Athletics Junior 3000m record broken

Press, 28 November 1988, Page 16

Athletics Junior 3000m record broken

A superb 3000 m run by one of New Zealand’s finest young prospects, Richard Lindroos (Old Boys-United), was among the high points of the Trust Bank Canterbury interclub track and field meeting, at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. Lindroos, who is aiming for a place in the New Zealand team for the world crosscountry championships next March, broke the Canterbury under-20 record with his time of Bmin 18.25, and was within the thickness of his singlet of outright victory in open company. The experienced New Zealand 10,000 m champion, Tom Birnie (New Brighton), pushed through right on the line to win the race in an identical time. Neil Gaudin (Caversham), a visitor from Dunedin, claimed third place, in Bmin 31.25, ahead of one of the early pace-makers, Andrew Stark (Christchurch). It was, however, the bold run of Lindroos which captured the attention. He ran behind Stark, a former Canterbury middle distance champion, for the first three laps before taking over and dictating his own terms. Stark faded and as he did so, Birnie moved up. Lindroos took the bell first but Birnie was on his heels and the outcome seemed beyond doubt. Lindroos had other ideas. He forced the pace down the back straight and sprinted hard down the finishing straight. Birnie’s famed cannonball sprint was blunted somewhat, although he seemed to have the measure of his younger rival in the run to the tape. Lindroos, aged 18, lopped almost four seconds off the Canterbury mark set by David Kett (Shirley) four years ago and was within a second of the New Zealand junior record, set by Geoff Shaw (Auckland) in 1976. The time represented a consider-

able improvement on his previous best of Bmin 265, which stands as the New Zealand colts (under-18) record. “The 3000 m is not a distance I have run often,” Lindroos said afterwards. But this season he expects to run quite a few more in his buildup for the cross-country championships. “The three kilometres is a useful distance for preparing for cross-country.” He is confident that he can now topple the long-standing New Zealand record. Lindroos was named as the Trust Bank Canterbury “Athlete of the Week.” The junior award went to another promising young athlete, Simon Geary (Old BoysUnited), who lowered the Canterbury under-18 100 m hurdles record with a fine run of 13.325. This comfortably beat the artificial standard for the event. Geary has run faster. His win in the New Zealand under-18 championship earlier this year in 13.21 s was a remarkable performance, although it could not be recognised as a record because of wind assistance. Geary’s record was even more meritorious because it was set in the context of the under-18 pentathlon. The Brisbane Commonwealth Games representative, Karen ForbesHenry (Old Boys-United), won the first multi-event contest of the season, a one-day pentathlon, with a bold showing. But it was a lonely contest for her because her only two competitors, Leone Stapylton-Smith (Old BoysUnited) and the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games representative, Lyn Osmers (Technical), withdrew after the first two events. Forbes-Henry, however, should have been pleased with her performances of 15.08 s for the 100 m hurdles,

I. for the high jump, 11. for the shot, 5.48 m for the long jump, and 2min 21.26 s for the 800 m. This brought her a grand total of 3659 points. The women’s under-18 pentathlon was won by a young South Canterbury athlete of unusual potential, Joanne Henry. She finished the five events with a solid score of 3434 points. The runner-up was a visitor from Auckland, Kate Newman, who scored 3061. A former Canterbury decathlon champion, Peter Henry (Old Boys-United), issued a warning that he would be chasing national honours this year when he won the senior men’s Pentathlon with a score of 3598. He held a comfortable lead entering the last event, the 800 m, and although the reigning New Zealand decathlon champion, Terry Lomax (Old Boys-United), stamped his authority on this with a 2min 5s win, it was not enough to bridge the gap. Henry, who was a member of New Zealand’s winter Olympics bobsled team, finished the 800 m just 5s behind Lomax. Earlier, Henry made a great start with the fastest time of 15.23 s in the 110 m hurdles. He followed this with 6.32 m in the long jump, 40.80 m in the discus, 4.30 m in the pole vault, and 2min 10.5 s in the 800 m. Third place went to Derek McKee (Papanui Toe H), who closed to within 12 points of Lomax after clearing 4.70 m in the pole vault. But he could not match either Lomax or Henry in the final event. The under-18 pentathlon was won by Richard North (St Andrews College) with 2745 points. The former New Zealand women’s shot champion, Jan Maxwell (Technical), closed on the 14m barrier with a season-best of 13.82 m. “I will

get 14m in the next week or two,” she vowed. Her sequence on Saturday was outstanding. In four of the six rounds she recorded distances of more than 13.50 m, and her opening put was a solid 13.13 m. Her rapid progress this season, after a year away, has no chance of making her over-confident. Her personal best is 15.20 m. “There is still a long way to go, but I am getting there,” she said. The runner-up was Tania Lutton (Technical), who achieved 13.46 m in the final round. She had three other puts of more than 13m in another sound sequence. Vai Young (Technical) also broke the 13-metre mark, recording 13.13 m in the final round. She made her presence felt in no uncertain manner in the discus, exceeding 40m five times and finishing with a winning distance of 43.46 m. Maxwell, who complained that the discus “just wouldn’t go,” was second with 39.26 m

and Catherine Knowlsley (Old Boys-United) took third with 38.46 m. The former New Zealand Olympic steeplechaser, Peter Renner (New Brighton), had another strong run over 1500 m, winning in 3min 55s from Duane Humphreys (New Brighton). Another former Olympic runner, Mary O’Connor (University), produced a forceful performance in the women’s 3000 m, leading all the way for a win in 9min 59.35. Tina Morrell (Old Boys-United) finished a somewhat distant second in lOmin 22.25. Pip Depree (University) picked up first place in the women’s 800 m in 2min 18.55, with 15-year-old Kelly Humphreys (Olympic) coming home strongly for second in an excellent 2min 19.65. Shirleen Rollo (North Canterbury) was the third finisher, in 2min 20.25. Robert Howell (St Martins) held off Mark Trustcott (Olympic) for a good win in the men’s 800 m. His time was lmin 555. Trustcott was half a

second slower. Competition in the junior 800 m was almost as close, after a race-long tussle between Jason Cameron (St Martins) and the New Zealand 3000 m colts champion, Penn Trevella (Christchurch Boys’ High School). Cameron set the pace, and on the final lap was constantly challenged by Trevella, but he held on and had enough strength left to pull away in the finishing straight for an excellent win in lmin 59.55. Patrick Sweeney (Technical) continued his winning sequence in the men’s shot. This time he achieved 14.33 m, which left him comfortably ahead of his closest challenger, Chris Barrett (Papanui-Toc H), whose competition best was 13.83 m. Barrett had the satisfaction of a win in the discus with 48.74 m. Honours in the women’s high jump went to the Young sisters, Megan and Kirsten. Megan won the event with a leap of 1.60 m, and Kirsten was the runner-up with a height scm lower.