Debut at track champs a winner for young star | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

The flights cost $600 but returning with a gold and a silver medal and a new race record made it worthwhile for Ryan Howe.

The 18-year-old made his first appearance at the New Zealand track and field championships in Dunedin last weekend.

Howe, a Lake City Athletics Club member, won the men's Under-19 100m title on Friday and on Saturday was the lead-out man in Waikato Bay of Plenty's 4 x 100m relay team, which smashed the 20-year record and finished second.

"The key thing for me was to relax and think about first the whole way," Howe said of his 100m title win.

He was all set on the start blocks but favourite Scott Walker, of Christchurch, flinched and was disqualified for false starting.

After a 30 minute protest it was back to the start blocks for everyone but Walker.

That left only Tauranga's Joseph Millar, the reigning school champion, between Howe and gold. Millar was sick a couple of months ago.

"There were unfortunate incidents for both Joseph and Scott but I took advantage of that

"On the 'go' I flew out of the blocks and pushed through the wind. I was thinking of all my training. I dived over the line and rolled over - I've still got the grazes."

His 11.2s time was the second fastest recorded at the meet and would have given him silver in the senior men's race. It was said to be equivalent to 10.6s when the strong headwinds were taken into account.

"I'm glad I did all that speed training. I had been very excited that I could win but scared as well. I had spent $600 on flights and I had to go home with something. I wanted that win so bad."

He led out the Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 x 100m relay team and said he had a "bad" changeover as he almost ran into teammate Phil Simms. The team was in the lead on the last leg but Millar's back tightened up and he was passed by Manawatu/Whanganui's Scott Burch who took gold in 42.37s.

WBOP's 42.48s broke the previous record set in 1991.