Whanganui skaters score Oceania medals

MEDAL HAUL: Whanganui's Chase Morpeth came away with three medals at the Oceania Speed Skating Championships in Brisbane. WHS student Renee Teers won gold in the junior girls relay.

Against some big odds the three Whanganui skaters who represented New Zealand at the Oceania Speed Skating Championships in Brisbane over Easter performed with real distinction.

Eleven-year-old Chase Morpeth who only qualified by a few days for the under-15 cadet boys grade was outstanding, racing against skaters three years older and twice his size.

The diminutive speedster was never far from the lead and picked up a silver medal in the 200m TT, and bronzes in the 5K points and 21K half marathon. He was also a member the second placed relay team.

WHS student Renee Teers was also up against older and bigger skaters in the under-19 junior girls class.

The 14-year-old was always amongst the leading pack in a field full of Junior World Championship entrants. Her best individual race was the 42K Marathon where she was in a finish line sprint for 3rd but was piped by Australian Charmaine Chu on the line.

First was overall junior girls champion Leah McDonald and 2nd Ariana Snook both of Timaru.

Teers teamed up with the Timaru pair to win the gold in the junior girls relay with Teers making the decisive break in her last leg to gap the Australians for a great win.

Andrew Jones was carrying a long term back injury into the competition but overcame the pain to score a convincing silver in the Senior Mens 1000m.

However his injury hampered his other events.

While New Zealand and Australia split the individual titles nearly evenly the Australians took the overall trophy courtesy of greater numbers by 1331 to 974 points.

By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 22/4/17