Maddi Wesche has cruised into the women's shot put final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, while sprinter Zoe Hobbs has blitzed into the 100m semifinals.
New Zealand shot put athlete Maddison Wesche at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
To complete a solid day at the Alexander Stadium for New Zealand, discus thrower Connor Bell also eased into tomorrow's final, his third round 59.47m securing him third in his qualifying group and sixth overall.
Maddi Wesche finished second in her qualifying group with 18.08m - third overall behind Daniell Thomas-Dodd (Jamaica) on 18.42m and Sarah Mitton (Canada) with 18.24m.
The 23-year-old Aucklander continued the form which earned her seventh place at last month's world championships with a personal best of 19.50m.
Wesche was happy to better the automatic qualifying standard of 18m with her first-round throw.
"It was always the plan to get the (automatic) standard - it was definitely something I knew I could achieve.
"I am feeling good, I think the world championships was a good warm-up for Comm Games. This is probably my first time I've had a packed out stadium, I am just living off it and thriving."
Hobbs, who ran a record 11.08sec at last month's world championships, had to overcome a nervy start when Tanzanian Winifrida Makenji was disqualified for false starting.
The 24-year-old Aucklander got away to a slick start, built tempo with an impressive middle phase, and crossed the line 0.10 behind Nigerian Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha.
Across seven first round heats, Hobbs recorded the fifth fastest time overall. Nwokocha topped the qualifiers alongside Jamaica's Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, who also registered 10.99 in her heat.
Hobbs believes she can go faster.
"I wanted to relax throughout the race, and I think I did until tensing up a towards the end. You never know where you are running in lane eight, I'm just stoked to make it through.
"My form turned towards the end. I need to compose myself and get used to being in this environment."
Bell kept his nerve to fire the discus out to 59.47m with his third round throw to book his spot in the final during an edgy qualification session.
The 21-year-old Aucklander, a former Youth Olympic champion, opened his competition with a below par 53.77m before registering a mark 12cm inferior with his second effort.
Sitting in 13th and one place outside of a final spot leading into this third and last throw, he maintained his composure under intense pressure.
Jamaican Travis Smikle with a best of 64.90m led the qualifiers for Friday's final.
Bell said it had been challenging to maintain compsure.
"It was a wild experience, walking in a day one morning session to a packed stadium, noisy and being around athletes I've seen on the TV growing up.
"It was a bit like being a kid in a candy shop! Managing some of that was challenging, but I had to find my rhythm and make sure I did one big throw. I knew after two rounds those throws weren't going to cut it.
"I'm really proud of how I gathered myself and how I produced that crunch throw in that last round."