Police’s athletes did us proud at the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games in Mandurah, Western Australia, this month.
Dayna Reiri and
Tony Brownrigg.
The 175-strong New Zealand team – including 95 representing Police – came second to the hosts Western Australia in both the Australia and New Zealand Police Games and Emergency Services trophies.
"The New Zealand team was made up of athletes from the Police, Corrections, Customs, St Johns, AVSEC and Fire Service," says Dave Gallagher, of Police Sport. "A number of our teams comprised members of multiple services, so, in short, a truly New Zealand representative group."
Among many fantastic individual and team performances in the warm, if breezy, Mandurah conditions, a special mention goes to Hawke’s Bay youth worker Emma Burns and her stunning haul of 13 golds in 13 swimming events in the 45 to 49-year-old women’s category.
The silver-winning women's football team.
For the record, her events were 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle; 50m and 100m backstroke; 50m breaststroke; 200m individual medley; 4x50m and 4x100m freestyle relay; 4x50m individual medley relay; and 2km open water swim
The Police Games Trophy is contested in athletics and swimming. Andrew Jensen (Christchurch) and Kendall Reidy (Hawke’s Bay) were the fastest male and female 100m swimmers in any age group, Andrew with 59.11s and Kendall with 1.03.54s. Emma had the third fastest women’s time.
The Emergency Services trophy is contested in men’s and women’s triathlon, 100m track sprints, 100m swim and 10km road race.
Graeme Eaton lets fly.
Dayna Reiri (Palmerston North) was second fastest female in the 10km road race and fastest in her age group. Tony Brownrigg (New Plymouth) was second fastest in the half-marathon and first in his age group.
Among other excellent performances by New Zealand competitors, Sarika Cridge (Corrections) scored a hole in one on the final day of the golf – her first hole in one, which helped her win gold for the individual day’s play and bronze overall
The women’s and men’s football teams won silver. The Counties Manukau touch team won gold and team member Douglas Eruera wasn’t done there, going on to win silver and bronze in the 200m and 500m individual/indoor rowing (45-49).
The swimming relay team – Kendall Reidy, Emma Burns, Hayden Korach (Northland) and Andrew Jensen - won the 100m freestyle and the 50m medley events. Kendall, Emma, Hayden and Hayden’s wife Kayte also competed in CrossFit, and Kayte competed in equestrian.
NZ A-grade squash.
Graeme Eaton (Fielding, retired) ruled on the field, with gold in long jump, discus, 100m, 200m and shot put; and silver in javelin.
Another athletics multi-medallist, Mike O'Leary (Prof Conduct, Lower North), took silver in 100m, 200m, high jump, long jump, triple jump and javelin; and bronze in shot put and discus.
In the open grade, Todd Bates (Timaru) won gold in shot put; silver in triple jump; and bronze in Javelin, and discus.
Mark Stuart (Ruakaka) won gold in table tennis team event and open singles. Nat Allan (BOP) won bronze in ten-pin bowling women singles E grade and there was a bronze for the New Zealand A-grade squash team.