Johnson and
Vander Kuyp claim titles while juniors rise in ranks
Athletics Australia
25 March 2001 - Star sprinter Patrick Johnson claimed his first national title today as Australia's youth impressed the large crowd on the final day of the Telstra Australian Track & Field Championships at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium.
Johnson recovered from his first loss of the year in yesterday's 100m to take the 200m crown in 20.59 seconds in a tight finish. Paul Di Bella who excelled in the 100m as well finished second in 20.66 as Paul Pearce and Darryl Wohlsen dead-heated for third in 20.75.
Commonwealth record holder Stuart Rendell started the day in style with a World Championships AA qualifier in the hammer throw of 77.76m to win his fifth national title.
On a great day for the Australian Institute of Sport Kyle Vander Kuyp clocked his fastest time since 1999 of 13.55 which doubled as a new World Championships AA qualifier. Throwing down the challenge to Vander Kuyp was Stuart Anderson who clocked a huge personal best of 13.73.
The 100m, 200m double was achieved by Lauren Hewitt who took the women's 200m today in 22.90 pipping Sharon Cripps who set a personal best of 23.04 and Nova Peris who ran 23.12.
The local crowd appreciated the performance of Olympian Blair Young who powered to the line in the 400m hurdles to take his first national title in 49.89.
In a great event for the future of Australian athletics, junior Shermin Oksuz surprised herself as well as the crowd with a superb life-time best performance. Oksuz, who turned 17 yesterday, jumped 6.65m aided by a slightly illegal tailwind of 3.0 metres per second.
Oksuz was pipped at the post by New Zealand's Chantal Brunner who jumped 6.68m on her final attempt. The West Australian still took the national title ahead of Olympian Bronwyn Thompson who jumped 6.60m (+2.1m/s) and fellow WA athlete Sharon Sutherland who jumped out to a huge pb of 6.43m.
World Indoor bronze medallist Andrew Murphy recorded a best leap of 16.96m to win his eighth triple jump national title.
Australian junior record holder Jacquie Munro won her second open national crown in the 100m hurdles in 13.15, her second fastest ever time, outlasting training partner Debbi Edwards who clocked 13.37 and Georgie Power (13.51) and Fiona Cullen (13.56) who set pbs.
New Zealand's Jenny Dryburgh upset the field in the women's pole vault with a best vault of 4.35m. In second place but winning the national title was Olympic silver medallist Tatiana Grigorieva who cleared 4.25m.
Other Australian open champions today were Tamsyn Lewis (800m, 2:02.95), Jana Pittman (400m hurdles, 57.19s), Alison Lever (Discus, 59.74m), Rosie Hooper (Javelin, 53.88m), Clinton Mackevicius (1500m, 3:41.74), Nick Moroney (High Jump, 2.22m), and Justin Anlezark (shot put, 18.23m).
In junior events Petrina Price cleared a personal best of 1.88m in the under 20 women's high jump while 2000 World Junior fourth placegetter Steven Hooker (VIS) also set a new personal best of 5.30m in the under 20 pole vault.
