Selwyn Times: September 05, 2018

36
Wednesday September 5 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Kirwee boxer in first
SELWYN TIMES
female main event
DETERMINED: Kirwee boxer Michaela Jenkins will main event
the Pacific Warriors 2 event on September 15.
PHOTO: STRIKEFORCE BOXING ​
PREBBLETON’S JACK Milligan
has secured a drive for the South
Island Endurance Series starting
in Invercargill next weekend.
He will race with George
McFarlane in the former series
winning Porsche 911 GT3 R as
JADEN RANSLEY is aiming to
be a championship contender
in what will be the most
competitive ever season in the
Toyota 86 Championship.
The multiple-time karting
champion started his race car
career in the Toyota 86 series,
learning how to drive a manual
and the circuits in his first season.
He was a quick learner and
became a regular front runner
in his second season winning
a race before a big crash at
Teretonga put a major dent in his
season and left him battered and
bruised, but determined to come
back.
“It was a big hit and left me
concussed and the car a write
off,” said the Prebbleton16-yearold.
“By missing races my championship
hopes went out of the
window, but we wanted to come
back strongly and we were lucky
enough to secure some sponsorship
from Speed Works in the
form of their own car and got
back out there as quickly as we
could.”
It was the right decision, as the
talented youngster fought back to
win another race and ultimately
finish a remarkable fourth overall.
The off-season has been a
busy time, with Jaden taking part
in the Elite Motorsport Academy
and the Neale Motorsport team
preparing a new car for his third
season.
The focus all round has been
on upping the game for a serious
part of the three hour series.
Milligan, 21, won the Toyota
86 championship last season
with a race to spare, which saw
him race across the country.
He raced in the North Island
endurance series throughout
• By Jacob Page
KIRWEE’S NEW Zealand Muay
Thai champion Michaela Jenkins
is set to break new ground in the
boxing ring.
In 11 days time she will be part
of the first professional women’s
bout to main event a show in
Christchurch, when she takes on
Megyn McLennan at Strikeforce
Boxing’s Pacific Warriors 2 fundraising
night at the Hagley Sports
Centre.
There will be at least six
corporate and amateur bouts on
the under card with McLennan
facing Jenkins in the four-round
contest at the top of the card.
Ransley sets sights on
Toyota 86 Championship
shot at the title. Backing for the
championship campaign has
been secured from Miles Toyota,
Kitchen Studios, Paterson Brothers
Tyres and Hartnell’s Cafe
and there’s great optimism in the
Ransley camp ahead of the new
season.
“I’m feeling the benefits of lots
of off-track preparation,” said
Jaden. “The Academy Personal
Trainer Alastair Wootten has
been a tremendous help and I’m
definitely fitter and stronger than
I have ever been.”
The championship gets into
gear on November 2 to 4 over the
Supercar Championship weekend
at Pukekohe Park, includes a
round at Cromwell’s Highlands
Motorsport Park for the first
time since 2013.
Milligan in SI endurance series
the winter months winning one
round at Pukekohe Park.
The South Island endurance
aeries shifts to Christchurch’s
Ruapuna Raceway on September
29 and concludes at Timaru’s
Levels Raceway on October 13.
The 28-year-old is coming off
winning her New Zealand Muay
Thai title in June and was offered
this bout almost straight away
against 39-year-old registered
nurse McLennan
“I’ve been in camps since
February so it seemed like a good
match-up to take.”
Jenkins, a community healthcare
worker by day, said she was
impressed with McLennan’s
effort in her loss to Dawn Chalmers.
“I thought she showed how
tough she was because Dawn is a
very credible fighter so I’m looking
forward to the challenge of
• By Jacob Page
HANNAH BATES has moved
her focus to the New Zealand
Short Course Championships
in October after a challenging
four days at the Pan-Pacific
championships in Fiji.
The open-air competition
pool at the Damodar
Aquatic Centre was home
to 201 athletes from 11
nations who came to
compete, across four days
of tough international
competition.
New Zealand fielded
a strong team of 18 swimmers,
including Lincoln’s Bates.
The 18-year-old battled all
kind of conditions over the four
days from searing heat and high
humidity in the first couple of
sessions, to lots of wind and torrential
rain in the last couple of
days.
Bates finished 17th in her
opening event, the 200m butterfly
which was an improvement
Hannah Bates
taking her on.”
Jenkins has split her time
between boxing and kick boxing
and said she’d like to compete
globally in kick boxing if she
could earn the opportunity.
“I got into (combat sports) a
few years ago when an ex-partner
got me watching UFC (Ultimate
Fighting Championship).”
“I’ve always enjoyed the contest
and switching between boxing
and kick boxing really makes
me work hard on my stance in
the ring and keeping my guard
tighter when I box.
“I’m really looking forward to
the challenge of the night.”
Bates looks to
Auckland’s short
course event
on her 20th ranking coming into
the event,
She was then part of the New
Zealand mixed relay team which
finished fifth behind America,
Canada, Japan and Australia.
Day two saw Bates battle a
blustery wind to finish
16th in the 400m individual
medley.
Day three saw her
compete in her favoured
100m butterfly event but
strong head-winds saw
her unable to swim the
times she would have
liked as she finished 14th
overall.
Bates completed her campaign
by finishing 14th in the 200m individual
medley before competing
in the 4x100m girls medley
relay where the Kiwis finished
fifth.
St Andrew’s College swimmer
Quinton Hurley earned a
personal best in the 400m
freestyle to secure a spot in the B
final.
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