Le Brun highlights track and field efforts

Marlborough athlete Remy Le Brun is a two-time national champion.

Remy, one of a three-strong Marlborough contingent at the recent NZ Masters Track & Field Champs, sped away with some stunning results.

Competing in the men’s 35 division, Remy won the 60m sprint in a time of 7.24 seconds, then took out the 100m, recording a slick 11.33 over the Olympic distance. He also picked up a silver medal in the third sprint event, completing the 200m in 23.42.

Remy dipped under the M35 NZ record marks in both the 60m and 100m but unfortunately the wind readings weren’t in his favour.

His efforts at the nationals, staged at Nga Puna Wai in Christchurch, followed some top performances at the South Island Masters champs in Nelson a few weeks previously.

Remy won three sprint titles and broke two South Island Masters records in the M35-39 age group, narrowly missing a third. He won the 60m in 7.43, a new record, the 100m in 11.85 and the 200m in 24.16, another record.

Fellow Marlborough masters Laura Smidt and Carey Dickason also attended the NZ champs, both producing podium finishes in all their events.

Laura, taking part in the W30 grade, won the 1500m in a time of 5.10.35 and was third in the 800 metres, recording 2.33.75.

Carey, in the W70 division, won the hammer with a throw of 17.46m and took out the throws pentathlon. She was second in the discus (12.70m) and second in the shot put (4.95m).

Along with Remy, four other Marlborough athletes competed in the South Island champs.

Laura (W35-39) won both the 800m (2.27.57min) and the 1500m (5.19.20). Dave Hansen (M45-49) won the 400m in 55.17. Adrian Phillips (M45-49) had a busy time, winning the high jump (1.37m), the triple jump (6.94m), the javelin (25.07m) and the discus (18.43m). He also placed second in the 60m (8.71) and the 800m (3.03.52). Tracey Sims (W50-54) was second in the 1500m in 7.44.80min.

Also held in conjunction with the champs was a local interclub event which featured James Hansen who competed in the 400 metres long hurdles recording a time of 55.93sec.

Mahar Cup

The annual Mahar Cup event was staged on February 17 at Nelson’s Saxton Field.

Only Nelson and Marlborough athletes attended this year, with the West Coast contingent absent.

Nelson claimed the trophy with a combined total of 239 points, to Marlborough’s 104.

The entire Marlborough contingent of Dave Hansen, Adrian Phillips, Joseph Brooks, James Hansen, DJ Arbuckle, Alex Hansen and Tracey Sims all contributed to the overall points tally. The Marlborough senior men’s relay team (Joseph, Dave, James and DJ) retained the McConachie Baton in the much-anticipated relay event.

In addition to winning the Mahar Cup, Nelson retained the McConnell Cup (Most Points in U17 Grades).

The Mawhera Shield for outstanding performance of the meet was awarded to 14-year-old Marlin Brown from Nelson who registered a six centimetre PB of 1.76 metres in the high jump.