ' Saturday < Lowsley. who is only 19 and’] still a junior, was well back in ’ fourth place at the bell, but 20m j from the finish he burst clear ; of the mam bunch to cross the , finishing line in 3min 33.45e<-. It was not his best time but it was a splendid effort■ < considering he has yet toil begin his speed work. His? tai get is to break 3min 50sec < for the distance, a time which ■ xxill ensure him a place in the i international field for the 1500 m I race at the Pan Am-South Pacific I Television meeting at the same I venue on January 20 His next chance to do this will | be at the Ashburton meeting ( next Saturday. “I wasn’t confident at all of,, winning.” Lowsley said after-; wards. "1 got a hell of a shock;, when I caught up on the others!' eo fast.” I, Lowslex. who has often played second fiddle to another out-1 standing xoung steeplechaser. Peter Renner (New Brighton', is very keen to show his ability l n'er the 1500 m flat However, nobody rated him muck of a! chance in the early stages ofj Saturday’s race. The marathon specialist. Doni Greig (New Brighton), set Hie! pace on the opening lap. This role was then taken oxer by a: former national junior champion.; Warren Sheddan (Olympic). I Renner claimed the lead with 600 m to run and at the bell he; led from Sheddan; the nationally! ranked Otago runner. Brendan Pauley, and Lowsley. Renner stretched his lead to 10m down the back straight, but on the final turn Sheddan caught him and appeared poised for a sucessful bid for victory as the field entered the finishing straight. Then, just as Sheddan made his move. Pauley burst through the middle into the lead. Fifty metres frorti home it seemed he only needed to maintain his pace to win. But Lowsley swept past Renner and Sheddan then, just 20m short of the finish, he went past Pauley as if. he was standing still. Pauley had to be content with second in 3min 53.8 sec. Sheddan was third and Renner fourth. Top honours in the women's 1500 m went to the New Zealand c r oss-cou n t ry representative. Marx O’Connor (University). She was shadowed for much of the distance by Wendy Mollison (University), but her rival hadi no answer to her greater fin-! Ishing strength. O'Connor recorded 4min 33.1 J iec and Mollison 4min 37.25ee. ■ Making his first appearance off the summer on the track, the ; Commonwealth Games steeple -I chase representative. Martini Couldwell (University). proved! too strong for the highly re-1 garded Otago visitor, Chip Dunk Je\. in the 5000 m. Couldwell reached the finish in 14min 23.45ec. comfortably clear of Dunkley, the winner of the 5000 m event in the recent triangular representative contest between Otago. Canterbury, and; Southland. Tony Good (New Brighton), who is among New? Zealand’s finest marathon run? iters, was third. Although several of the province's leading steeplechase runners were competing in other events, this could not detract from tile good win obtained by Allan McLaren (New Brightoni in the senior 3000 m steeplechase. De finished very comfortably ahead of the veteran former Canterbury champion, Jim Macdonald (Olympic), in 9min 28.4 sec, It was a day of double success for the ageless VaJ Young (Technical). She defeated her close rival. Geraldine Brooks 'Toe H),i In the discus with a throw of I 41.62 m. Brooks, who exceeded 40m in the triangular contest? this time had a best distance of 39.46 m. Vicky Phillips (Technical) was third with 35.88 m. Young had no challengers in; the shot. She xvon this with a; throw of 13.29 m. Jan Bishop: (Technical* was second, and; Brooks third. Bishop triumphed in the javelin with a throw of 40.88 m. This, was a somewhat unusual event in that the two contestants only! managed txvo acceptable throws; between them from their 12: attempts. Bishop recorded four nothrows and her only rival, Jan,

Ritchie 'Toe H), had all six ruled out. Ritchie’s husband, Mike Ritchie -Toe Hi. however, gained enough success for both of them. He xvon the men's javelin (48.32 m the long jump 16.95 m», and the pole vault (4.50 m His effort in the pole vault was a particularly praiseworthy effort, achieved in xerx difficult wind conditions. It is clear that he is almost ready for an attempt on his oxvn New Zealand record of 4.71 m, set almost two xears ago. In the long jump. Ritchie was; engaged in an entertaining; tussle with the (ormer multiple; Canterbury champion, Ken Simpson (Toe H), and the outcome was in doubt until the end of the final round. Simpson led for the first two rounds with 6.88 m, but was unable to improve on this. Ritchie gained the lead with his third jump of 6.94 m and increased this bv a centimetre on his fourth attempt. It proved; enough. ! Another multiple winner on; [Saturday was the xoung Ashburton athlete, Mary O'Connell. She; I won the women's long jump and > high jump, and finished second* ' to Vickx Doak (Technical) in the 100 m sprint j The Nexv Zealand junior sprint champion. Joe Leota (High! School Old Boys-Te Kura), was! the star of the sprint events? I He won the junior 200 m in al 1 smart 22.75ec and t lie senior ; 100 m in Usee, not to mention i an excellent victory in the I junior discus. Richard Goldstone (High School ; Old Boys-Te Kura) looked comi foi table in winning the senior 400 m in the good time of 49sec. I Jeff Bailey (High School Old Boys) ran second in 50.8 sec. The senior hammer contest de veloped into a father-son duel. Matt Leech (Technical) demonstrated that there was no substitute for youth with a winning performance of 47.98 m. His father, Dave Leech (University), a former holder of the New Zealand title, achieved a best of 40.04 m for second place. Results:—* Abbreviations used in tiie fol lowing results are: Ashburton (Ash.). Avon (A.), Cashmere (Cash.), Olympic (O.), High School Old Boys-Te Kura (H.S.i. Nexv Brighton (N.B.i. PapanuiRedwood . (P R.), Shirleys (5.)., Technical (T.). Toe H (T IL). University (U.), St Bede's (St B ). WOMEN Senior 100 m.—N. Doak (T.), 12.7. 1: M. O’Connell (Ash.). 12.9. 2: D. Barraclough (A.), 13.0. 3. 400 m.—L. Daniel (T.H.), 59.7. 1; R. Burn .H.S.). 60.1. 2; P. Bennett (Ash.). 63.2. 3. 1500 m.—M. O’Connor <U.), 4:33.1. 1: W. Mollison (U ). 4:37.4, 12; L Milne (U.), 6:10.5. 3. Long jump.—M. O'Connell ■'Ash.). 5.23. 1: B. Murray (T.H.), '4.89. 2; J. Ritchie (T,H.i.‘ 4.57. 3. Shot.—V. Young (T.i. 13.29. I; : J. Bishop (T.). 12.39, 2; G. i Brooks (T H ). 10.71, 3. High lump.—NT. O’Connell (Ash.). 1.65. 1. Javelin.—J. Bishop <T.), 40.88.1. Discus—V. Vonng (T.i. 41 62, 1; G. Brooks (TH.). 39.46. 2; V. : Phillips (T.). 35.88, 3. Under 18 High jumn.—P. Bennett (Ash.). • 1.60, 1: S. Beadle (T.H.), 1.55, 2; J. Wood (N. 8. 1.4 p, 3. Long jump.—J. Wood (N. 8. [533. 1. Under 16 100 m.—C Sutton (NB), 13.4. 1; A. Wise (Cash). 13.9, 2; L. McGill 'Cash). 14.0. 3. Long jump.—J. Smith (TH), 4.94 1; A. Curran (NB), 4.76, 2; C Sutton (NB), 4.53. 3. Shot.—M. White (HS), 9.26, 1; C. Rose (T), 8.05. 2. MEN Senior 100m.—Section A: J. Leota (HS), 110, 1; S. Welford FIS), 11.2 2; J. Bailey (HS), 11.4, 3. Section B: G. Mitehell (TH). 11.8. : I; P. Shennan (IIS), 12.2, 2: G. Drummond (IIS). 12.4, 3. 400m.—Section A: R. Goldstone ! (HS), 49.0. 1; J. Bailey (HS), 50.8, 2; E. Hamilton (U.), 51.1. 3. Sec- ■ tion B: S. Welford (HS). 51.8, 1; ;I. Lattimore (Ash), 52.4, 2; J. Barnfield (TH), 56.0. 3. Section ; C: P. Shannan (HS). 54.6. 1; R. i Clark (Ti. 55.2. 2; G Drummond (HS>. 56.0 3. 800 m.—B. Pitts *Ui, 2:0.6, 1: M. ; Wilson (Cash) 2:1.8, 2; R. Hibi berd (HS). 2:3.1. 3. 1500 m.—N. Lowsley (NB). 3:53.4, I; B. Paulev (Otago). 3:53.8. 2; !:W. Sheddan‘(O), 3:55.0. 3. 5000 m.—M. Couldwell <U.), 14:23.4, 1: C. Dunklex (Otago), [ 14:27.3 2; T Good (NB), 14:35.2, .3, 3000 m steeplechase.—A. McLaren (NBi. 9:28.4, 1: J. Macdonj aid (O). 9:50.4, 2; M. O’Connor (U), 10:11.1. 3 Discus.—M Leech (Ti, 41.98. 1; J. Gleeson <T), 41.44. 2; K Hick- ' man (Tl, 39.44. 3. 1 Long jump.—M. Ritchie 'TH). 6.95 I; K. Simpson iTIIi. 6.88, 2; R. Read 'HS) 6 33, 3. Pole vault. —M. Ritchie <THh 4.50. I • Hammer.—M. Leech <T). 47.98. ?1; D Leech (U>, 40.04. 2: R. Rose I (T). 38.64, 3. , Javelin.—M. Ritchie /IH), 48.32. •il; B. Lewis (Invercargill), 41.50. 2, 4 x 100 m relay.—Toe H, 47.7, 1. Junior 100 m.—E. Peterson (T). 11.5. 1; ;iT. Davies (HS). 11.8, 2; G. Parker !(HS). 11.9. 3 ' 200 m.—J. Leota (HS), 22.7. 1: | A. Gil) (TH). 23.5, 2. Triple jump.—S. McKee TH). ! 13.91 1: D. Bolton (Tib. 12.66, 2: ID. McKee (THi. 11.56. 3 ? Hammer.—G Jones (Invercargill). 22.98, I. ' Discus.—J. Leota (HS). 36.28. 1: i;G. Jones (Invercargill). 33.66. 2. Long jump.—E. Peterson (T),

6.92, 1; S. McKee (TH), 8.58. 2;' T. Davies 'HSh 6.37, 3. Javelin.—T. Kele <T), 45.42, 1;* D. McKee <TH). 44.16, 2, M. Slattery (TH), 26.02, 3. Under 18 100 m.—P. Wooding (IIS), 12.0.1 1; D. Bolton (THi. 12.5. 2. 200 m.—P. Wooding HS). 24.7. 1. 800 m.—M. Young (Ash), 1:59.1, 1: G. Hardy (Ui, 2:0.1, 2; D. Fleming (Chch). 2:50.0, 3. 3000 m—G. Prendergast lAshi, 9:29.4, i: M. Young (Ash). 9:40.7, 2; 1 Bartrum (Cash), 9:42.0, 3. Discus.—T. Kele <Th 33.64. 1. Hammer.—T. Kele (To 32.48, 1; S. Leech (Chch). 22.34. 2. Pole vault.—D. McKee (TH). Long jump—D. Bolton (TH),; 6.82. 1; P. Wooding (HS), 5.15. 2.; Under 16 100 m- M Blanch (Cash), 12.7,! 1; M, Slattery (TH), 12.8, 2; P. Burt (PR). 13/8. 3. 200 m—M. Norman (A), 25.5/ I; M. Slattery (TH), 25.6, 2; P. Burt (PR) 3. 800 m.-D. Binnie (Si, 2:9.9, 1/ R Coadwell (A), 2:11.2, 2; B.| Roach (St B), 2:12.7. 3. 3000 m.—M. Blanch (Cash), 9:38.0, 1; B. Roach (St B), 2; J J Hanson (NB) 3. High jump.—B. Boyd (PR). 1.70, I; D Robertson 'PR), 1.60, 2; P. j Burt (PR), 1.50, 3. Long jump.—D Robertson iPRi. 5.09 1; W Bovd 'PR', 4.78. 2; P. Burt (PR). 4.73. 3. Discus. —C. Smith t Lovelock), 39.84, 1: M. Blanch (Cash. 39.62. 2; M Slattery (TH). 32.66., 3.