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Howick Howick and and Pakuranga Pakuranga Times, Times, Monday, Monday, February February 23, 23, 2015 2015 — — 19 19
Wealth of middle distance talent BW[Sa1ZOaaWÂżSRa
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CONCENTRATION of New Zealand’s up-andcoming middle distance running talent was on display at Lloyd Elsmore Park last week. Leo Roper is a perennial front-runner in running and multisport events and was second in senior boys’ road race at the national secondary school athletics championships. Trent Dodds, also a champion multisporter, is the national junior boys’ road race winner. Theo Quax, the son of Kiwi running legend Dick Quax, is ranked second in New Zealand for the junior boys’ 1500metres. All are Macleans College pupils. At the school’s athletics day last Wednesday, a special race was organised to pit the speedsters against one another. Unfortunately, fellow pupil
THE PODIUM: Above, from left, Macleans College athletes Trent Dodds, Leo Roper and Theo Quax. Right, the home straight.
and race favourite Flynn Palmer, the national junior boys’ 1500m champion, was unable to take part due to an injury. “We thought we had to showcase this to the rest of the school,� says Macleans’ director of athletics Laurie Powell. “A group like this doesn’t come around very often.�
The event was lightheartedly hyped by the MC as the biggest 1500-metre race in New Zealand since the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, when John Walker ran second to Tanzanian Filbert Bayi and both broke the previous world record. “Leo, Trent and Theo were
Times photos Daniel Silverton
all in the lead at different stages of the race,� says Powell. “It was awesome.� Over the final 100m, Theo and Leo broke away. The pair was neck and neck until the finish line, with Leo snaring the win by the narrowest of margins – depending on who you talk to. “It was an amazing race,� says Powell. “It was right down to the wire. Leo won by a lunging chest.� There are plans to hold the race again next year, with more promising runners coming through the ranks. Also at Macleans is Nick Burke, the Auckland junior boys’ 1500m champion, Nicholas Cowley-Andrea, the best junior boys 3000m runner in the province, and Wilhelm Muller, the reigning Auckland year 8 800m and 1500m title holder.
Kids bowl to cricket star
STAR VISITOR: Above, England international cricketer Luke Wright gives bowling tips to players from Bucklands Beach Primary School. Right, Wright at bat in the school’s nets. Times photos Daniel Silverton
CRICKET players at Bucklands Beach Primary School (BBPS) were treated to a visit by England international and renowned big hitter Luke Wright last Thursday. Wright is the son-in-law of BBPS teacher Sue Everard, and is based in East Auckland during the English off-season around his stints in the Australian and New Zealand Twenty20 competitions. The Sussex, Melbourne Stars and Auckland Aces player cast his eye over the
youngsters’ techniques and passed on some sage advice. “I think first and foremost you have to enjoy the game, or else you won’t practise,� he says. “The only way to get better is by playing all the time and if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t commit to what you need to do.� Nine-year-old Oliver Rowley was given a valuable pointer to improve his bowling action. “He showed me how to bowl straight and not off line,� says Oliver, who is in
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Emily
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his first year playing cricket. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He said to keep moving forward and not stop after I bowl.â&#x20AC;? Wright was there with wife Rebecca and their two young children, including son Josh, who has a foot in both camps when it comes to supporting national teams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugby, I let him support the All Blacks,â&#x20AC;? says Wright. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably supporting NZ in the [cricket] world cup but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to push him towards the England team.â&#x20AC;?
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