Ariana Blackwood comes third in heptathlon national title defenceAriana Blackwood's defence of her national heptathlon title ended in a third placing (file photo). Ariana Blackwood was still recovering from illness when she defended her national heptathlon title in Whanganui. She was involved in a tight battle for the women's heptathlon title, with only 52 points separating the three competitors. Sam Mackinder left it to the last events to grab the bronze medal in the under-18 women's heptathlon. Whanganui's Genna Maples showed the field a clean pair of heels, racing away to take the women's 200m title in 26.97s, with Ariana Blackwood second in 28.94s.

Source: Stuff February 25, 2018 22:30 UTC