16 December, 2024

Gold for Kate, as TGS athletes snare eight national medals

Golden girl… Kate Hallie shows her champion style at New Zealand secondary school athletics nationals in Timaru

Takapuna Grammar School’s Kate Hallie closed her school athletics career by winning gold in the senior shot put at the national secondary school athletics championships on Sunday.
The Year 13 student from Devonport saved her best until the end of the competition, with a final throw of 14.98m.
Hallie also placed second in discus, claiming one of five silver medals won by a TGS team of six competing at Aorangi Park in Timaru from 6-8 December. Two bronzes rounded out the strong showing and all of the athletes made their event finals. Director of Sport Joshua Choice hailed the “awesome results”.
Connor Brady, a Year 10 student, collected four of the medals, competing in the junior division and underlining his rising all-rounder status. Three were silver: for shot put and the 100m and 300m hurdles, setting personal bests in each. He took a bronze in pole vault and placed fourth in discus.

Also competing were (left) fellow Takapuna Grammar medallists Sascha Letica (bronze) and Asha Edwards (silver), shown after their 3000m final, and (right) Connor Brady who won four individual finals

Runners Sascha Letica and Asha Edwards, who train together, duelled it out to make two senior finals, including the blue-ribbon 1500m race. In the 3000m final, Asha claimed the silver medal and Sascha bronze; with Sascha edging ahead in the 1500m to take 5th place, one ahead of Asha.
Samantha Lathwood was fourth in the senior 100m and 5th in the 200m.
Year 9 student Alex Hallie made the junior shot put final, placing eighth. Like sister Kate, he is coached at Takapuna Athletics Club by Walter and Nerida Gill, parents of Jacko Gill, who went on from TGS to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
Kate Hallie has secured a scholarship to the University of Miami in Ohio next year. Sascha, who made the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country team this year, is heading to the University of Connecticut.