Beatrice Faumuina has set herself a tough schedule over the next four days, competing in Melbourne on Friday evening and then returning across the Tasman to compete in the New Zealand track and field championships in Inglewood on Sunday.

Faumuina will be going for national title number 14 in the discus, after winning her first discus throw title in 1993. Val Young has won the most New Zealand women's discus titles with 18 to her credit.

Valerie Vili has her sights set on her seventh straight shot put title. Vili opened her account this season with 18.32m in Christchurch last week and at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday was out to 18.56m.

Vili will also be competing on Sunday at the Union New Zealand championships which run from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.

Andrea Miller set a New Zealand national 100m hurdles record of 13.30s in Brisbane last Saturday and has been offered a lane in the 100m hurdles in Melbourne on Friday evening. This means that Miller will miss the women's 100m final in Inglewood on Saturday. Miller will be in Inglewood on Sunday to defend her 100m hurdles title. The women's 100m will be a great battle between Chantal Brunner, Anna Smythe, Monique Williams and April Brough.
Williams will also be in action over 200m, against the other three, and in the 400m.

Interest in the M16 grade will centre on Dallas Bowden from Tasman as he goes for the 1500m/3000m double. Bowden will be attempting to break the 8m 20s standard set for a M16 record in the 3000m. Carl Mackenzie in the M19 division is expected to collect the 800m/1500m double. Camille Buscomb is aiming for the W16 1500m/3000m double. Sarah McSweeney will contest both the W16 and W19 2000m steeplechase.

Te Rina Keenan will be kept busy in the field events. The New Zealand W16 discus record holder will compete in the both the W19 and W16 divisions of the shot put and discus.

The men's 100m will be a great final with Chris Donaldson, James Dolphin, Craig Bearda, Matt Brown, Carl van der Speck, James Mortimer and David Falealili all in the mix.

Mortimer will have the benefit of the Australian 110m hurdles record holder Kyle Vander-Kuyp in the field in the 110m hurdles. Vander-Kuyp is one of 11 indigenous Australians who will be competing at the New Zealand championships.

Gareth Hyett will be competing in Melbourne is down for the 1500m in Inglewood. Also in the 1500m are Ben Ruthe and Jason Stewart.

Kellie Palmer of Otago will be defending her women's 800m title as well as going for the 1500m title.

Paul Hamblyn will be having his first race in New Zealand since his fourth place in the 1500m at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Hamblyn, who has been doing mileage since recovering from slight injury, has entered the 5000m, where he will be up against Rees Buck, Phil Costley and Dale Warrander. Warrander has also entered the 10,000m to be run on Friday evening. Costley is also down for the 10,000m and 3000m steeplechase.

Stuart Farquhar will be going for title number seven in the javelin throw, while Philip Jensen will aiming for title 13 in the hammer.

Another ready to chalk up a large number of titles in their event is Melina Hamilton reaching up for title number 12 in the pole vault, an event that has only been on the women's programme since 1992.

Angela McKee is out of the women's high jump with a broken leg. New Zealand's silver medallist at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Tony Sargisson will however be competing in the 3000m track walk and the 20,000m road walk.

There is only one competitor in the senior decathlon, Brent Newdick and one competitor in the women's heptathlon, Jennifer James of Canterbury.

Also the New Zealand marathon championship will be held in conjunction with the Mountain to Surf event from Egmont National Park to Waitara on Saturday morning.
Leading entrants are Grant McLean, Seaton Meredith, Adam Berry and Melanie Burke in the women's section.