Superb efforts in high jump

Press, 23 November 1981, Page 18

Superb efforts in high jump

A series of superb performances in the women's high jump events added appreciably to the stature of the final day of the annual A.N.Z. Bank inter-club track and field meeting at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. Top honours were shared by the talented young schoolgirl, Angela Pule (New Brighton), and a visitor from Auckland. Clare Ryan. Both cleared 1.76 m, just four centimetres short of the New Zealand senior resident record set by Miss Pule last season.

The pair competed together, but their results were separated into their appropriate sections. Miss Pule, the reigning national junior and senior champion, won the junior (under 18) grade, clearing her winning height on the third attempt after two near misses.

Mrs Ryan won the minor section of the senior grade. Both Miss Pule and Mrs Ryan had the bar moved up to the New Zealand open record height of I.Bom. They brought the bar tumbling down on each of their three jumpsj but they were'close enough to suggest that the record will go higher before the season is very much older. Although slightly in the shadow of her two rivals, the New Zealand heptathlon representative, Karen Forbes (Old Boys), was also in superb form. She improved on her previous best high jump by a centimetre with a fine performance of 1.72 m.

This was a remarkable performance by an athlete now back in heavy training after peaking for the Brisbane mini-Games. The main distance event, the 5000 m, proved an anti-climax, with many of the specialists over this distance being notable by their absence. It was left to the outstanding young 1500 m runner, Michael Gilchrist (Technical), to show the way to the finish, in 14min 30.655. He and Jeff Elliot (Olympic) broke clear of the rest of the field early in the race and they stayed together until two laps from the end. At that point, Gilchrist pulled away and was never in any danger of a late challenge. Elliot finished well back in 14min 51.795, second over all and the winner of the minor league race run in conjunction with the premier event.

The women’s equivalent, the

3000 m. resulted in a resounding win for Wendy Mollison (University) in the good time of 9min 53.85. She made no race of it over the closing stages and was the only runner to break lOmin. Debbie Tipper.(University) was runner-up in lOmin 15.2, a good run for an athlete not yet sharpening her speed work. - Vai Young (Technical) avenged her defeat in the shot the previous Saturday with a fine win in the discus. Her best throw of 45.42 m left her comfortably ahead of her younger rival, Jah Bishop (Technical), who had to be content with second. Her best effort of 44.14 m was also an excellent one.

Michelle Jewell (Old Boys) enhanced her growing reputation as a middle distance runner with a fine win in the premier 800 m in 2min 14.645, her personal best. Rebecca Allison (Toe H) stayed with her for much of the distance but lost ground around the final curve. She was second in 2min 16.95 s and Karen Forbes, an excellent source of points for the Old Boys club, was third in 2min 21.115.

Miss Jewell later held off a strong final lap challenge from Gail Adams (Technical) to gain victory for Old Boys in the women’s 4 x 400 relay. The minor section of the men’s 800 m proved to be the most entertaining, with the experienced former. New Zealand champion. Bruce Hunter (Shirley), showing his younger rivals that he still had a sting in his tail. He reached the finish in Imin 55.65, the fastest recorded in Canterbury so far this summer.

The steeplechase, specialist, Neil Lowsley (New Brighton), was second in Imin 56.35, and Warren Sheddan (Olympic) third. The premier grade was won by Colin McDonald (Toe H) in Imin 56.35 s from John Davies (Old Boys). Evan Peterson (Technical) maintained his position as Canterbury’s leading sprinter this season with an impressive win . in the premier 200 m in 22.415. He made by far the best of the running on the curve, although Tony Gill (Toe H) showed some of his old sparkle to hang on for second in a close finish with Paul Cuff (Technical). Gill, a former New Zealand junior 400 m champion, ran the distance in 22.805. Cuff, a special-

ist sprinter in his first season as a senior, was just three-tenths of a second slower.

Peterson also won the premier 400 m hurdles in a worthy 55.575. But the top honours in this event went to Wayne Paul (PapanuiRedwood), who won the minor league race in 53.5 s from the New Zealand junior champion, Khalid Mohammed (University). Bev Peterson (Technical), Peterson’s sister, showed good form in winning the women’s premier 200 m in 24.9.95. Lynette Kay (Technical), better known for her hurdling ability, claimed second-place points in 25.46 s from Vicky Lewis (Old Boys), who seemed affected by the windy conditions more than some of the others.

In the 400 m hurdles, Miss Kay had too much style and speed for her main rival.'Christine Sutton (Old Boys), winning in 65.18 min. But Miss Sutton was second in 71.265, a fine effort considering it was her first race over the “sticks" Later she ran the fastest leg of the 4 x 400 m relay for the winning Old Boys team in an impressive 57.25. The wind seriously affected the chances of many leading performers achieving personal best performances. The Pacific Conference Games pole vaulter, Kieran McKee (Toe H), appeared ready to improve on his New Zealand record of five metres, but in the wind and with a minor warm-up leg injury the best he could manage was 4.80 m. Nevertheless, this was still splendid vaulting in difficult conditions. His young brother, Derek McKee (Toe H), was second with another good vault. 4.30 m. John Stapylton-Smith (Toe H), the country’s second-ranked javelin thrower, was well below his recent best with his winning throw of 62.20 m. The runner-up was the high jump specialist, Terry Lomax (Old Boys), with 51.62 m.

Top honours in the shot went to the former New Zealand decathlon champion, Mene Mene (Technical). His best distance of 14.55 m kept him well clear of his closest challenger, Matt Leech (Technical). Notable among the under age sprints was the 11s run of Bruce Harrison (Avon) in the under 18 grade. This was just a tenth of a second outside the provincial record.