BY TOBY ROBSON: If Julian Oakley runs anything like his mother plays squash, then athletics fans will be in for a treat in Newtown tomorrow.

The 18-year-old son of squash legend Susan Devoy is one of New Zealand's leading middle-distance prospects.

He will be chasing a rare double at the national secondary schools athletics meet. Little more than a year after taking up running track, Oakley will start favourite in the senior boys 800m and 1500m, and is expected to test a decade-old national record over the shorter distance.

Not surprisingly, the early life of the Tauranga Boys' High School pupil was dominated by the racket sport synonymous with his four-time world champion mother. He plays down his ability with a racket in hand, but captained Tauranga Boys' to second at the national tournament this year, is graded a B1, and admits it wasn't optional growing up.

"Yep, all the brothers, Dad still plays, not so much Mum, but it's a real family thing; it's in the blood, I guess," Oakley said yesterday. "It's a pretty competitive household. I'm one of four brothers, but the second oldest can beat me now; he's going pretty hard."

The same goes for Julian, the oldest child of Devoy and husband John Oakley. He's clocked an impressive 1min 50.24sec over 800m and 3min 53.67sec over 1500m this season. He also gained a scholarship to Providence University next year for his troubles.

Remarkably, Devoy said her son "wasn't really interested in running" until last June when his coach, Gareth Hyett, suggested he take to the track.

"Gareth said to him: `I think you'd be really good on the track' and Julian said: `I don't really like running, sir.'," Devoy recalled.

"He was in the cross-country team, but never really that into it.

"He was obviously quite good, but Gareth spotted the talent."

Oakley made his competitive track debut at last year's national secondary schools meet, finishing second over 800m and fourth over 1500m.

He has set the goal of winning the double in Wellington this weekend.

"It's been a goal of mine for a while," he said. "But it's going to be tough with just over an hour between the two finals, if I make it. I'll give it a crack."

Oakley expects stiff competition in the 800m from Brad Mathas, of Cullinane College in Whanganui, and if they run to their potential, both will push the long-held record of 1min 51.59sec set by Richard Jones, of Wellington College, in 2001.

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