Matthew Bloxham – Hammer
Auckland Centre Meeting, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore – 1 December 2012
When it comes to throwing the hammer 16 year old Matthew Bloxham has what it takes.
On Saturday the North Harbour Bays athlete sent the 6kg hammer out to 67.26m establishing New Zealand records for men 18 and 19.
He bettered the standards that had been set for records in these two grades at 65.00m for M18 and 67.16m for M19.
Bloxham now holds all the national junior hammer throw records having set an M16 and M17 record of 71.33m with the lighter 5kg hammer in September.
He said he was aiming for 67.50m which was the performance standard for the last world junior championships. Bloxham has qualified for the world youth championships with the 5kg implement in July next year but he was looking ahead to the junior championships in 2014 in Eugene Oregon.
“I was hoping for a world junior qualifier, I’m two years ahead of it so I guess I’ve got ages, but I’m hoping for 67.50m with the next competition with the 6kg,” he said.
Bloxham said that the hard work over winter has paid off.
“I just made sure that I got stronger and worked on my technique.”
Bloxham now has his sights set on a 60m plus throw with the senior 7.26kg hammer in Timaru on the 5th of January.
“I’ve been around 60m in training so I’m pretty happy with that, I’ve just got to put it into competition,” he said.
Adam Miller dominated the senior throwing events, winning the shot put with 15.35m, the discus throw 43.20m and the hammer throw 54.53m.
Joshua Hawkins showed that a year away from the track, due to injury, hadn’t dented his basic speed. The sprint hurdler followed up the junior 110m hurdles which he won in 14.14s (+2.5) with victory in the senior 100m in a personal best 10.71s (+1.6). Hawkins worked hard over the second half of the race to head in Isaac Tatoa who clocked 10.86s.
“I haven’t run a 100m for so long, it was a different feeling. I came out of the blocks and Isaac was way out in front and I thought crap, so I just tried to run my own race and I got that time, so I’m happy,” he said.
Canterbury athletes dominated the women’s sprints, Kelsey Berryman just edging out team mate Fiona Morrison in the 100m in 12.32s (+0.1). Berryman won an earlier 100m hurdles in 14.44s (+1.5) and Morrison, on the outside lane, held on to win the 200m in 25.19s (+0.9).
Berryman said a winter of good training has set her up well for her first season as a senior.
“I had no injuries and I haven’t had much time off my training. This is only my second competition this season and my first hurdles race,” she said.
Peter Callagher, national junior 110m hurdles champion in 2009, moved up to the 400m hurdles for the first time. With no competition Callagher debuted in a promising 55.47s.
“In conjunction with my coach Joe Hunter we felt that I had more potential going further up in the world with the 400m hurdles as opposed to the 110m.
“We believe there is at least a 53 seconds time there this season but it’s going to take a bit more work,” said Callagher.
National champion Elizabeth Lamb, in her first high jump competition since July in Belgium, was over the bar at 1.76m. Henry Boyhan rounded out his racing before the national secondary schools championships with a win over 200m in 22.52s (+2.0) while Megan Kikuchi also looks in good form heading into the championships winning the W18 100m in 12.74s (+1.0) and the 400m in 56.96s.
Footnote: Joshua Hawkins 14.06s (+0.4) over 990mm 110m hurdles last week at Waitakere was a New Zealand M18 record and equalled the M19 record.
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