Willis inspires young athletes

BY PENNY MILES

Nick Willis quoted some of his favourite anecdotes to the region's best college athletes ahead of one of their biggest meets of the year.

St Pat's Town hurdler Stephen Isaac, the Wellington team co-captain for this weekend's North Island secondary schools championships, said students who came to collect their yellow and black rep singlets from Westpac Stadium last Thursday couldn't believe their luck when the Olympic silver medallist and Hutt Valley High School old boy, Willis, arrived to address them.

"It was good listening to Nick and his views on how he came to the sport," Isaac said. "I hope we can put his experiences into our own futures."

Isaac, 17, was surprised to hear that an athlete of Willis' calibre once failed to make the Wellington secondary schools team.

"Willis said he had to struggle to get into the Wellington team to begin with. He only just made it, and it's quite a similar thing to me. I didn't make it the first few years either. I've really had to work for it," Isaac said.

Around 500 athletes are expected from all the North Island regions at Newtown Park this weekend as Wellington hosts the event for the second year running.

For some it will be their last hitout before next week's national championships in Christchurch.

Provincial rivals Wairarapa, Manawatu and Wanganui are expected to send large teams, while travel costs may impinge on the size of Auckland and Northland sides.

Isaac, a national secondary schools silver medallist in the 110m hurdles hopes for fast times, but said there is still time to enjoy the atmosphere.

"It's a bit more fun than the other competitions which are a bit serious," he said.

"It's a really good competition to aim for. The opportunity to wear the Wellington singlet doesn't come along very often."

Queen Margaret student Kristin Dovey is the Wellington co-captain. Dovey will compete in the senior girls' sprints.

Wellington selector Don Dalgliesh said competition for around 140 places in the Wellington team was extremely high. Dalgliesh and his fellow selector kept a close eye on results at last week's Wellington secondary schools championships.

"We set a standard based on what we expect to be required for a top-eight finish this weekend," he said.

Four highly rated athletes including Keeley O'Hagan (Paraparaumu College), Leesa Lealai-Salanoa (St Mary's), Yarride Rosario (St Pat's Town) and Franco Patu (Porirua College) returned this week from appearances at the Oceania under-19 championships in Australia.

Rosario and O'Hagan have both been nursing injuries, but Lealai-Salanoa and Patu have been in record breaking form.

Patu has thrown the javelin 64m this season, while last week Lealai-Salanoa smashed the senior girls' discus record with a throw of 46.54m at the Wellington secondary schools championships.

AT A GLANCE:

North Island secondary schools athletics championships

Where: Newtown Park, Wellington

When: March 20-21

Teams: Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Wellington.

WHO TO WATCH

Junior (under-14)

* Fletcher Greaves (St Pat's Silverstream) 100m, 300m, long jump

* Susannah Lynch (St Mary's) 800m & 1500m

* Jean Kozniak (St Catherine's) 800m & 1500m

Intermediate (under-16)

* Kieron McDonald (Scot's College) 800m & 1500m

Senior

* Leesa Lealai-Salanoa (St Mary's) shot put & discus

* Keeley O'Hagan (Paraparaumu College) long jump & high jump

* Anna Roche (Samuel Marsden) 800m & 1500m

* Kristin Dovey (Queen Margaret) 100 & 200m

* Yarride Rosario (St Pat's Town) 100m, 200m & 4 x 100m relay

* Stephen Isaac (St Pat's Town) 110m hurdles

* Franco Patu (Porirua College) javelin

- © Fairfax NZ News