Wellington athletes look for strong Nationals performances   5 Mar 2015

Wellington athletes looking for strong performances at Nationals

4 March 2015

for immediate release

Wellington athletes are set to feature strongly in the Les Mills New Zealand Track & Field Champs in Wellington at Newtown Park this weekend, with qualifying times for world championship events and national champions up for grabs.

The championship, which starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday, is the pinnacle event of the athletics calendar, and will feature 546 competitors, including 16 Commonwealth Games athletes, and the return of 1500m runner Nick Willis.

From Lower Hutt, Willis currently resides in the United States and holds both the indoor and outdoor New Zealand 1500m records.
Top hammer thrower Phil Jenson , from Lower Hutt, will be looking to get his 18th consecutive hammer title – yes, you read that right - with Auckland’s Matthew Bloxham the only one looking likely to come close. The self-coached Jenson, 47, is No. 2 on all time New Zealand hammer list with a personal best of 72.06m, against Bloxham’s 62.31m.

Also competing is Wellington Harriers athlete Billy Crayford. Equal fourth on the all-time list for high jump, he has won the event for the past six years and is expected to do so again.

Phoebe Edwards, 16, who recently jumped 1.77m in the high jump, qualifying her for the World Youth champs, is looking to extend on her recent top performances; and is also entering the
100m, 100m hurdles, long jump and will be in the 4x100m relay team with Island Bay neighbour Elise Forman.

Elise’s sister, Kelsey Forman, 16, is looking to shave half a second off her 2000m steeplechase time to qualify for the same event, to be held in Columbia later this year. She recorded 7m17.14s, then a personal best, in late November and has reduced her PB three times since, to 7m 00.41s.
Wellington’s top female jumper Keeley O’Hagan, 23, who jumped 1.83m to qualify for the World University Games last month, is looking to do better against Auckland’s Elizabeth Lamb who also topped 1.83m this year.
“1.87m is my goal for the season and I definitely believe it is in reach.”
Promising young athlete Izzy Hegan will be competing in the both the 1500m and 800m. She is currently the 10th ranked woman in the 800m this year, despite being just 15, and is hoping to win the 800m and medal in the 1500m.

ENDS

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