Girl wins heptathlon

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 21

Girl wins heptathlon

An 18-year-old South Canterbury schoolgirl, Joanne Henry, won the Canterbury heptathlon championship after a splendid final day in wet conditions at Queen Elizabeth II Park yesterday. Her final score of 5385 exceeded the Commonwealth Games qualifying total by 85 points and also easily beat the selection standard for the New Zealand junior team to contest the world championships in Bulgaria next year. The total easily broke her own Canterbury under-20 record of 5136 points set last February, and will also almost certainly be recognised as the first New Zealand under-20 heptathlon record. Until now, a standard had existed in place of the record. Henry was only third after the first day, behind two North Island Games contenders, Cassandra Kelly (Waitemata) and Tracy Phillips (Hamilton), but as the others faltered slightly in the often-difficult conditions yesterday she maintained her standard.

Kelly, who led overnight by four points, scored 5195 points for second, and Phillips finished third with 4910. Phillips might have been disappointed with her total but still had good cause for jubilation. In the high jump on the first day she cleared an outstanding 1.86 metres, exceeding the Games qualifying height of 1.80. The height was also a Waikato record.