Tasman Athletes race onto the podiums

JACK MALCOLM

Tasman representatives from Nelson, Richmond and Marlborough Athletics clubs have returned from the Colgate Games with a swag of medals around their necks.

More than 50 medals were awarded to local athletes across 35 different events from both the North and South Island editions, held in Timaru and Whanganui.

The Colgate Games is the biggest junior athletics event in the country, with more than 1000 sevento-14-year-olds from 62 clubs in attendance across the two events.

Athletics Richmond’s Bradley Kershaw, 12, won seven golds from eight medals, including the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints at both North and South Island events.

Athletics Nelson’s 14-year-old Molly McManus won the South Island 80m hurdles and was awarded the Nick Willis Scholarship.

Three Athletics Nelson representatives made the South Island 80m hurdles in grade 13, with Oran Sim winning silver and Marlin Brown bronze, while every Athletics Richmond representative saw personal bests, including some by over a minute. Thirteen-year-old Richmond sprinter Rhian Douglas won his grade’s 100m and 200m sprints across both events, and 13-yearold Bella Cain-Townley ran a sub-five minute 1500m in Timaru to earn silver.

Rhian also won the South Island 4x100 for Richmond alongside Bradley, Joel Bascand and Ryan Quin, while also placing fifth and sixth in the shot put across the two events despite saying he only entered to fill time and expected to come last.

He says, having a “great coach” has been the key to unlocking their success.

“Everyone seemed to do so well.” Bradley also won the North Island long jump and came second in the South Island shot put, while Ludvig Persson won the grade 11 shot put and discus across both events and the South Island high jump.

It’s one of the best local results in recent memory, says Tasman Athletics Childrens’ Committee president and Athletics Nelson committee member Vanessa Tappenden.

“In my experience, it’s more (medals) than we’ve ever had.

“We’re a small centre, but we always seem to punch well above our weight.”

She says the culture that the clubs have built together has been a strong driving factor in their success. While there is still an interclub rivalry, all three of the local clubs in attendance, Nelson, Richmond and Marlborough, sat next to each other.

“While they’re in different clubs, they all go to school together and know each other.

“It’s such a great group of kids.”

Nelson coach Mike Beever says it was awesome to have all of the clubs standing together cheering along the local athletes.

Having started coaching in the last year, he says you never know what’s going to happen when you take athletes to compete on the national stage.

“It can be a real eye opener when you get to these events. You can be the top dog at regionals and then you get to these national events and everyone’s so good.

“But, we’re blessed with amazing facilities. . . (and) in Nelson we’ve got four or five really good, national level, coaches covering all the different events.”

Vannessa says the culture they’ve been building has also started to flourish, with the success of their more senior members filtering through as inspiration for the younger athletes.

They’ve also seen a big response to moving their emphasis towards self-improvement and individual achievements while still making it a fun environment instead of focusing on medals and results.

“That’s why we have a personalbest cup. Otherwise, it’s the same kids winning everything all the time.”

Results and live coverage from the Colgate Games can be found on the Nelson Children’s Athletics Facebook.