National titles aplenty for Takapuna and Shore athletes

Takapuna Athletics Club members shone at the national athletics championships, led by Jacko Gill beating the odds to claim the men’s shotput title from13-time holder Tom Walsh.

The pair – who won silver and gold respectively at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year – have long been close rivals. But Devonport-raised Gill has not held a national title since his teenage years, battling injuries and a heart condition.

The games last year served as a reminder of his class, with his victory a confidence booster ahead of international competitions. Gill threw 21.08m to defeat Olympian Walsh, who holds the national record of 22.90m.

The club’s running stocks were also on display with James Ford winning the men’s under-20 400m and 800m, the latter in a personal best of of 47.94. The Kings College student won further gold in the 4x400m relay, in a team that included fellow club member Thomas Cowan.

Cowan, who goes to Westlake Boys, also had individual success, placing second in the under-20 800m and third in the 400m.

Another Westlake student, Alfie Steedman, aced his middle-distance races despite stepping up age groups this season. The Year 12 talent, who recently turned 16, won the under-18 men’s 1500m and 3000m national titles. Steedman competes for the Harbour Bays Club and has in the last year picked up a host of titles in secondary schools cross-country. He has

Quick cuts from Razor

Popular Crusaders rugby coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson is guest speaker at the launch today (17 March) of a book marking North Shore Rugby Club’s 150-year anniversary.

C’mon Shore: 150 Years of the North Shore Rugby Club was written by retired journalist Jim Eagles, who died midway through the project, and finished by Max Webb. Club anniversary celebrations are planned over Easter Weekend.

been picked for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team to compete at the Australian Junior Athletics Championship in April.

Takapuna club’s Noa King completed the 200m and 400m U16 double and placed second in the 100m.

Young all-rounder Connor Brady won gold in the U16 javelin, silver in the U16 shot put and bronze in the U16 300m hurdles.

Thrower Kate Hallie, who trains with Gill and is coached by his father Walter Gill, placed second in both the U18 shot put and U20 discus. The Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) Year 12 student was earlier named in the national Secondary Schools team.

Brady and Hallie attend TGS, along with Sascha Letica, who took silver in the U18 women’s 3000m and Jodie Nash, who was in the bronze-medal winning Auckland U18 4x400m relay team.

A talking point of the meeting held in Wellington between 2 and 5 March was the thrilling comeback of Eliza McCartney, six years after the Devonport resident last won a national title. An Olympic bronze-medallist in 2016, McCartney has since endured a long battle with injuries. She pipped last year’s champion, Olivia McTaggart, on a countback after both cleared 4.61m, 33cm short of McCartney’s best, set in 2018. Both women compete for Harbour Bays. McTaggart has since thrown 4.71m, a world championship qualifying distance, putting the acid back on McCartney.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and Takapuna club’s Imogen Ayris, was third.

Like McCartney and Gill, Ayris attended TGS. Another former pupil, Ruben Vogel, won the U20 men’s pole vault with a personal best of 4.68m.

Primary Care Nurse

We have a vacancy for an experienced, clinically excellent RN required for a full time position, working sole charge at our Devonport satellite clinic.

We are looking for someone with an ability to work with GPs in acute situations, who has a high standard of clinical performance and compassionate caring values. You need to be tech savvy and accurate with documentation. Reliability, initiative and dependability a must.

In return you will be encouraged to work at the top of your scope, be part of a supportive fun team and a practice that embraces innovation and positive change.

If you choose to join us, we will offer you remuneration to fit your excellent skills and experience.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to our Nurse Lead, Emma Faircloth at nurselead@medplus.co.nz or phone for a confidential discussion.