Southland’s best school athletes will get their best chance in several years to show their talents at the New Zealand secondary schools championships beginning today (December 8).

The 2023 New Zealand secondary schools athletics meet, being held at Christchurch’s Nga Puna Wai, marks something of a comeback for an athletics calendar which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic over the past three years.

Athletics has arguably been hit harder than most codes when it comes to Covid disruptions and Athletics Southland and SBS Bank Academy Southland athletes Kennedy Taylor, James McLeay and William Robertson (who are all coached by Lance Smith) are looking forward to making the most of what has been a rare opportunity.

Kennedy Taylor. Photo: Supplied

Taylor will be doing the 3000m, 2000m steeplechase and the 1500m.

“I’m really looking forward to this year’s competition as it’s my last nationals ever. It will be a little bit bittersweet but exciting to see what next year will hold. I really want to make the most of the experience and hopefully run some fast times. I would love to get some PBs over the course of the weekend, as well as potentially medal in the steeplechase. This field is extremely competitive so I think all of our races will be fast-paced, but that’s the way I like it as it makes it more exciting and fun.”

McLeay hopes to be competitive in a stacked 1500m field.

“The event is important to me as I enjoy competing against the best in the country, it’s really thrilling. The chance to compete against the best school athletes only comes around once or twice a year so we have to make the most of it.”

William Robertson. Photo: Supplied

Robertson has had a frustrating couple of years impacted by injury and Covid.

He will compete in the 100m, triple jump and long jump and aims to break 11.30sec for the 100m and 6.50m for the long jump.

“Hopefully I can tag a 13m triple jump alongside those, but with my injuries I’ll need to play my cards carefully. This event is important to me as it’s my last chance to compete as a secondary school athlete. The competition will be fierce since many others will by vying for top spots in their final year as well. Above all I want to have a fun time at my last school athletics event.”

Pacific Games wrap

Meanwhile, Southland sprinter and jumper Rebecca Peterson, an Academy Southland athlete in 2013/14, has returned home from the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands’ capital of Honiara.

The 28-year-old made her international debut at the multi-game event, which featured 24 countries from the south and west Pacific competing across 27 disciplines.

Peterson was ninth in the 100m, produced a seasons best leap for 7th place in the triple jump, was part of a New Zealand 4x100m relay team that finished fourth and finished a demanding five days of competition with a personal best and sixth-placed finish in the long jump.

“I’m really pleased with how I performed considering the conditions. The heat was something I had never experienced before, with temperatures reaching 47degC on the track. We had ice vests on while we were warming up and in between competing to make the heat more bearable.

“By the end of the week everyone was pretty exhausted and you just had to push through to finish the comp to the best of your ability, so I was stoked to get a personal best in the long jump on day five. It has been about 10 years since I’ve been able to do that, so that was nice surprise.”

Peterson said she was excited about what the future holds for her athletics.

“My next goal is to qualify for the Oceania Games, which will be held in Fiji in the middle of next year.”

Southlander Chris Knight had a coach/manager role with the 19-strong athletics squad and enjoyed the challenges faced at the event.

The Games were well supported by the locals, with the main grandstand sold out for several of the athletics sessions, Knight said.

“There would have been 6000-7000 people in attendance. Competing in front of that many people was a great experience for the athletes,” he said.

Southland para-table tennis player and Academy athlete Keegan Jackson also made his international debut at the Pacific Games, winning bronze medals in the singles and doubles.

Applications for next year’s intake for the Academy’s Foundation Year are open now.

Email [email protected] for more details.