Langsbury takes five Otago titles in one day

Sarah Langsbury (Ariki) competes in the women's under-18 long jump at the Otago track and field...
Sarah Langsbury (Ariki) competes in the women's under-18 long jump at the Otago track and field championships at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday. The long jump was one of five titles won by Langsbury. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
Up and coming junior athlete Sarah Langsbury (Ariki) gave witness to what looks like a promising future in track and field at the Otago track and field championships over the weekend.

Langsbury (15), a year 12 pupil at St Hilda's Collegiate began the competition winning the women's under 18 high jump with 1.50m, before she set the meeting alight with a stunning 100m sprint, burning down the home straight to win the junior women's under-18 year title in 12.88sec.

Sara McNally (Taieri) was second in 13.11sec and Caitlin O'Donnell (Leith) third in 13.42sec.

Despite a busy schedule, Langsbury, the national secondary schools 100m hurdles champion, returned to the track to win the Otago 100m hurdles in 15.07sec. And with little time to draw breath, she backed this victory up by winning the under-18 Otago 400m in 1min 03sec.

Then just for good measure, she completed her afternoon's competition with five titles from five events, when she won the women's under-18 long jump title with a personal best of 5.29m.

"I really can't complain," a modest Langsbury said of her afternoon's achievement.

"I'm really quite pleased."

Langsbury was unable to add to her medal haul on the second day of competition yesterday, as she had to leave on a school camp to Abel Tasman National Park.

There were a number of very impressive performances on the track, most notably in the sprints.

The junior men's 100m under-18 title race resulted in a Hill City-University blanket finish with George Vare outsprinting Cameron Moffitt to claim the title in a smart 11.09sec. Moffitt was second in 11.53sec and Joshua Friend third in 12sec.

Hill City-University club athletes continued their domination when Jake Paul won the senior men's title in a smart 10.76sec, from second placed Felix McDonald (Taieri) clocking 11.06sec in a photo finish with third-placed Timothy Horton (Hill City-University) 11.08sec.

For Paul (21), a final year land survey student at the University of Otago, it was his first centre title, and his time smoked his previous best of 10.95sec.

Hill City-University athletes quinellaed the senior women's 100m title race, Fiona Centers clocking 12.07sec to win the title from Sophie Napper 12.39sec and third-placed Tamsin Harvey (Auckland City) 12.53sec.

A niggling hamstring injury could not deter Nathan Hill (Leith) in recording a come from behind victory in the senior men's 1500m in 4min 16.62sec, following a fast start from Aaron Anderson (Ariki), who set out at a blistering pace. But in the best traditions of New Zealand's great 1500m runners, Hill's kick over the final 400m proved Anderson's undoing as he powered his way around the final lap to snatch the title away from Anderson, who finished second in 4min 21.94sec.

In field events, Ben Baines (Taieri) showed his potential for the national track and field championships beginning in Christchurch on March 8.

Baines (16) broke his own men's under-16 para F38 national record in the discus of 23.06m, by just over a metre, winning the title with a distance of 24.09m.

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