US-based athletes finding good form in competition

Sports

A NUMBER of United States-based Papua New Guinea athletes are coming into very good form with the Pacific Mini Games now less than two months away.
Whilst the Cloud County-based athletes in Kansas had a relatively quiet weekend ahead of their regional championships this coming weekend, jumpers Roland Hure and Annie Topal both posted excellent performances.
Competing at an open meet in Indianola, Iowa, Hure jumped a personal best 7.25m in the long jump which is just one centimetre outside the national record set by Peniel Richard last year.
He also ran an impressive 10.77 seconds in the 100m, signalling to the PNG team coaches that he wants to be considered for the 4x100m relay in the Games.
Athletics PNG president Tony Green said Hure had shown great consistency this season with several jumps over seven metres.
Meanwhile, over in the 4,848ft altitude of Pueblo, Colorado, Annie Topal repeated her 2021 achievement of winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference triple jump title, this time in a season’s best 12.78m. APNG officials were pleased to see Topal posting a series of good jumps in her first competition since recovering from a quadriceps injury. Male triple jump national record holder Richard is expected to compete this weekend at the Lone Star Conference Championships at Texas A&M University, Kingsville.