Southland athletes stand out

BY BRENDON EGAN

Southland's secondary school athletes have returned home triumphant from the national athletics championships in Timaru with a throng of medals, including seven golds.

Southland Boys' High School year 13 student Matthew Robinson was tipped as one of the best local hopes for gold in the senior boys' 400m and he did not disappoint.

Robinson progressed through to the final as the favourite after registering the quickest semifinal time of 50.62 seconds. He appeared to be in trouble in the medal race, though, with Awatapu College's Scott Burch building what looked like an unassailable lead.

As the saying goes "when the going gets tough, the tough get going", and that's exactly what the gutsy Southlander did. Robinson slowly reeled Burch in and caught him with 20m to go to claim his third straight New Zealand Secondary Schools 400m title with a time of 48.11sec.

It capped off a wonderful secondary school athletics careerfor Robinson, with the youngster also having won the junior title in 2006.

Robinson had a weekend to remember at the national championships, winning bronze in the senior triple jump with a 13.97m effort. He also teamed up with schoolmates Glen Ballam, Chad Butson and Mitchell van Schaik to win gold in the 4400m relay, with Robinson's final leg run crucial to their victory.

Southland Boys' High middle distance runner Glen Ballam gained redemption in the senior boys' 800m by claiming gold. Last year, he was one of the hard luck stories at the nationals when he lost his shoe 200m into the race and ultimately ended up second.

Ballam ran intelligently in the final, hauling down leader Brad Mathas with 180m to go before putting on his famous afterburners and pounding up the home straight to win by 30m.

One of the other top Southland male performers at the weekend was Central Southland College's William Hubber, who starred in the throwing events.

Hubber won silver in the boys' hammer throw with a best effort of 53.95m, and put together a solid showing in the shot put, too, where he ended up fourth overall. Wakatipu High's Sol Frew illustrated why he will be a name for the future with the Central Otago young gun taking 10sec off his personal best with a time of 2.03.63 in the junior boys' 800m final – good enough for bronze.

Southland's female contingent was also on fire at the nationals, with one of the standout efforts coming from Southland Girls' High's Charlotte Muschamp in the senior triple jump. Muschamp won gold with a best jump of 11.86m, which broke the Southland record and her previous personal best. Muschamp's schoolmate Greer Alsop was on top of her game, winning the junior triple jump with a 11.69m jump as well as picking up a silver in the junior long jump.

The Peeters sisters, from St Peter's College in Gore, produced an amazing effort in the girls' javelin, with both sisters winning gold.

Stacey took out gold in the senior girls' event with a 39.31m throw, which was more than 5m further than second placed Laura Jensen from Napier Girls'. Stacey's youngster sister, Tori, also claimed gold with a 36.46m throw in the junior girls' javelin.

Southland Girls' High's Christina Taylor, who holds the W16 New Zealand record, put a bad fall behind her to run 7.32.78 in the open 2000m steeplechase, which was good enough for silver.

Southland's wonderful deeds at the weekend were recognised at the end of the championships on Sunday when Stacey Peeters, Greer Alsop, Charlotte Muschamp, Glenn Balam and Matthew Robinson were all named in the paper New Zealand Secondary Schools team for the championships.

Athletics Southland manager Lance Smith was delighted with the performances of the Southland students at the nationals.

"It's been very successful for Southland. To have five in the New Zealand (paper) team is quite incredible."

He said Southland's athletes had won more gold medals than last year, but their medal tally was down slightly.

brendon.egan@stl.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News