Runners Excel at Nationals, End Successful Season
Aquinas athletes had an outstanding performance at the NZ Track & Field Championships, bringing home seven medals, including two golds for middle-distance superstar Holly Fausett. It caps off a successful athletics season for our top-class runners.
Holly held off some top-class challengers to win the women’s U18 800m with a PB of 2:09.55, and her Waikato-BOP team then claimed first in the U18 4x400m relay. Holly (Yr 12) also won silver in the U18 400m.
AC Head Boy Hamish Murray clinched silver in the men’s U18 800m (1:55.87), and brother Vaughan (Year 10) earned bronze in the U16 race (2:03.92). Last Thursday, Kaitlyn Black (Year 12) won bronze in the women’s U18 100m and silver in the 4x100m relay. Congratulations to all our athletes for your incredible results! We’re thrilled, proud and eager to see what you’ll do next.
2022 AC alumni, Harrison McGregor, also medalled. He won silver in the men’s U20 shot put (16.37m) and bronze in the U20 hammer (52.33m).
The competition is the flagship event of NZ athletics and features the top tier of NZ athletes.
The national result is the finale of a medal-winning season for the Aquinas athletes. Here are some of their key results:
Hamish Murray
5th - men’s 800m (1:54:00). Sir Graeme Douglas International - Auckland, March. (This premier event pits top Kiwi athletes against international competitors.)
1st - men’s 1500m open (3:54.70). Porritt Classic - Hamilton, February
4th - men’s mile (4:19.63). U20 John Walker Mile - Auckland, January
7th - men’s 800m (PB: 1:52:55). Potts Classic - Hawkes Bay, January. (The race was paced by NZ Olympian Sam Tanner.)
Holly Fausett
2nd - 400m (59.56). Porritt Open - Hamilton, February
1st - women’s 800m (2:14.68). Porritt Open - Hamilton, February
3rd - women’s 800m permit (PB 2:11.46). Porritt Classic - Hamilton, February
1st - women’s U18 400m (57.01). WAIBOP Track & Field Championships - Hamilton, February
1st - womens U18 800m (2:12.94). WAIBOP Track & Field Championships - Hamilton, February
1st - women’s U18 1500m (4:37.48). WAIBOP Track & Field Championships - Hamilton, February
Kaitlyn Black
1st - women’s U18 100m (12.77). WAIBOP Track & Field Championships - Hamilton, February
1st - women’s U18 200m (26.51). WAIBOP Track & Field Championships- Hamilton, February
2nd - women’s 200m Section 2 (25.69) Porritt Open - Hamilton, February
Vaughan Murray
1st - boys’ U14 1500m (4:18.95). North Island Colgate Games - Wellington, January. (NZ’s largest athletic event for athletes aged seven to 14.)
4th - boys’ U14 800m (2:04.23) - received bronze as the first-placegetter was not from NZ. North Island Colgate Games - Wellington, January
1st - boys’ secondary school 1500m (4:10.23). Porritt Classic - Hamilton, February
Lachlan Murray
4th - boy’s U13 800m (2:18.59). North Island Colgate Games - Wellington, January
5th - boys’ U13 1500m (4:48.52). North Island Colgate Games - Wellington, January
Callum Murray (2023 AC alumni)
11th - men’s 1500m (PB 3:47.65.) Sir Graeme Douglas International - Auckland, March
2nd - men’s mile (4:12.86). U20 John Walker Mile - Auckland, January
13th/20 - men’s 1500m permit(3:50.20) - (won by Olympian Sam Tanner in 3:43.13). Porritt Classic - Hamilton, February
Harrison McGregor (2022 alumni)
1st - men’s U20 shotput. Sir Graeme Douglas International - Auckland, March 10
2nd - men’s U20 shot put. Potts Classic - Hawkes Bay, January