Isaiah Priddey ran an outstanding race to crush the New Zealand under 18 record and win the New Zealand Commonwealth Games 1500m trial race in Whanganui at the Cooks Classic meeting on Tuesday evening.
The seventeen year old Hamilton athlete ran 3:44.34 to slash 1.76s off the record held by Southlander Eddie Crowe for 28 years.
Race favourite Simon Rogers, who sat on the pacemaking of Theunis Pieters early in the race, went to the front with 500m to run and looked like he would hold on to the lead, but the young Priddey chased hard and burst past Rogers at the start of the home straight.
Rogers ran an excellent 3:44.75 for second, just outside his personal best.
In winning the biggest race of his career, Priddey ran a personal best by almost 5 seconds and went well under the 3:48 standard for selection for the World U20 Championships with fellow 17 year old Nick Moulai in third place also dipping under the standard with 3:47.05.
NZ championships bronze medallist Peter Wheeler filled fourth in 3:48.20, a big personal best, just ahead of another 17 year old Samuel Tanner, with national Under 20 champion Theo Quax, just turned 18 in sixth.
In a very close 100m hurdles Games trial for women Fiona Morrison just held off Rochelle Coster 13.42 to 13.51 in a windy race.
Zac Topping caused an upset in the men’s 100m winning in 10.89, while Lucy Sheat recovered from a slow start to take the women’s 100m in 11.88 and then the 200m in 23.99.
Hamish Kerr was a clear winner in the men’s high jump Games trial, clearing 2.14m on his first attempt and following it with three good attempts at 2.18m.
Kelsey Berryman was the victor in the women’s long jump Games trial. The national champion getting out to 6.08m ahead of Ashleigh Bennett on 5.71m.
The women’s javelin Games trial was won by Tori Peeters with 53.44m ahead of Stephanie Wrathall’s 51.24m.
Ben Langton Burnell took out the men’s javelin Games trial, throwing 77.20m ahead of a surprised Brent Newdick, getting his javelin out to 63.80, his second best ever distance. Newdick, bidding for a fourth Commonwealth Games decathlon spot earlier won the 110m hurdles in 15.09.
The Classic series and Commonwealth Games trials head to Hastings on Saturday for the Potts Classic.
The team for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will be announced on Friday 2 February.
Via Athletics NZ
