Walsh chases big double in field events

STU PIDDINGTON

CONCENTRATION: Tom Walsh, of Timaru Boys' High School, is chasing a double at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletic Championships in the shotput and discus.

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Timaru Boys' High School's Tom Walsh is hoping for a golden finish to his school sporting career.

Walsh, the Aoraki Secondary Schools' Sportsman of the Year, lines up in the shotput and discus finals at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletic Championships today and tomorrow.

It is the first time Timaru has hosted the championships and almost 1500 competitors will take part.

The 17-year-old Walsh is the defending senior boys' champion and record holder in the shotput, and is hoping to go one better in the discus after finishing second last year.

Walsh has been working hard with his coach Ian Baird after recovering from illness which kept him out of competition.

That, however, has not worried the talented sportsman, who believes he is going in fresh, and is hoping to produce his best in front of the home-town support.

Walsh is the New Zealand Secondary Schools shotput record holder with a throw of 18.38m.

That put qualified Walsh for the Junior World Athletic Games in Italy, where he finished sixth.

He is not going to have all his own way, with Jacko Gill from Takapuna expected to push him hard.

Other Timaru contenders for medals are walkers – TBHS's Daniel Lord and Roncalli's Lucinda Shaw, who are both defending their open titles.

Craighead's Nicola Mackle has a chance in the high jump, having medalled as a junior and finished fourth last year.

Timaru Girls' High School's Rebecca Hodgson is expected to be in the mix in the senior girls' hammer.

The cream of New Zealand's up-and-coming athletes and future Olympians will also be there.

Some names of those who reached the pinnacle are still on the records books, with Valerie Adams holding the junior and senior girls' shotput records, while Beatrice Faumuina's 1992 senior girls' discus mark of 51.42m remains.

Others to keep an eye on include Ryan Tinkle, of Wellington Boys' College, who is expected to win the senior boys' hammer.

The question is how close he can get to Douglas Mace's 1987 record of 67.18m.

Angela Smit, of Rangiora High School, will be another to watch in the senior girls' 800m.

Two cross-country runners are also expected to be to the fore in the longer distances.

Aaron Pulford, from Hauraki Plains College, is the one to beat in the senior boys' 3000m, while Mohamed Ali, from Fairfield College, is a 1500m favourite.

- © Fairfax NZ News