‘Athlete of Week’ award for an in-form Sheddan

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 20

‘Athlete of Week’ award for an in-form Sheddan

By

ROD DEW

A splendid 1500 m run by Debbie Sheddan (Olympic) at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday substantially enhanced her Commonwealth Games selection hopes and earned her the “Athlete of the Week” award.

Sheddan, aged 26, ran in a mixed sex race at the Trust Bank inter-club track and field meeting and at the finish had as many men athletes behind her as there were in front. Her time of 4min 23.5 s was 1.5 s faster than her personal best, set in finishing third in the New Zealand championship at Auckland earlier this year.

"I never expected to run this fast so soon,” she said afterwards. “I am absolutely delighted. Now I can go on from here.” The time is still a little short of the Commonwealth Games selection standard of 4min 16s, but it is clear that Sheddan is building up for a top performance at the Games trials and New Zealand championships in Auckland at the end of next month. Sheddan said that it was good to run with the men because it gave her some strong competition, something she often finds difficult to get at inter-club level. She finished about half a lap clear of the next woman finisher, the promising young runner, Tracy Croft (North Canterbury).

“That was her first run of the season,” her coach, Mr Bob Grieve, said. "She has been doing some very good times in training, but this is even better than I expected.” Mr Grieve expects the improvement to continue. “She can lower this time substantially

without any doubt,” he declared.

Sheddan expects to run both the 1500 m and the 3000 m in the Commonwealth Games trials — provided there are no heats. Her main effort, however, will be the 1500 m.

A star of the meeting for the second successive week was the New Zealand women’s long jump champion and recordholder, Jayne Moffitt (nee Mitchell). But this time it was the sprints in which she stole the limelight with two stunning, if very narrow victories over the reigning New Zealand 100 m champion, Bev Peterson (Technical).

Moffitt won the 60m into a head wind in 12.15. Peterson recorded an identical time, but the judges ruled in favour of the Old Boys-United representative. Third was Donna Barraclough (Christchurch-Avon) in 12.85. This was Moffitt’s first win over Peterson over this distance. A short time later, Moffitt repeated the performance in a nailbiting finish to the women’s 100 m. Moffitt and Peterson again recorded identical times of 12.15, but again it was Moffitt who took the top award. Barraclough was third.

“I am stronger and

faster — faster put of the blocks — than I was last season. I got a great start in the 60m. I slumped a bit in the 100 but I recovered well. I am very pleased. Things are going exactly the way I planned.”

Moffitt finished the day with a win in the long jump. Her distance was a good one of 6.13 m, achieved in the fifth round, but it was understandably less than her Games qualifying leap of 6.24 m of the previous Saturday.

“I would like to come out every week and improve, but I know that is not realistic,” she said. "I felt very tired in the long jump. I always know when I have run a good 100 m.”

Even so, she had two foul jumps of impressive length, one of 6.20 m and the other of 6.30 m.

Peter Renner (New Brighton) continued his buildup for the Games with a fine win over 5000 m in 13min 55.75. Renner, a steeplechase medal prospect at the Games, pulled away from a field of some substance without any apparent effort. The experienced Tom Birnie (New Brighton) was second in 14min 21.35, and the highly promising junior, Richard Lindroos (Old BoysUnited), was third in 14min 21.35. The men’s 1500 m went to Philip Washbourne (Christchurch-Avon). The former New Zealand cross-country representative, Bruce Rattray (Christchurch-Avon) was a close second in 4min 11.55.

Adrianne Lynn (Papa-nui-Toc H) bettered her week-long Canterbury under-18 and under-20 discus record with a fine effort of 42.74 m. Her previous mark of 42.28 m will remain, however, because she was not taking part in an official competition.

Her sister, Sarah Lynn,

claimed the junior “Athlete of the Week” award, chiefly with her outstanding 60m sprint of 7.8 s in the under-18 grade. Adrienne was the runner-up. Sarah also won the 100 m hurdles, in a smart 15.2 s and the under-18 long jump with a distance of 5.42 m.

Another under-age athlete to shine was Chris Mene (Papanui-Toc H), who achieved a rare treble in the discus, winning the under-18 grade with a throw of 51.66 m, the under-20 grade with 45.88 m, and the senior grade with 43.28 m. His sister, Bernice Mene (Papanui-Toc H), also had a highly successful day. She won the girls’ under-16 100 m in 13.25, and the 60m in 8.25. Later she gained her third victory, in the under-16 shot. In this, her best effort was a worthy 11.69 m. Tania Lutton (Technical) seemed to be inspired by the absence of her rival, Janice Maxwell, in the shot. She achieved her season’s best of 14.05 m, which must lift her hopes of bettering soon the Games qualifying standard of 14.50 m.

Second in the shot was Kaye Nordstrom (Papa-nui-Toc H), with 9.94 m. In her specialist event, the javelin, Nordstrom won with a good throw of 49m, a metre short of the Games qualifying distance.

Kirsten Downie (Technical) won the 200 m well in 25.95, but again had to accept second place to the in-form Jill Cockram (St Martins) in the 400 m. Cockram recorded 57.45; Downie 58.35. Joan Merrifield (University) was third in 59.65. The men’s 400 m was won by Hayo van Gestel (Christchurch-Avon) in 49.45. Craig Gallilee (Old Boys-United) and Rob Howell (St Martins) had a keen tussle for second and both were credited with the same time of 51.15. Gallilee, however, gained the verdict.