Lauren Nicol won the women’s 16 100 metres and 400 metres in 13.10 seconds and 59.96s respectively. Lucinda Shaw was second in the 3000m track walk in 16:36.0s.

Brett Clifford took out the men’s 16 1500m in 4:19.64, while Daniel Laws won both the 110m hurdles (17.74s) and the 400m hurdles (59.51s).

At the Wellington Track and Field Championships at Newtown Stadium, Simon Bunckenburg finished third in the men’s 19 800m in 1:57.90, with the winner recording 1:57.70 in a close-fought final.

Bunckenburg also finished second in the men’s 19 400m final.

At Dunedin at the Otago interclub meeting, Daniel Lord impressively won the men’s 19 2000m track walk in a personal best time of 8:14.83.

The win follows on from his performance the previous week in Auckland, where he won the 10,000m track walk in the Trans Tasman under 21 test with a personal best by 3:46.37.

The time saw him qualify for the World Cup in Mexico this year.

The talented pair will compete on Saturday, February 20 at Douglas Track and Field in Waitakere.

Nicola Mackle has also been invited and will compete in high jump, while former South Canterbury athlete Kieran Fowler was also named in the team, competing in the discus.

The test match, for athletes 21 years and under, is aimed at filling a gap in competition at the international level.

Athletics Australia has reduced the size of its team from the original 45 athletes, but Athletics New Zealand has named almost a full compliment.

In addition to those named in the New Zealand team, Athletics New Zealand has put together a list of invited athletes to fill spare positions in the events and that is where Mackle comes into the equation.

Meanwhile, Simon Bunckenburg caught the eye in winning the senior men’s 800m impressively in blustery conditions in 1 minute 59.46 seconds at the Canterbury interclub meeting at the weekend.

Daniel Laws took out the senior men’s 110m hurdles in 18.19s and the 400m hurdles in 60.62s, and finished fifth in the 200m in 25.21s.

In the women’s 19 100m Lauren Nicol won in 13.38s, with Nicola Mackle fourth in 13.95s.

Mackle impressively won the women’s 19 high jump with 1.65m.

In the women’s 16 hammer throw, Rebecca Hodgson was impressive, winning with a throw of 44.90m.

The 13 year old got off to a bad start in the 100m final but said it was her determination that made her catch the others at the 60m mark and then race on to take the gold medal placing in a personal-best time of 13.23 seconds.

She almost went on to make it a double but was pipped at the post by 0.09 seconds in the 200m final and had to settle for silver.

Brittany, who was competing in her sixth Colgate Games, was one of 44 South Canterbury athletes vying for medals in the 10- to 14-year age group.

Other standout performers were Elizabeth Hampton, who won the most medals of the South Canterbury athletes. It was the first time she was eligible to compete for medals.

The 10 year old won gold in the 400m, silver in the 200m and silver in the long jump.

Overall, South Canterbury won 16 individual medals, with Jonathon Lord taking out gold in the 13-year-old boys’ 1600m track walk and Sam Small winning gold in the 14-year-old boys’ discus. He also won a silver in the high jump.

The standout performer for the Geraldine Athletics Club was Jethro Palmer. He was a finalist in all his 14-year-old boys’ events and he won bronze in the discus.

Louise Hefford impressed with three silver medals in the 14-year-old girls’ shot put, high jump and discus.

For Temuka Athletics Club, it was Ronan Jacobs who was the one to watch, winning two silver medals in the 12-year-old boys’ 100m and 200m events.

About 915 athletes will compete in the three-day event, with organisers expecting more than 3000 people to arrive in town.

The event will be a busy one for South Canterbury’s Cocking family, who have four members taking part – 12-year-old twins, Whitney and Olivia, their eight-year-old sister Renee, and Dad Andrew, who is managing the South Canterbury club competitors.

Whitney and Olivia will be competing in their fourth Colgate Games, while Renee will be participating in her first.

The twins may even compete against each other in the 100 and 200 metres races, should they make it beyond the heats, and both are equally confident they will beat the other if that should happen.

Renee will be competing for pennants in the seven to nine age-groups, participating in the 60 and 100-metre sprints, as well as the long jump and discus.

The Colgate Games are the pinnacle event for young track and field athletes, aged between seven and 14 in New Zealand.

This year the games return to Timaru for the first time since 2005.

Promotions officer Richelle Cannell said the games attracted a large number of people and the age range of competitors meant they were always accompanied by families.

She said this year’s increased entries should bring even more visitors, many of whom would spend time holidaying in the region before or after the games.

“Over the years many families have based their summer holidays around the games. “With over 900 athletes competing, this will bring an estimated 3000 people to the district, including competitors and their families. The economic benefits are significant.”

The opening ceremony for the games kicks off at 9am today with competition starting at 9.30am

The event is designed to find South Canterbury’s best all-round athlete.

This year 18 athletes ran, jumped and threw their way through 10 challenging disciplines.

This is an astonishing number considering the New Zealand multi-event championships struggle to attract any more than a dozen competitors.

The decathlon is normally held over two days with such events as 100 metres, high jump, hurdles and javelin.

The South Canterbury Athletic Club has condensed the entire event into just five hours.

The bragging rights for South Canterbury’s Greatest Athlete this year goes to Simon Small with a total score of 4650 points.

Notable performances came from Sam Small with a powerful javelin throw of 36.80 metres, and Leanne McKenzie with an impressive 1.65-metre high jump.

Jonathan Lord also performed well with a 27-metre discus throw and Clayton Murray ran 1500 metres in 5m 21s.

As the final 1500 metre event began, a hail storm started and athletes were pelted by hailstones the size of marbles.

Results:

Open: C Murray (3755), W Doyle (3627), R Herrick (3414).

19 men: S Small (4650).

16 boys: M Dewar (3515).

14 boys: S Small (3984), B Laing (3301).

Lord is the defending open 3000m track walk champion and is going for an unprecedented third crown in front of a home crowd at the Aorangi All-weather Track.

The 18-year-old also has his sights set on Andrew Causer’s (Burnside High School) record of 12m 40.90s set in 1990.

Lord is confident he has the ability to go under the long-standing mark but will have to improve his season’s best so far by 9s.

“I walked 2000m and was inside the time I needed, so I’ve got a chance.”

The talented walker said it was hard to gauge how good his opposition was but he was looking forward to having “home” track advantage and plenty of support.

“I’ve always performed well here so I hope I can again.”

He will start as favourite in the seven-strong field.

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletic Championships are the hardest place to grab a title, and with over 1400 athletes entered it is also the biggest meet in the country.

Some of the competitors do not consider athletics their number one summer sport but are more than capable of being among the medals.

Several other South Canterbury athletes could be among the medals.

Roncalli’s Lucinda Shaw, a defending champion in girls open walk over 2km, will face 11 other walkers in her bid to retain the title.

Timaru Boys High School’s Tom Walsh also goes into the event a defending champion, with the shotput title.

Craighead’s Nicola Mackle is a contender in the high jump and possibly the long jump.

Roncalli’s Lauren Nicol will also be chasing the medals in the sprints.

Lauren Nicol won the 100m in a slick 12.91sec and later won the 400m. Leanne McKenzie won the high jump (1.60m) and Lucinda Shaw was impressive in winning the 3000m track walk (16:28.83).

Tyler Collings won the boys’ 100m in a personal best of 11.56sec and Brett Clifford impressed in taking out the 1500m (4:30.60).

In the under-19 grade Daniel Lord won the 3000m track walk (12:49.45) and the javelin (41.75m).

Nicola Mackle won the high jump (1.55m) and Simon Small took out the men’s event (1.80m).

Other winners were Rebecca Hodgson in the women’s 16 hammer (40.71m), Michael Dewar the men’s 16 hammer (29.88m) and Wayne Doyle the masters men’s hammer, discus and pole vault. Herald correspondent

Other results:

Women’s 16: R Rolleston, 80m hurdles (15.48sec) 2; L Hefford, shot put (8.99m) 2; R Hodgson, shot put (8.10m) 3, discus (23.71m) 3; L McKenzie 100m hurdles (18.51sec) 3.

Men’s 16: J Lord, 3000m walk (18:19.58) 3; T Collings, 400m (55.97sec) 2.

Men’s 19: S Small, 110m hurdles (15.84s) 3; J Finikin, 100m (11.51sec) 3, 200m (24.30sec) 3; K Robinson, high jump (1.75m) 2.