Southland Track Cycling Championships Wrap Up

The Southland Track Cycling Championships took place over the weekend, with 114 riders taking part in three days of exciting racing on the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome.The field included riders in all age groups, from Under 13 cyclists all the way up to the oldest competitor in the event, 91 year old Peter Grandiek. Close to 50 of the competitors also came from outside the region, many of these from Canterbury.There were many great performances, with two national records being broken. Ben Westenberg, a para cyclist from Tauranga, broke his own national record in the C5 category 4000m individual pursuit, while local rider Ruth Whelan also bettered her own national record in the 500m time trial for masters women 45-49.Magnus Jamieson took the prestigious MacLean Trophy for the fastest Southlander in the Elite and Under 19 men 1000m time trial on his debut in the Under 19 division, and also claimed the Keirin and individual pursuit titles. Caitlin Kelly took the Southland titles in all the Under 19 women’s events, also in her debut in the division.In the lead up to the championships, Cycling Southland hosted a records night on the track, with a further three national records falling – Erin Criglington set a new record in the flying 200m for masters women 50-54, Caitlin Kelly set a new record in the flying 200m for Under 17 girls, and Riley Faulkner and Kelly teamed up to set a new record in the team sprint for Under 17 girls.Southland Track Championships served as an opportunity for cyclists to qualify for the 2023 Track National Championships, which will be hosted by Cycling Southland in Invercargill next year in March.