Selwyn_Times: December 13, 2023

Wednesday December 13 2023 Selwyn Times
Lincoln athlete claims
national junior record
SPORT/RACING 21
ON THE
MARK:
Mark Purdon
driving his star
trotter Oscar
Bonavena
to victory.
PHOTO:
HRNZ
WINNER: Lincoln High student Alysa Brown with her gold
medal in the junior girls 2000m walk, alongside Yandri
Fourie (left, Epsom Girls’ Grammar) and Alyssa Velluppillai
(Nelson College for Girls). PHOTO: SELWYN ATHLETICS
• By Sam Coughlan
A LINCOLN High School
student has shattered a national
record at the New Zealand
secondary schools track
and field championships in
Christchurch.
Year 9 student Alysa Brown
stormed to victory in the junior
girls 2000m race walk, winning
with a time of 10mins 13secs
– well clear of the previous
New Zealand record of 11mins
27secs.
Lincoln High Sports coordinator
Karen Urbahn said it’s
very exciting for Alysa and the
school.
“She’s been training for it, and
it’s amazing to have a young
wāhine win such a special record,”
Urbahn said.
She believes it’s all down to
the effort put in by Brown, who
also competes and trains with
Selwyn Athletics Club.
“She’s been training six days
a week I think, and she does
different activities than walking,
like crossfit.”
Alysa beat former record
holder Yandri Fourie, who set
the mark at the same competition
last year. Yandri beat her
previous record as well, but it
wasn’t enough to stop Alysa
from taking gold.
Urbahn says Alysa is aiming
for a repeat next year.
“I’ve already spoken to her
and she’s definitely going for
nationals again next year.
It’s very exciting.”
Alysa’s medal was the only
one won by Lincoln High at the
championships, with its next
best result being Eleanor Bisley,
claiming 10th place in the
junior girls 2000m steeplechase.
Purdon pulls
the ‘right’ rein
• By Jonny Turner
PULLING THE left rein proved
to be a case of pulling the
right rein for Mark Purdon in
the Group One New Zealand
Trotting Free-For-All at
Addington on Grand Prix Day.
Purdon left punters gasping
with a lap to go in New Zealand’s
biggest trotting sprint when he
elected to stay three back on the
markers with the red-hot favourite
Oscar Bonavena.
But those same punters were
left counting their cash when
Purdon shot his star trotter along
the inner to claim his second big
Group One title in three weeks.
Though he looked as cool and
calm as ever when doing so,
Purdon admitted he thought he
might have made a right hash of
things when electing to stay on
the markers.
“I was thinking about what to
do, and as soon as I decided to
stay on the markers, Love N The
Port came around,” Purdon said.
“So, then I thought I had made
the wrong move. But I thought
if I sat parked, he would end up
doing too much work.
“His best attribute is his speed,
and I drove him that way.”
Winning came after a more few
nervous moments for Purdon as
he angled Oscar Bonavena into
the passing lane.
The trainer-driver admitted
there were only millimetres
between victory and an unlucky
placing.
“To be honest, there would
only have been millimetres in it;
I was doing everything I could to
get a run.
“Luckily there was enough
room to just get through, and
once he balanced up, he sprinted
up really nicely.”
– Harness Racing Desk
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