A number of PNG track and field athletes based in the USA began their 2020 competition programs last weekend as the Indoor season got underway in earnest.
Benjamin Aliel and Roland Hure began their season for Southwestern Community College with a Meet in Maryville Missouri. Aliel clocked a very solid 49.13 seconds for the 400m which is a great start to the season for him. Hure was also in good form, clocking 7.06secs for the 60m dash and recording a best long jump of 6.81m.
Annie Topal also started her 2020 campaign last weekend in Albuquerque, competing in the 4*400m relay and long jump. New Ireland track athletes Wesley Logorava and Esther Boram have this year joined up at Union College, Kentucky, after completing their respective Junior College Programmes last year.
Logorava, who was part of the gold medal winning 4*100m relay team at the 2015 Pacific Games and also represented PNG at the 2017 Mini Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games, secured a scholarship to Union College after studying two years at Cloud County Community College in Kansas. The team competed at the KMS Indoor Invitational Meet at Birmingham Alabama last weekend where Logorava clocked 7.13secs in the 60m and 22.94 in the 200m.
“It’s early in the season and the New Irelander is happy training with sprints coach Andrew Kidd and hopes to clock some good times this year,” said Athletics PNG.
“Logorova is aiming to complete his degree in Human Performance next year and hopes to stay on to take a Masters.”
Esther Boram joined Logorava at Union College after graduating with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from New Mexico Military Institute. Boram, who was known as Esther Simon in her high school days before adopting her father’s name, is currently taking pre nursing and hopes to graduate with a degree in Nursing.
She competed in the infrequently run 600m event last weekend and clocked a time of 1min 42.74. Boram followed this up later with a 2min 24 clocking in the 800m.
(New Mexico Highlands University picture of Annie Topal)