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Dargaville & Districts
Dargaville’s Hayley Gilchrist stormed through the 300m hurdles race at the Auckland Senior Open meet to set a new Northland record.
This was a great start to the athletics season for 16-year-old Haley as it was the first time she had competed at the event held at Mt Smart Stadium earlier this month.
Hayley was recognised with the youth sportsperson award for her efforts at this year’s Silver Fern Farms sports awards dinner two weeks ago.
She finished second behind Madison Gipson – the Auckland champion and record holder – clocking an impressive 50.78 seconds, this not only beat her previous person best – 54.1 seconds but is an Athletics Northland W16 record – classed as superior to the W19 and senior record. This time is also comfortably inside the qualifying standard for the Athletics New Zealand national championships.
Hayley has qualified to compete at the New Zealand secondary schools championships, to be held in Timaru in early December and the national club champs in Christchurch in March.
"My goal and focus for every race is to finish, whatever happens on top of that is a bonus," she says.
Her future goals include getting a scholarship for university, "so I can achieve my academic goals while taking up the challenge of reaching my potential as an athlete".
The active teenager has been travelling to Whangarei twice, sometimes three times each week for training.
Her mother Yvette Gilchrist says with the high cost of travelling and the cost of sports gear the family are actively looking for sponsorship and support for Hayley.
She is also the only junior official for athletics in Northland. If you can help please contact Yvette Gilchrist on: kaurix4@gmail.com.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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