Kiwis get their skates on in Brisbane
SILVER FERN STREAK: Chase Morpeth, Andrew Jones (former WHS student) and WHS student Renee Teers are competing for their country in Queensland this Easter.
Three Whanganui skaters have formed part of the NZ Speed Skating team which headed to Brisbane to tackle the Australians on home turf at the 2017 Oceania Championships.
The championships started Good Friday and conclude on Wednesday in Nundah, Queensland.
Locals Andrew Jones, Renee Teers and Chase Morpeth will be up against the strongest Australian team in years, which will be looking to win back the Trans Tasman trophy the Kiwis have held for quite a while
Wanganui Speed Skating Club spokesman Ken Smith said Krystine Davies was also selected but withdrew to prepare for her upcoming European Masters campaign.
Smith said Jones is racing the Senior Men's grade at his first Oceania Championships and will be a threat in the sprint events, where he has performed well at national level and gave top star Antony Nalder of Wellington a run for his money in the recent Laurie Hastie Cup.
"Teers was an Oceania champion in the Cadet Grade [under 15] last year but this year steps up to the under 19 Junior Women's grade and will be up against an Australian team that includes three skaters with world championship experience.
"Teers has been on a tear lately - picking up titles at the NZ Banked Track Championships, winning her grade in a marathon event in Timaru and dominating the Laurie Hastie Women's Open Grade.
"She could be a dark horse against the older girls in her grade," Smith said.
The 11-year-old Morpeth is only eligible for the Cadet Boy's grade by a few days, but that is unlikely to faze the speedster.
"Only Whanganui's Drew Brennan has been able to stop Morpeth taking a clean sweep of all the national championship events this year and the youngster has been training alongside his older teammates without giving much away it terms of speed or stamina," said Smith.
In addition, Whanganui's Rebecca Smith, herself a former Oceania champion, is going as assistant coach to New Zealand's coach Bill Begg of Timaru, and her experience should help the younger team members as they enter the international arena.
By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 15/4/17