Young roller skater has fine record

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 26

Young roller skater has fine record

The roller skating wheels have been turning quickly for Roger Hawkins. The young Canterbury skater has' had only four years of competitive skating, but he has made great inroads in his relatively brief involvement. The last national championships. held over the New Year at Wanganui, established Hawkins as a skater with exciting potential.

Only 13. Hawkins, who started skating as a nine-year-old. faced a testing task. With a record number

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of competitors having entered his junior boys' section. he was forced to race in heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals before progressing to the finals.

However, after a busy week of competition he emerged from the championships with 13 wins from 14 races, achieving victory in the final of the track 800 m and 1500 m and the road 500 m and 1500 m. The success of the Canterbury club skater was only a continuation of the outstanding performances displayed by Hawkins since he undertook serious competition.

He has met with at least one success at. every New Zealand championship since 1979 and has featured in freeskating as well as speed skating. ■ A broken leg last year, an injury not incurred through skating, prevented him from defending his freeskating title at the national championships. but his decision to concentrate on speed netted him four splendid victories. Last year was one of magnificent accomplishment for the Papanui High School pupil. At the Nelson Cup day carnival, he claimed wins over 400 m and 800 m on the track and added the 500 m and 1500 m road races.

He competed in the B grade for the annual tour of Timaru and won all seven stages. That was followed with wins on the track over 400 m, 800 m, and 1500 m on the track and a first over 500 m and a second over 1500 m on the road at the South Island championships. Hawkins is now training hard for the New Zealand banked-track championships at Hastings over Easter. If he can maintain his present rate of progress, he might well skate into contention for New Zealand honours within the next year or two. Although Hawkins was the outstanding competitor for Canterbury at the last

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national championships, the club met with other successes.

Lisa Beams won the junior girls' 1500 m and finished third over 400 m. angela hawkins took second in the juvenile girls' 200 m and Nichola Roberton finished third in the same event. Richard Meredith won the' intermediate men's freeskat-,' ing title, and a jubilant.' group, comprising BruceRichardson, Jamie Hawker/ Graeme Langley, GeoffAgnew. Darryl Singer. Barry '. Head and Adam McDougall., took Canterbury to victory in the third grade men's hockey’ competition.