Championship double for Scots

Scots College claimed the blue ribbon 1500m double at the New Zealand secondary schools athletics championships in Timaru, among a stream of titles for Wellington region competitors.

Year 13 Scots student Nathan Barrett won the senior boys' 1500m in blustery conditions on Sunday when he powered away from Hamilton rival Mohamed Ali on the Aoraki all-weather track.

Kieron McDonald, 15, won the junior boys' 1500m in a personal best time of 4min 07.58sec.

Barrett said coaches and officials at the meet thought it was the first time any one school had claimed the middle-distance double.

Barrett was delighted to crown his schoolboy career with the title.

"It's really the one to win. The 1500m as an event is quite prestigious," he said.

"When you talk to an older athlete about what they did as an athlete they will always say: 'Oh, I was the national secondary schools' 1500m champion'.

"It's especially exciting when you bear in the mind the kind of people who have won it in the past. They've gone on to do great things and they've been great athletes."

While Barrett has won many national age-group titles and also the road race at the national secondary schools event, he rated the latest victory ahead of those achievements.

However, Fairfield College's Ali challenged Barrett right from the starter's gun.

"Mohamed really gave it everything. He threw so many things at me that I had to deal with. The tactics surged and were quite stop-start," Barrett said.

The Wellington girls were not to be outdone by the outstanding Scots duo.

Otaki College's Keeley O'Hagan claimed the junior high jump, well ahead of the field with a leap of 1.76m on Sunday.

On Saturday she won the junior long jump with a leap of 5.68m.

The highly talented 15-year- old was awarded the prestigious junior girls' athlete of the meet award, signalling a very promising career ahead.

St Mary's student Leesa Lealai-Salanoa won the senior girls' discus with a throw of 46.43m, and added silver in the shot put in her first year as a senior.

Promising runner Susannah Lynch won a second title for St Mary's College in the year 9 girls' road race.

Ryan Tinkle, from Wellington College, made his last secondary schools meet one to remember with a complete set of medals. Tinkle won the hammer, and added minor medals in the discus and shot put.

Paraparaumu College's Melody Stein won silver medals in the senior triple and long jump. Stein recorded a leap of 5.35m on Saturday and followed up with a 11.65 triple jump in wind- assisted conditions.

St Pat's Silverstream's junior boys 4 x 100m relay team won bronze.

- © Fairfax NZ News