The Wakatipu High School long-distance specialist has been named as part of a 16-strong New Zealand secondary schools athletics team touring California in April.
Mackley, who is the only female athlete from the South Island in the team, has already made a name for herself in the 3000m.
She produced a season’s best of 9min 53.52sec to finish second in the women’s under-20 3000m at the Capital Classic two weeks ago.
Central Southland College athletes Ollie Davis and Connor Gilland have also been named in the team.
Davis won the boys’ long jump at the national secondary school championships and won bronze in the 200m and Gilland won silver in the boys’ senior 110m hurdles at the same event in Timaru.
Teenage sensation Sam Ruthe, who has had a breakthrough summer, has also been named in the team.
Ruthe, 15, finished with a personal best of 3min 41.25sec to finish second in the senior men’s 1500m at the Sir Graeme Douglas International on Sunday and break the age-group world record.
The Tauranga Boys’ College runner lowered the time Norwegian runner Jakob Ingerbrigsten ran over the distance at 15 of 3min 42.44sec in 2016.
Ruthe had already set a world’s best time for his age group in the 3000m last year and claimed the national senior title earlier this
month.
The New Zealand team will tour California from April 9 to 22.
