Christian de Vaal clipped two seconds off the 20 year old New Zealand under 18 3000m record with a perfectly paced performance of 8:10.72. In the process he lowered his personal best by eight seconds and it sets him up for a crack at the New Zealand secondary schools record of 8:15.50 in two weeks’ time in Inglewood.

His training companion Ronan Codyre, and son of his coach Nick Codyre, paced him through the first five laps sheltering him from the strong head wind down the main straight.

Realising the record was in the bag de Vaal tore around the final lap to eclipse Garit Read’s record of 8:12.7 set in Palmerston North in 2002.

Jamie Mora was second in a ten second PB of 8:28.08 and Codyre was next in 8:34.18. Ronan Lee was fourth in a PB 8:35.94.

The record has been on the cards for de Vaal since October.

“Since the start of the season it’s been one of my goals. I attempted it by myself first race this season and did an 8:22 and so I was like reassess, debrief go back. So we got Ronan to pace this one.”

“My old mate Ronan paced me for 66 seconds for the first five laps and he did a great job. I took over for the last k and went through in 7:07 at the bell and I knew I had to put on the gas and I managed to do it,” said de Vaal who turns 18 next month.

Nick Codyre said he was delighted for de Vaal

“He’s been coming along nicely for quite a while and we set it up today, Ronan did the pacing for him and that’s what it was all about.

“We’re going to Inglewood to win the title, and we will have a good chance at the record,” he said.

Nick said they are waiting for the under 20 world cross country championships team announcement, as to whether de Vaal will go for the New Zealand under 19 record of 8:04.25.

“When the team is named we might have to change our focus from track back to cross country. We could possibly have three in that squad.”

National 100m record holder Zoe Hobbs had her first outing this season winning the 200m into a stiff head wind in 24.15 -5.1. Symone Tafunai won the 100m in 12.27 -1.3.

For the fourth straight weekend Tommy Te Puni won the sprints, clocking 10.86 -1.9 over 100m and 21.59 -3.2 in the 200m. Otago’s Fergus McLeay was second in the 100m in 10.91 and Troy Middleton was runner-up in the 200m in 22.43. Queenstown’s Hayato Yoneto was third on both occasions in 11.08 and 22.48 PB.

James Ford 800m 1:53.05, Thomas Cowan 1:53.86 PB, William Johnston 1:55.23 PB. Imogen Barlow 800m 2:14.73 PB. Bella Earl 3000m 9:50.86 PB, Aimee Ferguson 9:56.05. Justin Menezes 400m hurdles 58.43. Wiremu Knowles 300m hurdles .838 40.84 PB. Grace Wisnewski 300m hurdles .762 43.58 PB, Sophie Hancock 43.65 PB also LJ 5.33m +3.7. Quinn Gardiner-Hall 3000m RW 15:31.08. Richie Trathen 2000m RW 10:33.52.

Charlotte Goldsmith LJ 5.80m +4.3. Alexandra Hyland HJ 1.78m PB. Lewis Arthur LJ 7.23m +1.6. Rafe Couillault HJ 2.03m PB, Kaelan Paranihi 1.95m PB, Ben Blundell 1.85m PB.

Competing on the North Shore, four times national champion Anthony Nobilo, in his season’s opening throw, sent the hammer out to a PB 67.74m. Levi Pupualii 5kg HT 62.80m PB. Nathan Buckley 800g JT 55.07m, Stephen Thorpe 42.31m PB. Paige Fletcher 3kg HT 46.16m PB. Eva Stowers 3kg HT 35.60m PB. Taya Lewis 500g JT 30.41m PB.